[Opinion] Political Reformation in Hands of Voters

In economics, it is considered enterprise as an existence that adapts to environment steadily and changes itself in order to survive and grow.

It is like evolution theory that all living things adopt environment and evolutes by survival competition and survival of the fittest.

Therefore, observed enterprise in a nation particularly is product of enterprise environment in the nation, whether its shape and structure is good or bad.

Of course, enterprise environment of a nation is formed by nation`s politics, society or culture.

Therefore, according to the theory of economics, to change enterprise environment for changing style of enterprise is more basic reformation rather than to force and change wrong convention and to criticize entrepreneurs, so that enterprise can`t help changing by itself.

Because of this reason, many economist showed skeptical response on government`s direct involvement and force for reformation during reformation plutocracy.

If we apply such economic theory of reformation of enterprise to political reformation of our country, what could we gain as lesson?

If aim of enterprise is increase in profits and survival of enterprise, aim of politicians is influence and continuance of political life.

Then, we can presume politician`s serving of people and conducting right national affairs within range in such behavior can be helpful for their political life.

The reason why some politicians repeat behavior that ignites furiosity, despite people`s criticism is because such behavior doesn`t damage but prove to be advantageous for them.

There must be people who want to conduct right politics with vision even in our nation.

But, the problem is that they can`t survive in our political custom.

There might have been people who had made a decision to achieve their great ideal, among those who joined political world in the past.

However, it is reality that they can`t gain votes of people by pure ideals and high nature.

But in our nation, capacity to obtain votes is not always proportionate to capacity for managing the nation.

The reason why political dispute like disposing compromise or criticizing the opponent is repeated among politicians is because such strategy is effective.

Effect in political world means, of course, direction of people`s poll which is changed by such strategy.

As long as it is effective, some one will try to use such measure, and if some one pretend to be noble, he will be dropped out of political world being covered with filth.

Involving interest and compromise of politicians doesn`t cease in our politics as it needs big money.

There were pure politicians who joined political world determining that they will achieve politics without spending money, however, most of them were not treated as politicians and were weeded out.

On the contrary, politicians who were withdrawn, after committing compromise and receiving criminal judgment, returned to the politics after pardon and are exerting bigger influence than before.

Making group and distributing interest and position is beautified as political friendship, it is political custom in our nation.

Therefore, people who survived and are still holding political world in our nation, are indigenous politicians who adapted well to emotions of people, our politics, society and culture.

If it is so, we should think over our backward political culture as not due to low-level politicians but by soil where only low-level politicians can survive.

To criticize quality of politician present in such soil is absurd thing as if we are scolding weeds as they overrun through the land, where only weeds can be grown.

Therefore, political reformation should start by making political soil where honest and capable politicians can highly grow up and weed like politicians are swept away.

And such soil is to be made not by politicians, but by people who are voters.

However, as long as people, who are affected by politicians providing of money and irrational disclosure exist, as long as people who understand and forgive lie and changing word of politicians exist, as long as people who vote for ex-convict exist, capable and honest political aspirants will not be able to stay in our political world.

And politicians will consider people as subject for votes and deceive.

Kim Jong-suk (Prof. of Hongik University, Economics)