Voters must correct the distorted politics

Chang Young-soo
The author is a professor at the Korea University School of Law.

Korean politics has experienced compressed growth comparable to that of the country’s economy. While its advantages are clear, its disadvantages are also transparent. In particular, the dissolution of “boss politics” — a legacy of former Presidents like Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung who contributed greatly to the country’s successful democratization and the formation of new democratic leadership — were very important tasks.

Efforts over the past 30 years have largely dissolved boss politics. But the installation of new democratic leadership seems to have a long way to go. Critics point out that self-righteous leaders in the governing and opposition parties continue to prompt controversy.

To overcome this, it is important to strengthen democracy within political parties. At the same time, we need to institutionalize decentralization and cooperation through a constitutional amendment or the revision of related laws to end the evils of the imperial presidency. The most important variable in solving this problem is the election. As the public sentiment is revealed through voting, April 10 will carry special significance.

Campaigns for the upcoming election officially began on March 28, and they will differ from those of previous elections. This year’s is a life-or-death race between the Democratic Party (DP), which won a landslide victory in the last parliamentary election in 2020, and the People Power Party (PPP) which snagged a razor-thin victory in the most recent presidential election in 2022. Politicians have also left those parties and founded a number of splinter oppositions. A party founded by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, found guilty in his second trial, is participating in the election. Moreover, the formation of satellite parties to seek proportional seats has fueled their members’ radical tendencies.

These characteristics threaten more political instability than ever before. A considerable number of people have left the two major parties due to lack of internal stability and formed separate groups. That could destabilize our country after the general election.

There is no easy way to relieve the instability of the coming election. In this chaos, voters must consider a few factors.

First, as the people hold sovereignty in this country, the ultimate responsibility lies with them. A legislative election allows people to select a representative to work for them, not to hand over the sovereignty to representatives. Therefore, voters must not unconditionally follow and trust candidates. Critical verification through comparison among multiple candidates and political parties is essential. If the voters are negligent, they may repeat the lament about the misuse or abuse of power by political parties and their candidates.

Second, although not all problems can be solved in general elections, election results clearly have tremendous influence on state affairs. It is necessary to carefully examine which candidates and which parties will affect governance. Voters don’t have to investigate individual candidates’ history or personally check their party’s constitution. But they must weigh candidates’ basic tendencies and abilities, as well as their growth potential.

Third, voters should be very cautious about their voting if the candidates and political parties may cause national confusion through radical behavior, corruption or illegality. The election of candidates who fail to complete their term or descend into radicalism may weaken empathy for justice and spread serious discord.

Voters may agonize over whether to vote for candidates or their party. In this case, they should consider what role the candidate can play if elected as lawmaker. For example, if a candidate belongs to a party you don’t prefer but has the competence to lead Korean politics to the right direction, I would say it is worth voting for them.

The general election is only 12 days away. The only thing left is for the people to ponder what is desirable for Korea’s democratic politics and make the correct judgment.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.