[OUTLOOK]Mapping victory for the new right

The New Right Union of which I am a member has established two distinct goals since it was launched last year. They are its long-term and short-term goals. The long-term goal is the establishment of an advanced and unified Korea. The short-term goal is the transfer of power to reform-minded right-wing forces through the presidential election in December 2007. How then can we achieve this transfer of power? A few conditions are attached to this goal.
First, next year’s presidential election cannot be left in the hands of politicians alone. In the last presidential election, we suffered a catastrophe because we believed in the illusion that politicians would do well as usual. In the next election, too, the political community will lead the people, but the whole civic society, which is determined to defend a free democratic system, must come forward and exert all their efforts.
Second, all the reform-minded conservative right-wing forces should form a consensus and present only one presidential candidate. In retrospect, there has been a tendency in the right-wing camp for it to be difficult to form an alliance. In contrast, the left-wing camp has been apt to form a unified front at the decisive moment, although they often had serious in-fights during ordinary times. But the right-wing camp tended to lose decisive chances as they split at the decisive moment, although they fared well during ordinary times.
This time, the right-wing forces must overcome that bad habit at all costs. At next year’s presidential election, all right-wing forces, including politicians, opposition leaders without political affiliation, civic group leaders, religious leaders and intellectuals, should unite around a unified presidential candidate.
For this, the New Right Union has provided a staged roadmap for victory at next year’s election and has been promoting it step by step.
First, we will strengthen the capability of the New Right movement itself by the end of the year.
Next, we will exert all our efforts for the unification of the right-wing camp in the first half of next year. But it is arrogant to think we can achieve our goal with only the forces that support the New Right movement.
The New Right movement is only a part of various conservative forces. Therefore, all conservative organizations should unite into one for the grand goal and cause of changing the regime, while respecting the differences in view among them.
Lastly, we must form a consensus on a unified presidential candidate by forming an alliance with conservative political parties by the middle of next year. Electing a unified candidate is a role for the political community to play. It is not realistic that the civic groups or opposition forces without party affiliation should come forward and play a role in that decision. We must unanimously accept the unified candidate decided upon by the political community through a transparent and open procedure, and give unified support to that candidate.
The New Right Union is working hard to achieve the following so that we can make our movement a success.
First, in order to expand the movement to a popular and nationwide one, we are forming New Right Citizens Organizations in 238 cities and counties nationwide, from Jeju Island to Gangwon province.
Second, considering the fact that Korean universities had been occupied by followers of North Korea’s Juche ideology for the past 30 years, we are fortifying our effort to convert the leadership of our student movement from left-wing activists to right-wing activists.
Third, we are also exerting efforts to nurture sound and healthy education and labor movements that can fight against the Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which have degraded into extreme pro-North Korean and anti-American movements. As a result, there are movements based on the spirit of the New Right Union spreading among teachers, parents and labor activists.
Fourth is our approach to various media, including the Internet, broadcasting, newspapers and cultural activities. In the meantime, leftwing forces here have dedicated themselves to this field by paying painful sacrifices for the past 30 years.
They are reaping the fruits as a result of that. During the 2002 presidential election, the share of influence between the leftwing and the rightwing in this field was nine to one. Fortunately, the gap has narrowed to six to four nowadays, since the right-wing has also opened its eyes to the importance of the media. We should be able to reverse the situation by the later half of next year by investing in this field in earnest from now on.
Lastly, we have to respond wisely to such sensitive pending issues as inter-Korean cooperation and the Korea-U.S. alliance with proper understanding and alternatives. We must discard inter-Korean cooperation projects that were promoted in spite of their infringement on human rights and the minimum requirements for a humane life for our brethren in the North.
Anti-American movements that betray our national interest should also be ended.
Now the people know as much truth as they need to tell right from wrong. And they are also aware of the situation, so they won’t be induced to any side by political instigation or dividing tactics.
We must move ahead with the conviction and hope that we will achieve our goals in the end. Isn’t there a saying that heaven helps those who help themselves?

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

by Kim Jin-hong