To the square one of democracy

“The investigation on former Justice Minster Cho Guk was a political one. Anyone can buy a fake award certificate in Gangnam for a few hundreds of thousands won. Why did you investigate into that?” Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu told Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol last April as he made a strong protest against the investigation on Cho. It means that counterfeiting certificates for children’s university entrance is commonplace in Gangnam. It is astonishing to see a government official at the Ministry of Justice justify this. Without knowing, we have arrived in the whole “new world.”

German philosopher and economist Karl Marx argued that workers had to start a class revolution as exploitative capitalists would not suddenly change their behavior when the dark fallout of the first industrial revolution was covering the world. His argument cannot represent all eras, but still has implications for today’s society.

Today’s Korea is divided into bipartisan logics, which hinders insights on our society. Let’s look at the various phenomena by dividing those with vested rights and the rest. Citizens are deprived of equal opportunities in the oppressive social structure created by the establishment. Marx’s classification of capitalists and workers can be translated into the establishment and ordinary citizens in Korea today.

Why don’t we look at the national systems altered by the “liberal aristocrats” to suit their and their children’s needs. “Social ladders” has been removed one by one for university entrance, high-ranking government officials and professional qualifications.

We need to create a political landscape where prioritizing people’s benefits is natural. Let us go back to the square one of democracy and think again. We need to elevate constitutional principles and the sprit of liberty and equality. Well-established democracy and constitution are a prerequisite for a harmonious nation.