Recalling the 10 election commandments

Kang Won-taek
The author is a professor of political science and international studies at Seoul National University.

The parliamentary elections are happening today. Compared to the past, watching this election was extremely tiring and disturbing. Instead of giving voters hope and expectations for political changes and improvements, it made us worry about how many more fights and confrontations we will see in the next National Assembly. The lead-up to this election confirmed the alarming deterioration of our politics.

This election is about electing lawmakers who will serve the public, but I honestly cannot recall any worthwhile pledges presented by major parties. I only remember harsh slander and attacks toward rivals. Instead of emphasizing competence, the campaigns were meant to provoke animosity and hatred against competitors. “If you hate them, vote for us,” was the campaign strategy for all parties.

It was also the first time that the leader of a political party promised to impeach the president during his campaign. The politics of rejection and exclusion dominated, where anyone who was not a supporter of their party was considered an enemy. This made me feel like our society was in a state of “emotional civil war.”

Elections held in the middle of an administration’s term often serve as midterm evaluations in other countries, too. But it is rare for the president to be at the center of fierce battles in a legislative election. Dissatisfaction with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s leadership, which lacked communication and empathy, is perhaps the primary reason. I hope the president takes it as an opportunity to reflect on his governing style over the past two years.

But the reason why the campaigns were conducted as if it were a presidential election may be some voters’ reluctance to accept the outcome of the last presidential election in 2022, in which Yoon won by a narrow margin. Furthermore, it was the first time since the country’s democratization that a governing party was changed after just five years. Yoon’s winner-takes-all leadership and the lack of communication also must have fueled the anger of his opponents.

The nominations so far by the two major parties — the governing People Power Party (PPP) and the majority Democratic Party (DP) — showed how perfunctory the evaluation processes of our political parties were and how backward they are in their operation. The PPP’s lackluster nominations could be a problem, but the DP’s nominations largely based on close relations with the leader made us think twice about a political party’s responsibility for selecting its candidates. Because loyalty to the boss has become the criterion for candidate selection, it was impossible for the DP to properly vet candidates’ abilities and ethics.

It is hard for voters to watch these campaigns and candidates. Polls show many neck-and-neck races because there are many voters who don’t like either party. And for this reason, many would not go to polling stations. But if you don’t vote, a candidate you think is horrible is more likely to win. You must vote for better candidates.

Ahead of the legislative election in 1950 — the second of its kind in Korea — the Hansung Ilbo ran an election campaign, “Let’s not vote for these kinds of candidates.” The newspaper’s May 5, 1950 edition published the “Ten Commandments of Election.”

The governing People Power Party’s interim leader Han Dong-hoon, left, and majority Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Sunday are rallying support for their candidates ahead of the April 10 parliamentary elections. [YONHAP/NEWS1]

According to the campaign, the newspaper urged voters to not vote for “those who have poor characters and education, but try to buy the people’s favor with influence and money or suppress the public sentiments.” It also urged voters not to choose “those who treat the lawmaker titles as if it were an honor, and wield power while putting aside state affairs, and those who are only interested in protecting their own interests and have little sense of truth and responsibility.” The voters were also urged to not vote for “those who have a narrow-minded attitude and become nothing more than a tool of a political party or group.” The paper also pleaded with voters not to vote for “those who lack the knowledge to judge the direction of history and domestic affairs and who are unable to accurately grasp the people’s will and actual situations.” Each of the 10 commandments resonates before this election.

No matter how fierce the fights were during the campaign, once the election is over, politicians have to accept the outcome and return to the true nature of politics — compromise and consensus. But could they really do so? Regardless of the election outcome, conflicts between major political parties and confrontations between the president and the legislature will continue. Today is Election Day. Let’s pay attention to the 10 commandments one more time and elect truly better candidates. After all, the voters are responsible for the results of the election.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.