The presidential campaign season has officially begun in South Korea. With both major party candidates confirmed or being selected, Korea will be in an election frenzy for the next month or so. In such a short campaign period, it is natural for both sides to concentrate all their resources on victory. However, this election is heavily overshadowed by Yoon Suk Yeol's illegal and unconstitutional martial law declaration on Dec. 3. The actual campaign period is only about one month. There will be no transition team. Given these conditions, the new president will be burdened with running the country without much transition time. Therefore, it is meaningful to check what major national tasks the new Korean president should pursue immediately after taking office.
The most urgent task is to normalize the nation, which is experiencing a serious impact from the insurrection led by Yoon on Dec. 3. An urgent response is needed in the political sphere, especially regarding the operation of the democratic system. The fact that an insurrection broke out is a very serious case of failure in the operation of South Korean democracy. Only when efforts are made to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, including the punishment of those involved, will the possibility of such incidents be reduced. The government should detect and punish those who indirectly participated in or openly sympathized with the insurrection.
However, special attention should be paid to prevent excessive retaliation in the process of normalization. We remember the immoderate political struggle in President Moon Jae-in's administration, which took power after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye eight years ago, under the slogan of the so-called "eradication of deep-rooted evils." Initially, there was public support because there were problems to be cleared. However, it lasted longer than two years, and some forces used it as an excuse to politically attack their competitors. It will be a national misfortune if this happens again. It should be recognized that an important element of national normalization is to unite the people while maintaining the framework of appropriate punishment for the forces of insurrection.
Second, we must defend against US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Trump might expect all countries in the world to surrender to him if he threw a tariff bomb. However, few countries do. Rather, it is highly likely that the US will stop attacking itself and turn into a defensive formation. The world has already been globalized and is connected in almost all fields. The country that created such a world is the US, and the country that benefited the most in the world is the US. Nevertheless, it is stupid and contemptuous for the US president to claim that the US was exploited by the world. A policy based on a false worldview and fake truth far from historical facts cannot succeed. Rather, the American people will have to suffer tremendously from the wrong policies.
Even though we know that Trump's policies are wrong, we can’t disregard his attack. We should do everything to avoid his bomb. Simultaneously, we must take as many concessions as possible from the US through negotiations. The most important factor we should consider is the high-tech related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. If both nations exchange each other's strengths well, the Trump tariff war may be a blessing for both countries.
Third, the environment for diplomacy should be improved. During the three years of the Yoon administration, the security environment on and around the Korean Peninsula deteriorated excessively. Yoon focused on strengthening the Korea-US alliance and cooperation between the US and Japan. While the additional income earned from the one-sided diplomacy is unclear, relations with North Korea, China and Russia have severely deteriorated. The result is a complete disregard for the geopolitical nature of South Korea, which is divided into two countries and is in a hostile military confrontation with North Korea and needs close cooperation between China and Russia to influence the North. South Korea must go back to standard diplomacy. Standard diplomacy is not complicated. The alliance between South Korea and the US should be firmly maintained, and cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan should be maintained. Nevertheless, the new president should manage relations with North Korea, China and Russia cooperatively. That is the duty of the new president.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution should be initiated. Due to its small population and territory and lack of resources, the Republic of Korea must actively engage in trade with other countries. Advanced technology is the key factor in becoming a successful trading country. Artificial intelligence and other technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution are critically important in modern society. Although the United States and China are already far ahead in high-tech industries, there is space for other countries to contribute to the high-tech field. Korea should rank third in the world in high tech, beating its competitors.
Fifth, we must develop the Republic of Korea into a cultural powerhouse. With the energy of the Korean Wave, which has developed over the past 30 years, achieving a cultural powerhouse is just around the corner. In various cultural fields such as music, movies and dramas, Korean talent is sweeping the world, and they have pride in the name of Korea. Culture and art are not sufficient conditions for a cultural powerhouse. Political values such as democracy and liberalism, diplomatic capabilities that have reached artistic heights, and the possession of the world's best knowledge ecosystem must be equipped to become a cultural powerhouse. If the president of the Republic of Korea who appears in June fulfills the four tasks listed above and is concerned with making a cultural powerhouse, he or she will be recognized as one of the most impressive leaders in the thousands of years of Korean history.
Wang Son-taek
Wang Son-taek is an adjunct professor at Sogang University. He is a former diplomatic correspondent at YTN and a former research associate at Yeosijae. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.
