Competitions between South Korean presidential candidates have always centered on the twin axes of the economy and national security. The close interdependence between the two makes it impossible to succeed in one area if the other is somehow lacking. Take the two out of the election debate, meanwhile, and the entire event becomes one big popularity contest.
This time around, neither of the progressive candidates has managed to clearly state a position on the key economic and security questions because they have been too busy with the issue of uniting behind a single candidate. “Welfare” has been the sole focus, even though it is only one area of the economic debate. There has also been almost nothing of substance about the other key economy buzzword, “economic democratization.”
The ongoing debate about the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea has been briefly discussed, it is true, but the essence of the wider national security debate has simply disappeared. From nuclear weapons to reform and opening, human rights and peaceful reunification; clearly there is plenty to discuss, but there has not been one future-oriented discussion between the candidates. Now, finally, we have seen the resignation of Ahn Cheol Soo, just a few days ago.
And all the while, there has been a national security timebomb lurking. It is called the “Peace Treaty,” a common issue supported by the entire extended opposition grouping since last year.
The “entire extended opposition grouping” is a very broad church. There are a significant number of very smart people within the democratic fold who want to see progress in issues like freedom, human rights, democracy, fair markets and law. These are orthodox democrats, and they exist on the right of the grouping.
However, when you travel further to the left there exists a whole new world; there is the new progressive social democrat faction, the pro-Roh 486 faction and the Unified Progressive Party, just to name the largest and best known. There are also multiple assorted, largely pro-North Korea organizations.
Apart from the orthodox faction, the social democrats and some of the pro-Roh grouping, most of this remainder are pro-North Korea in one way or another. They are given their orders by Pyongyang; these days they are being told to move from the far left toward the center, to slowly influence the orthodox grouping on the right. If the orthodox and social democrats do not recognize this and hold firmly to their positions, they will end up playing host to extremism. Think about the Russian Bolsheviks, who used the German social democrats to form the united front of the Communist International.
The ‘Korean Peninsula Peace Treaty’ issue is cut from this type of united front-style cloth. If you go to the websites run by these overtly pro-North Korea forces, you can find the substance of the agreement they wish to see made; peace agreement signed, withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea and the end of the U.S.-ROK military alliance.
Any person who does not know much about the North Korea issue might look at this proposed treaty and find much to commend within it, basing their analysis on the principle of national self-determination. The problem, however, is that many do not know the purpose of the document.
North Korea, which wants to see the withdrawal of U.S. forces and an end to the military alliance, has put forward the issue of the peace treaty. The strength of pro-North groups has declined, but North Korea’s policy towards South Korea is much the same. And now we have North Korean puppets in the National Assembly!
Moon has no way to break down this state of affairs, nothing to present to the people. He knows it already failed once; he knows that the people must change for their thoughts to change, the thoughts must change for the policies to change, and the policies must change for the strategy to change. Our strategy must change if we are to solve the North Korea problem.
Moon must come up with fundamental solutions to this, something different and better than the policies of the Roh Moo Hyun administration. Only then should he bother to ask for the voters’ support.
