[Letters] Students shouldn’t complain about politics

South Korea is now a developed country in economy and politics. Politically, students always made the changes with many demonstrations. Now, they are the people who lead society. However, some students still argue for active roles in politics. But I disagree.

First, students are those who should focus on studying. They are the bedrock for development of our society. So they should focus on studying instead of engaging in massive demonstrations. In the past, they led political protests largely because there were very few educated people at the time. Now, there are much more educated people in this country, including college students and graduates, and they don’t have to be politically active as their parents’ generation was decades ago.

Second, there is a lack of uniqueness in students’ movements these days. Though their opinions were fresh and new before, you can hardly say so these days. For example, one of the biggest issues this year was half college tuition. When students joined the struggle for lower tuition, some media claimed that if students participate in the movement more aggressively, they could get more benefits. But I think that logic is ill-grounded. Following the logic, students’ behavior would be the same as other politically motivated interest groups. This type of demonstration only makes our society messy and confusing.

Third, students can be easily influenced by tricks and inflammatory speeches of politicians. The media is not always giving the right information. And sometimes, some misinformation quickly spreads out through students’ social networks. It already happened in the mad cow disease scare based on exaggerated information. Unfortunately, though, many students still have the tendency to accept more of them as a result of politicians’ ill-conceived schemes.

I understand our parents’ generation did contribute to the betterment of society through their active political participation. But now our society is changed and students’ roles also changed.

Each group has its own unique roles. If they do their part well, it’s better for society. If students are the future, they must focus on their proper roles instead of wasting time.

by Kim Joong-kyu, an undergraduate student at KAIST