A vote for change

Chang Se-jeong
The author is an editorial writer for the JoongAng Ilbo.

Let’s close our eyes and think. The 5,000-year history of Korea and the current situation of this country overlap in our mind. Let’s think about our ancestors who overcame tremendous ordeals and suffering and worked hard for the prosperity of our country and the hardships of recent generation. And let’s imagine the future of this country in which our children will live. What kind of a country do we have to create?

We dream of a country where the people do not have to worry about politics. It is a country where constitutional rights, such as freedom, democracy and human rights, are respected. It is a country where separation of powers is respected. It is a country where cooperative politics work; it is a country where the majority party does not abuse its power and the minority parties stop protesting for the sake of protesting in the National Assembly. It is a country of unity, where politicians who split the public opinion are facing the end of their careers. It is a country where the Blue House transparently makes public its spending of special operation expenses and protocol budgets. It is a country where the top officials and government offices do not abuse their powers to file lawsuits against individual citizens. It is a country where public servants work based on laws and conscientiousness. It is a country were the National Election Commission’s fairness in managing an election is trusted.

We dream of a country where the people can live their lives without worrying about national security. It is a country where the soldiers clearly understand who their enemies are and maintain readiness. It is a country that condemns North Korea when it launches a ballistic missile. It is a country that cherishes the Korea-U.S. alliance and develops it. It is a country that does not politicize anti-Japan and anti-China sentiments. It is a country that does not tie up the hands of the National Intelligence Service’s anti-espionage operations. It is a country whose diplomats work for national interest, not political ideology. It is a country whose Unification Ministry does not ignore North Korean defectors.

(Left to right) Ruling Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and minor opposition Justice Party (JP) candidate Sim Sang-jeong cast their ballots on Friday, the first day of the two-day early-voting period for the March 9 election. [NEWS1]

We dream of a country where the people do not suffer from the government’s failed economic policies. It is a country that does not experiment recklessly with unverified economic policies. It is a country where housing prices do not skyrocket due to failed real estate policy. It is a country where taxpayers do not have to suffer from a punitive tax systems. It is a country that does not have unreasonable rent control laws, which cause increases of rents. It is a country where the youngsters find jobs and realize their dreams. It is a country where women do not have to worry about losing jobs after career breaks. It is a country where self-employed people are not forced to sacrifice during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a country that does not unreasonably push forward nuclear phase-out policy.

We dream of a country where we don’t have to worry about social conflicts and splits. It is a country without ideological, generational and regional divisions. It is a country without discrimination and hatred. It is a country where the press is free. It is a country where young men and women do not hate each other. It is a country where comfort women victims are not exploited. It is a country where families of inter-racial marriages are discriminated.

We dream of a safe country where the people’s lives and property are not threatened. It is a country where the police do not run away from a crime scene. It is a country where children can play safely without being killed by drunk drivers. It is a country where science is respected so that the people do not have doubts on the government’s social distancing policy. It is a country where industrial accidents do not take place. It is a country where construction workers do not face a tragic death due to a poor construction process.

We dream of a transparent country where abuse of power and corruption are eradicated. It is a country of law and principle. It is a country where the judiciary is not serving the president and fairness of trial outcomes is trusted. It is a country where the prosecutors investigate according to the law rather than pleasing the powerful people. It is a country where the police handle cases fairly. It is a country where the anti-corruption system properly functions. It is a country where those who commit crimes face proper punishment. It is a country where justice is served. We dream of a country with fewer hardships from low birth rate and aging society.

Voting is the starting point for these changes. It is the only weapon we have to realize our dreams. When butterflies flap wings, spring will come. When we dream and act, our dreams will come true.