An inflection point for a better future

Chung Un-chan
The author, a former prime minister and former president of Seoul National University, is the chairman of the Korea Institute for Shared Growth.

Elections will take place in 60 countries this year. It is a super election year, with around 2.5 billion people exercising their voting rights. Elections are the heart of democracy. Chairman Mao once said that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” But there is greater wisdom in the words of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who argued that “the ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Even North Korea, currently in its third generation of dictatorship, goes through the ceremonial voting process.

More than two centuries have passed since the election system was introduced. However, about a half of the world’s population still lives under outdated political regimes. Even in democratic countries bound by institutions to uphold popular opinion, representative politics face unprecedented challenges. And a crisis looms in the birthplace of the presidential system: Donald Trump is on a path to retake the U.S. presidency, leading Republican primaries despite his controversial first term.

After the ebb of global leaders who championed prosperity and peace for mankind, there are no replacements on the international stage who could end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Amid a lack of multinational cooperative mechanisms, a neo-Cold War between the U.S.-led capitalism front and the Russia/China-led totalitarian front is unfolding. Such a conflict of nerves can become a full-blown war at any time.

Korea’s situation is also serious ahead the April 10 parliamentary elections. Since the institutionalization of the direct presidential election in 1987 as the country matured towards democracy, Korea has sustained the legacy of peaceful power transfer. But the democratization of the institutions was not accompanied by the democratization of social awareness. The country remains polarized with internal strife despite brazen threats from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who now labels South Korea the North’s “primary and permanent enemy.” Politics should be a process of exploring solutions by putting all possibilities on the table and keeping extremists at bay. But dialogue has ceased to exist between Korea’s warring factions.

Bigger ailments fester in our society. The country is at its richest after staggering growth, but that unbalanced model has fed wage inequality across businesses of different sizes.

The recent spate of hate crimes and random attacks should be understood more as the sputter of accumulated social bemoaning than as individual abnormalities. To the young generation who have learned cruel realities — where the rich and the privileged evolve around the select few who can afford to buy a residence costing tens of millions of dollars in cash — Korea’s high suicide rate and lowest birthrate are nothing new. Society must muster all possible wisdom to address these problems as we determine our country’s future.

Politicians must first agree to the seriousness of polarization and try to mitigate it. Policies should support the weaker group, and their voices must be politically reflected in a balanced way so that the country can build a momentum for even growth. Society must ensure that people need not be doctors and lawyers in order to live comfortably. People must have hope that they can feel appreciated and rewarded for whatever they do for living and eventually buy a home, raise children, and live comfortably in their later years.

On a policy level, capital must be better diffused through tax reform. The elites may not like it, but the transition is necessary for society’s long-term sustainability.

The irony of aging is that retirees and other seniors command the political say as they make up the bulk of the voters. The wishes of the young are often neglected politically. Because their voices are muted, they can hardly expect policy benefits.

Finding a balanced voice for the young and neglected well help tackle polarization. Only then can public policy normalize to serve all people, not just certain classes. The old and young, the rich and poor, must all be able to lead a sustainable life.

The upcoming election must be an inflection point for a better future. Political parties must vie through agendas to solve polarization and engage neglected people. Individuals who champion these values should be nominated for the legislative election and show the will to carry out their promises. The voters have the right and duty to choose politicians who care for the country’s needs and who are determined to see through their promises.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.