Lessons learned from Visegrad to Pyongyang

In an effort to prepare for possible invasion by Mongolia in the 13th century, Hungary built a fortressed city of Visegrad where the Danube River runs with beautiful scenery. In 1335, the three Kings of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland gathered together to discuss the alliance to stand against the Austrian Habsburgs. In 1991 when the Soviet Union was torn down, the three was there again to discuss their joining in the EU. This is how the so-called Visegrad Group, a regional alliance of Central European states, came into existence. Now the Visegrad Group consists of four countries as Czechoslovakia was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

There is a saying that it took 10 years for Poland, 10 months for Hungary, 10 weeks for Eastern Germany and 10 days for Czechoslovakia to escape from communism. As the Soviet Union became increasingly weaker in 1989, its satellite states in Eastern Europe tried in their own ways to make a transition to democracy and market economy. Only a few of them had succeeded in their transformation such as nations in Visegrad Group and Baltic States (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia).

The recipe for their successful transformation lies in a radical economic revolution. With its landslide victory at a general election in June 1989, Poland declared the transit to the democracy in all areas by liquidating all state-owned companies and having competitive exchange rate on January 1, 1990. The same applied to Hungary and Czechoslovakia. It seems that gradual revolution would reduce the ripple effect, which is not the case. If economic revolution is not made at an early state of democratization when people’s aspiration is all-time high, the opposing force would crawl about to hold back the force of reform. The initial confusion is something that should be taken for granted as it can be overcome. Poland, for instance, which introduced the market economy in the most radical way, has grown by an annual average of 9 percent in manufacturing since 1991.

“The Visegrad Group’s success in transforming their market system gives meaningful lessons and implication to peaceful reunification on the Korean Peninsula and successful integration afterward,” President Park Geun-hye said after the first summit meeting with the group. We wonder if she said so with the perspective that radical revolution is critical and the aspiring force for democracy is essential before communism is toppled down.

eligius@donga.com