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The fragility of Korea’s democracy

Published: 17 Dec. 2024, 19:50

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

It still feels devastating. Democracy in Korea was restored as the political crisis caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of an emergency martial law was resolved with the impeachment of Yoon, but we do not feel happy or relieved. Something that never should have happened and never could have happened has happened. A reckless, dogmatic and politically ignorant man single-handedly destroyed the stability and peace of our society overnight. Our pride that we accomplished and defended democracy alongside our economic achievements has been deeply wounded.

While our democracy has withstood this serious challenge, it has exposed the fragility and weakness of the governance system. It highlighted how unstable and fragile a system relying on a single person can be. We have forgotten how fragile our system is today because of the memories of past leaders who were authoritative while demonstrating the political strength of compromise and restraint in our post-democratization period. We did not consider the possibility that someone who is politically untrained, unprepared and lacking in character could lead the country.

However, this may not be the last time we choose a leader as if it were a lottery, without knowing who he or she is and without a proper vetting process, because we are blinded by anger and hostility toward the opposition. Under the current system, where all powers are concentrated in the hands of one person and we have to completely depend on this leader, this absurdity can happen again at any time. If this wrong choice is made repeatedly in the future, there is no telling how much more serious damage our society will suffer.

Recent presidents may have been imperial in the use of public security agencies such as the prosecution and in the use of appointment powers, but they were weak and incompetent in terms of implementing policies. Our political leadership has been on a downward spiral for at least the past 10 years. Our surroundings rapidly change due to unstable international situations such as the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and the return of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president as well as the reorganization of the science and technology industry with the advent of the AI era, but we do not see a solid and reliable leadership able to respond to these situations.

Serious issues that threaten the fundamental foundation of our society, such as the population cliff and rural decline, are not being addressed properly because there is no effective and stable leadership to solve these structural problems. As a result, our society has been stagnant for years, without making urgent changes or reform. Instead of moving into the future, our society has been split between two sides, fiercely fighting and confronting the past to win the power concentrated in the hands of one person. And the president is just the leader of one side, standing at the peak of such fights and division.

While Yoon’s move to declare martial law was an extremely anachronistic and an ill-advised decision, it was not an abrupt, unforeseen event. It was the explosion of incompetence and division in Korean politics accumulated over the past decade. Even before this happening, there was a small hole in the bottom of the ship called Korea, and water was slowly rising from below the hull. This event has made us realize the extent to which the cost of politics can be so high if we allow the politics of incompetence and division to continue. If we do not fix it through institutional reform, the ship will sink further. If the politics of confrontation and division persist, the stability and prosperity we have worked so hard to achieve could be shaken overnight.

Although the situation has temporarily calmed down with the National Assembly’s passage of the impeachment motion against Yoon, we are still feeling heavyhearted because we do not believe that the political crisis was truly resolved. The politics of extreme partisanship that led to the current state remains unchanged. Even if the impeachment is upheld by the Constitutional Court and a new president is elected to conclude the situation, it does not give us much hope that it will lead to better politics. The president may be changed, but society could be caught in the trap of politics again.

After all, as we have witnessed recently, we can no longer expect stability and prosperity from a system where one person’s arbitrary decisions can shake the entire society. We must change the system in a way that breaks up the concentration of powers in a single leader, decentralizes authority and forces institutional checks and balances. As unfortunate as it was, the recent political event has forced us to confront our unhealthy political reality. Through sober reflection, efforts from the entire country are needed to fundamentally reform the political system, which has become a burden of our society.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.