[Conditions for Presidential Success in 2022] Short Interview with the Author: ⑧ "Present a New Paradigm for Balanced National Development (Cha Jae-kwon)"

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kNugItjA68

Ahead of the 20th presidential election scheduled for March 9, 2022, the East Asia Institute (EAI) launched the project "Conditions for Presidential Success in 2022," targeting presidential candidates, election camps, politicians, media, and influencers. Following a working paper phase, a book was published. The nine researchers summarize the conditions for success as head of the executive branch, politics of harmony and coexistence, and balanced national development and communication as 'decentralization, integration, and coexistence.' We are releasing short interviews with the authors alongside the web publication of the working paper series, which aims to present the conditions for the next president's success by analyzing the failures of past presidents.

Chapter 8, "Present a New Paradigm for Balanced National Development" – Cha Jae-kwon (Pukyong National University)

Read the Working Paper

■ Author: Cha Jae-kwon_Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Pukyong National University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kansas. He has served as Director of the Pukyong National University Institute for Decentralization and Development, President of the Korean Association for Local Politics, and President of the Korean Association for Civic Ethics. He is currently a specialist member of the Presidential Committee for Autonomy and Decentralization. His research primarily focuses on comparative politics (political processes/political economy) and local politics. His major works include "Algorithmic Democracy in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A New Paradigm for Citizen Participation and Engagement" (2021), "The Counterattack of the Regions, A Record of One Year" (2020, co-authored), "The Candlelight Protests and Collective Movements" (2019, co-authored), and "Decentralization and Balanced Development: Observations by Political Scientists" (2018, co-authored).

Video Transcript

I have been observing local autonomy for nearly 30 years. Thirty years can be considered a short time in the grand scheme of things, but for an individual, it's a significant portion of a lifetime. So, when we look at it from the perspective of fairness and impartiality, it's a story of life. Now, is it that we are living well, or are we doing things properly and leaving something behind? It seems we are still far from that. I've spent a lot of time contemplating why this is the case. Amidst these reflections, I've considered how we should move forward. How can the president, in their term, lead balanced national development in a way that is truly effective? I've thought a lot about this, and based on these thoughts, I've prepared something new to convey to the next president and the current administration. I believe it's time for our country to establish a solid foundation after 30 years of local autonomy. With these thoughts, I wrote this. Past presidents have...

made significant efforts. President Kim Dae-jung, with a long-term vision, worked diligently. Particularly, the Roh Moo-hyun administration made considerable efforts to strengthen balanced development between central and local governments through various initiatives. Although there were some grievances during the Lee Myung-bak administration, efforts were made to improve upon the previous administration's policies for balanced development. The Park Geun-hye administration also continued these efforts diligently. However, in terms of actual outcomes, are we truly achieving results? I believe not at all. If things continue as they are, some regions will become completely depopulated.

This has led to calls for active government support. The gap between the Seoul metropolitan area and non-metropolitan regions is widening significantly, and the disparity in local development is also growing. In terms of outcomes, despite diligent efforts, the situation is actually worsening. Therefore, without a new paradigm addressing these issues, it is difficult to resolve them. I've been contemplating this extensively, and the public is diligently engaged, but why aren't we seeing progress? I believe there is still a lack of commitment. Also, while there's a general consensus on balanced development, the perspectives on this issue vary significantly across different political ideologies, including conservative and progressive stances. Consequently, the balanced development policies have not been consistently implemented. Furthermore, while the public understands the importance of balanced development, their interest is insufficient, and support for related policies is weak. Additionally, even when the government passionately pursues these policies, they often fail to consider the specific circumstances of local communities or the needs of local residents. Instead, the government unilaterally provides support, and local governments and organizations are left to passively receive these funds. This approach, where the central government unilaterally dictates policies, has been problematic. Another issue, in my view, is that while the government has allocated substantial budgets for balanced development over the past decade, these funds have often been fragmented.

Essentially, if we were to distribute a large pie, everyone would get a slice. If the pie were enormous, even small portions would be significant. However, these portions are divided like scraps, making it impossible for even small initiatives to achieve substantial results. This fundamental issue of resource allocation has not been properly addressed. The vision for balanced development has been pursued through a fragmented approach. How should we proceed? I believe this is crucial. First, we must act urgently. Balanced development is not progressing, and the problems facing local regions are becoming increasingly severe. When an emergency patient arrives, the first priority is to stabilize them to save their life. Therefore, I believe...

...we need to allocate significant government budgets towards revitalizing local areas. With the current approach of fragmented budget allocation, I don't believe we can resolve the issue of declining local economies and the widening gap between the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions. Furthermore, another important principle is that until now, budgets and development funds have been distributed in a rather indiscriminate manner. However, we need to discuss a more equitable and balanced distribution. Equitable distribution means dividing resources equally, while balanced development implies allocating resources strategically to achieve specific objectives in areas where they are most needed. This involves a principle of targeted allocation.

Therefore, I believe that while past balanced development policies have focused on the concept of equality, future policies should focus on effectiveness. We need to determine where investment is truly needed and where our resources should be allocated to achieve overall national balanced development. The next president must make strategic decisions in this regard. The method of dividing the pie also needs to change, moving towards a more focused approach. Most importantly, while government support is crucial, fostering endogenous growth drivers within local communities is also vital.

How can this be achieved? By creating an environment where local communities have more autonomy to determine their own destinies and take action. This is the first step. Moving forward, it will be difficult to achieve results in balanced development if we continue with the current approach of the central government leading initiatives and distributing small budgets in a fragmented manner. Therefore, we must boldly abandon such methods and focus on strategic allocation. By concentrating resources, we need to increase the scale of projects by two to three times, or even four to five times. If local areas decline, the nation as a whole will suffer. It is often said that the nation thrives when local areas thrive, but this is a future prospect. If national issues are truly important, I believe a significant portion of national resources should be urgently allocated to address them. Through such a fund...

...and its utilization, we can achieve better balanced development outcomes and ultimately revitalize local areas, leaving a legacy of national development for the next president. When a new president is inaugurated, I hope the government will adopt a new perspective on balanced development. Thirty years have passed since the beginning of local autonomy, and I hope that in the coming years, we can truly achieve meaningful progress. This requires not only the efforts of the central government, politicians, and experts but also the understanding and support of the public. Therefore, whether you live in a rural area, a provincial city, or Seoul, I urge you to embrace the idea that revitalizing local communities is equivalent to revitalizing the nation. Please show your interest and support, demand that the government prioritize local revitalization, and vote for those who can achieve it. I hope the public will become such a discerning electorate.

The scale of this fund and the methods of its utilization need to be diversified to achieve balanced development outcomes, ultimately revitalizing local areas and achieving national development through genuine revitalization. This could be a significant achievement for the next president. When a new president takes office, I hope the government will adopt a new approach to balanced development. Thirty years have passed, and I hope that in the coming years, we can truly achieve meaningful progress. This requires not only the efforts of the central government, politicians, and experts but also the understanding and support of the public. Therefore, whether you live in a rural area, a provincial city, or Seoul, I urge you to embrace the idea that revitalizing local communities is equivalent to revitalizing the nation. Please show your interest and support, demand that the government prioritize local revitalization, and vote for those who can achieve it. I hope the public will become such a discerning electorate.

Whether you live in a rural area, a provincial city, or Seoul, please embrace the idea that revitalizing local communities is equivalent to revitalizing the nation. I hope you will show your interest and support, demand that the government prioritize local revitalization, and vote for those who can achieve it. I hope the public will become such a discerning electorate.