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[The 4th EAI Academy] ⑧ Korean Political Reform Beyond Factions for the Future
Editor's Note
The 8th session of the EAI Academy featured a dialogue between Kim Se-yeon, former People Power Party lawmaker, and Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, to examine the problems of the current Korean political landscape dominated by two major parties and to explore avenues for political reform. Kim Se-yeon argued that the current single-member district electoral system has outlived its usefulness in Korea, where the level of politics barely passes muster, and emphasized the need for electoral reform to dismantle the vested interests of the two major parties and reflect the diverse opinions of the public. She also asserted that generational change within the political sphere is necessary for more fundamental transformation. Park Yong-jin pointed out that the current five-year single-term presidency, combined with the single-member district system for National Assembly members, creates even more severe problems, necessitating a comprehensive re-examination. He also argued that the political sphere must transcend factions and partisan interests to achieve reform, enabling a shift from politics that wins by criticizing opponents to politics centered on policy ideas.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2scSGH0zyBk
Video Transcript
Has the Democratic Party spoken about a new generation? Regarding the new generation or youth, it has completely failed. Considering the Democratic Party's recent national convention, I am among the youngest in the Democratic Party, a second-term lawmaker, yet there are many more who are first-term lawmakers than me. I should be the one, and it's not just about age. Within the Democratic Party's national convention, who comes forward to represent the new generation? It's absurd. There must be fierce struggle.
But for example, within the Democratic Party under Lee Jae-myung, is there a dominant trend represented by Lee Jae-myung? Everyone just follows along. It should be like this, but there's no one saying, 'This isn't the right way.' Park Yong-jin should be the one running for party leader, not someone who is struggling to survive on their own. Why is no one taking responsibility for the defeat in the last local elections? These are the only points being raised. Conversely, in the People Power Party, before the presidential election, there was the Lee Jun-seok phenomenon. We thought it was a one-time thing.
But now, Cheon Ahn-kam is speaking up clearly. He threatens to not stay silent if the 'Yoon-gwan' (Yoon loyalists) are mentioned. He is campaigning by advocating for the expulsion of 'Yoon-gwan,' claiming he spoke with the President. I believe there is immense internal conflict within the party. I don't know if they will succeed in ousting that generation through the impeachment of Lee Jun-seok, but perhaps they will succeed in ostracizing candidate Cheon Ahn-kam this time. However, a force is already rising there through fierce internal struggle. Within the Democratic Party, fierce internal struggle, like the past conflicts centered around pro-Moon or anti-Moon factions, is creating a structure where the majority sends text bomb messages to the minority, making their phones unusable. This level of politics has been going on for years.
My concern is that they are competing to send the most text messages on their phones. Setting that aside, who are the young people preparing within the Democratic Party? Do you remember anyone? Among your peers, this is a major problem. The biggest crisis for the Democratic Party is not Chairman Lee Jae-myung's legal disk, but rather that the Democratic Party, when I entered university, was like the Minjoo Party of that era. Our young people are watching. When I entered university, the Democratic Party members were not considered human. If they came to our campus, and a National Assembly member from the Minjoo Party was receiving an award or giving a lecture, we would think, 'He must have two lives,' and mock him. Yet, no one in the university community ever stopped it.
But now, for our university students, is the Democratic Party truly about reform, human rights, and peace? It has become a party of vested interests, and no one talks about this. If someone says, 'This isn't right,' they are told, 'You still need to send more text messages,' and they send them. It's a disaster. I myself believe I need to engage in fierce internal struggle, but I don't see a generational cohort within the party that can join hands with me on such issues. This generation is not visible. It's the same for the next election; if they don't get elected to the National Assembly, they can just move on. But it seems that those who have been nominated are only gathering and engaging in superficial discussions. It's quite pathetic. I want to ask the Democratic Party and you all: I hope you make meaningful choices.
You are not alone; there are many of you. The background of Lee Jun-seok is different. Although the Democratic Party easily defines them as 'Ilbe' (a far-right online community) or sophisticated individuals, the fact that a group entered and is moving in sync with the politician Lee Jun-seok, exchanging signals, is very meaningful. Within our Democratic Party, no one has done what the younger generation is doing together, moving like a school of mullet swimming beneath the surface of the sea. Therefore, I hope that you, whether in the People Power Party or the Democratic Party, will not blindly support your party but offer critical support. I believe that those of you who are around 50 years old and engaging in this kind of activity in East Asia likely have considerable political insight and depth, and you can play such roles with those around you. There are many meaningful parties, not just the major ones, even if they are not in the National Assembly. I hope you fulfill those roles. Politics has not yet created a system that accommodates diverse voices, but even before policy systems are created by parties like the 50 or 60 parties that may emerge, the effort to gather this energy is absolutely crucial for survival. However, the next generation will have to deal with the previous generation. For example, Chancellor Scholz was discovered by Chancellor Merkel and served as her patron. Ultimately, it's difficult for someone to truly nurture another as intended, and it's not always successful. But if the nurtured individual succeeds, it can ultimately benefit the next generation in their full ascent. In any case, forging one's own destiny is true not only for individuals but also for groups or generations.
Similarly, I believe it is good to continue these challenges as a group or generation. Is it better to gather strength and act at once? What is clear is that in international politics, when power shifts from one bloc to another, it is when the total capacity of the forces involved increases or decreases, and when the golden cross occurs, the change happens. To accelerate this, what should be done? Of course, honing individual skills enhances personal growth. But for generational growth, while each person cultivates their own abilities, I hope you will prepare your minds and practice contributing a portion of your time not solely for private motives, personal achievement, or private interests, but for public contribution. Some may be determined to dedicate themselves fully, while others may wish to do so but are unable to due to circumstances. However, the spectrum in between is quite wide, and depending on your choices,
when the previous generation, though having solved their own problems, is unable to solve the issues they created, and a new generation emerges as problem solvers, their capabilities will coalesce and accumulate more rapidly, accelerating that time. If you do not do this and only focus on your own well-being in a fragmented manner, that time may not come or may come very late.
it will be faster. If you do not do this and only focus on your own well-being in a fragmented manner, that time may not come or may come very late.
*This text is an AI translation of an original written in Korean. Some translations or nuances may be inaccurate.