After 43 years, a political career comes to a close
Left: Kim Jong-pil answers questions during a press conference on March 3, 1962, upon his return to Seoul following a visit to Southeast Asia. [JOONGANG PHOTO] ight: Kim Jong-pil is pictured after his retirement announcement on April 19, 2004, at the headquarters of the United Liberal Democrats in Seoul. [JOONGANG PHOTO]
The time was approaching for my retirement from politics once and for all.
The 17th general election in April 2004 marked the end to a 43-year political career that began on May 16, 1961.
That year was defined by tumult, sparked by the opposition party’s rush to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun. He led the country with a partisan perspective rather than a balanced view, and his black-and-white worldview was evident.
During an official dinner in December 2003 hosted by the Blue House, Roh said, “The general election will be a contest between the ruling Uri Party and the opposition Grand National Party [GNP]. If voters choose the Democratic Party, that will be the same as helping the GNP, which is now like a sinking Titanic.”
Determining that Roh had violated the election law by interfering in politics as president, the three opposition parties - composed of the GNP, the DP and my United Liberal Democrats (ULD) - collaborated to submit an impeachment bill and passed it through parliament.
But it received strong public backlash; the impeachment was viewed to be unjust and Roh’s supporters appeared resolved to protecting him.
Public sentiment can often appear quiet at first, but nonetheless, it holds politicians accountable for their misbehavior. Due to anger over the impeachment, the fledgling Uri Party - founded just three months prior - won 152 seats, with the GNP trailing behind. The Democratic Party only managed to gain nine seats.
The ULD experienced a crushing defeat, only acquiring four seats.
I had actually tried to dissuade my fellow party members from casting votes for Roh’s impeachment.
I opposed it because while Roh had made inappropriate remarks, they were not as grave, malicious or serious as to warrant his ouster.
From my decades in politics and my role in the May 16 revolution [coup], I was acutely aware of the dangers the country could face in the absence of a president. While a president can be utterly disappointing, he or she must be treated with respect. After all, it is the people who elect them.
But despite my efforts, eight ULD lawmakers voted to impeach Roh. To demonstrate my disapproval, I did not attend the vote.
The ULD was not spared from the aftermath.
It failed to win a single district in North Chungcheong and Daejeon and only managed to win four seats in South Chungcheong. Chungcheong voters threw their support behind the Uri Party because it included in its platform a promise to create a new administrative capital city in the region.
They effectively shunned the ULD, blaming its lawmakers for the impeachment.
I also failed to be re-elected. Many people believed I would go on to serve 10 terms, but it stopped short at nine. I was shaken by the results and tried to decide what I should do next. At 78, the people had taken away my parliamentary badge. I saw it as a message and decided it would be my first and last political loss. The world had changed, and I had done my best. I had no more energy for it.
On April 19, 2004, I announced my retirement during an event held to congratulate elected ULD lawmakers. “Over the past 43 years, I have completely spent my energy, like a tree that has been burned to ashes,” I said. “I could have left earlier but chose not to because I wanted to achieve something. But there is nothing to be said. I have decided that today, I will walk away from all of it.”
Now, I just hope my political successors will strive to improve the political landscape. We must correct the current five-year single-term presidential system and establish a full parliamentary system so that the political arena can be open to compromise and negotiation rather than facilitate an endless cycle of partisan strife.
I tried to achieve it but failed to pull it off. So now, it’s up to the younger generation of politicians to do their job.
By some definitions, politics is the art of knowing what to sacrifice. A man must have a clear sense of what constitutes a priority and what should be discarded. If I were to choose my greatest political strength, I would say it was my ability to prioritize national affairs decisions in order of their significance.
I was behind Korea’s revolution [coup], served as prime minister two times and led the opposition party for years. But my political decisions were never made in an instant; they were the result of in-depth observations, my interpretation of what was happening at any given time and endless efforts to learn from the past. In times of trial, I strove to make the best solution as a politician for my country.
My role in normalizing diplomatic relations with Japan in 1962 and my support for President Kim Dae-jung are my most memorable political feats. Even though I was heavily criticized for leading talks with Tokyo, I felt proud for being at the forefront of history. Some have called me a traitor, but I didn’t mind those attacks because of my firm conviction that the economy must be strong in order for democracy to flourish. Democracy feeds on bread before it feeds on blood.
The compensation from Japan in return for normalizing ties later became the backbone of Korea’s economic development.
When I declared my endorsement for Kim Dae-jung, I was also severely criticized by conservative voters and supporters of former President Park Chung Hee. But I made my decision knowing it would help the country move forward. I was the only one who could make up for the suffering that Kim endured under the Park government.
For the sake of our future, I endorsed his presidential campaign. In return, I requested only this: “Please put aside your anger toward Park Chung Hee and build a memorial hall in his name once you become president.”
Judging from the current landscape, it appears that many political leaders have put their personal interests first and put aside what is good for the country, therefore becoming populists. A politician who worries about the future of the nation and its people should not be afraid of being criticized. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had the courage to face death and hate from his own people.
For 43 years, from 1961 to 2004, I tried to have such courage, too. I didn’t try to predict the future, as it is the outcome of our choices, and for those, I must be held accountable. In the end, I achieved many great feats, but I also let go of many great ideas.
I send my deepest thanks to my readers who have shared my side of the story.
Compiled by CHUN YOUNG-GI, KANG JIN-KYU [kang.jinkyu@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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