[Opinion] Three Kim Politics Let`s Finish Now

April is cruel month? No, for us, May used to be cruel month.

When the spring flower of May disappears and prepares for summer, our land used to be engulfed in cruel violence and heart breaking crying.

Military coup d`etat on 16th, May broke the buds of democracy that even couldn`t bloom coming to a strange land, and on May 18th after 20 years, the dream of democracy which was trying to bloom again was soaked in groaning at Gwangju.

Now, in year 2002 the Korean democracy is waiting for bright sunshine and cool rain, promising new times.

Would the flower bloom fully, really?

The basic reason for the military coup d`etat success in 1961 was because people abominated incapable and corrupt private government.

People, who were fed up of incapability and despotism of Lee Seung- man, accepted it unavoidably despite being displeased with weapons of army.

However, did they know that military reign would last only 18 years?

If people knew that they would not have stayed back so.

Since18 years, Korea has changed a lot.

The scale of change was compatible to social change between civilization period and Japanese reign.

No matter who says, nobody can deny that Park Jeong-hee led industrialization and economic growth but he ignored Korean democracy and pressurized people as well.

Military regime can always be temporary, even if it is long.

Economic growth which it promoted boomeranged.

Private growth besides the middle class and educated class became equal to the power of military-authoritarianism and it could not press the wish for democracy which they received through power.

The tragedy of Park Jeong- hee was born by him only.

His end was imminent as the regime became too hard to confront a changed situation.

However, the rest of the power of the military prepared the last battle, and private power couldn`t defeat it.

Its result was the tragedy of Gwanju and the birth of the Chun Doo-hwan regime.

Chun administration was a surplus article, which appeared when the historic conditions of the military regime were over.

Of course, administration of the Chun regime was not wrong in every way; however, it disappeared dishonorably wandering in history without a proper seat.

Noh Tae-woo government was also similar on the same issue.

Feature of Noh Tae-woo government was in a transitional period from the military-authorities to private-democratic government, and he also knew it well.

However, the transitional period was of no use because of division of the private-democratic powers.

Kim Young Sam, Kim Dae-Jung, so called two Kim, were democratic fighters, who led the opposition under the authoritative regime, but it got divided in front of an opportunity of resurrection of democracy.

They showed a lack of capability for innovation and were poor in politics.

What was the reason? And Why?

They were trained to fight against authoritarianism, but, in fact, they couldn`t put into practice democratic politics.

Both Kim removed vestiges of the military regime and contributed highly to political developments such as democratizing the political structure and reducing the connection between politics and economics, however, they bore harm due to their substantial limit.

It is group politics based on regionalism.

When democracy was somewhat settling down and military domination was over, regional politics, boss politics, and group politics held up its head.

Therefore, Korean democracy has a long way to traverse.

In the past, the aim of developing Korean politics was to overthrow domination. However, now it is sorry for them, and the aim is to overthrow both Kim (no, three Kim) politics.

It is the way to clean corrupted politics by the regional group and to settle clean politics, decentralized politics and politics from down.

The 2002 Presidential election should be an important opportunity to arrange the form of new politics.

It will be a crucial election, which should finish the tragedy of May that is symbolized as 5.16, 5.18, and open new times of democracy.

Who should people choose?

Who will eliminate conventional politics of the three Kim and start a new real and fresh democratic politics?

Is Lee Hoi-chang “the noble” or Roh Moo-hyun “the uneasiness”?

Is it “conservative innovation” or “innovation of middle class”?

This is what everybody should judge wisely.

Kim Young-Myoung (Prof. of Hanlim University, Politics Faculty)