[OUTLOOK]Grand Nationals disappoint

It has been one year since the New Right Union was launched. The movement, designed for right-wing reform, has won wide public support and been showing more output than expected. We are impressed by ourselves, to see what we have done. But these days there is a serious problem within the new right camp. The movement started with two goals: one long-term and one short-term.
The long-term goal is the reunification of Korea and further growth of the country. The new right movement has a principle for this goal ― the reunified Korea should be built on the idea of liberal democracy.
We need to develop our country through four steps: industrialization, democratization, liberalization and further advancement.
So far, we have painstakingly achieved industrialization and democratization. Now, two steps remain. The long-term goal of the new right movement is to make our country an advanced nation through these two steps.
For this we need to achieve a short-term goal, which is a power shift in the presidential election scheduled for December next year.
People might wonder why a power shift is a goal of the movement. It is because the current ruling party is a left-wing party. That is a fact. The president himself called his administration left wing.
What are the characteristics of a leftist administration? A left-wing government emphasizes equality over freedom and distribution over growth. Priorities are on equalization within the country rather than competitiveness out in the world.
Of course, equality and distribution are important values. However, we shouldn't emphasize the two values to the extent that the country loses its competitiveness.
We have a small country and few natural resources, but a large population. Human resources are all we have. That is why an equalization oriented educational system is not fit for this country.
We should focus our resources on smart and talented people to advance even further. The entire country should help those people to become competitive on the international stage.
The country's ultimate goal should be to bolster competitiveness in education, economy, the work force and even social welfare. That is the right path to take for the future of this country.
Only a right-wing government can carry out the policies for this goal. That is why the new right movement aims for a power shift in the next presidential election.
However, the new right movement has problems in achieving its goal because of the Grand National Party.
The new right movement is not a political movement, but a campaign to promote a small government and a big market based on liberal democracy, a market economy, global competitiveness and a strong defense system. This is a cultural and civic movement.
Under any circumstances, the new right movement cannot appoint a presidential candidate and can’t transform itself into a political party.
To bring a conservative party into power, the only way is to choose a party with political beliefs close to those of the new right movement and support that party.
The Grand National Party is the valuable center of the right wing parties. The problem is that the Grand Nationals have made us so disappointed by incessant involvement in corruption scandals.
During the last presidential election campaigns, some of the top party members were accused of taking bribes by the car-load.
This time, some senior members allegedly took bribes to appoint candidates for the posts of district heads. This proves that the party is still full of corruption and lacks morality.
That is why we conservatives are disappointed.
If we place our hope only in the Grand National Party, we are unlikely to achieve our goal.
That is a big problem for the new right movement workers.

* The writer is a pastor of Durae Church and the chairman of the New Right Union.

by Kim Jin-hong