It must be true that the people´s voice is the voice of God.
Although voters might have not voted for candidates solely because of the candidates’ view on North Korean human rights, the result of the general elections on the 16th seemed to be a reflection of candidates’ attitudes toward that issue.
Kim Won Woong, Yim Jong Suek, Choi Jae Cheon, and Yim Jong Ihn, who have talked so harshly and indifferently about the North Korean human rights issue, all saw their campaigns end in failure. Only 4 candidates among the 20 who were most hostile to the human rights issue won election to the National Assembly.
On the contrary, 12 candidates among the 15 who actively raised their voices for human rights were elected. Former members of the National Assembly Na Kyung Won, Hwang Jin Ha, Hwang Woo Yea, Park Jin, Shim Jae Chul and Chun Yu Ok, along with Song Young Sun, president of Liberty Union Shin Ji Ho, Cho Juen Hyuk and others accomplished the feat of winning their elections.
What does this mean? After evaluating the results of the past decade’s Sunshine Policy, people got sick of it.
In the future, the North Korean human rights issue may be a kind of key for politicians to enter the National Assembly or the Blue House. In practice, this issue is getting more real and more important, to the extent that politicians cannot avoid it.
It is certain that the democracy is one of the best inventions created by human beings. Even though it has a lot of annoying procedures and it demands much time and money, it is a system in which the right thing will be eventually revealed and decided by the people.
The human rights issue is not a thing to be considered by a calculation of loss and gain. There is no difference between North Korea’s human rights and South Korea’s human rights. North Korean people must have their human rights respected, and not valued based on a political situation or diplomatic interests.
Human rights problems cannot be solved in a day or by simple measures, so solutions should be suggested rationally and constantly with sincerity. The one thing that West Germany never made a concession to East Germany on was the human rights issue. This is the way to approach the problem.
It is nonsense to say that “It is not a proper time to talk about human rights,” “It is North Korea’s domestic problem,” or “The right to eat has a priority.”
There may be some more rational ways or more realistic ways, but no eclectic ways to solve human rights problems will be effective.
It is quite worrisome that Lee Myung Bak’s pragmatism might be interpreted as an eclectic approach by some experts.
At any rate, if the elections are any indication, those who want to be members of the National Assembly in South Korea, must be concerned with North Korean human rights.
