The second nation-building movement

The second nation-building movement

The current state of affairs, which can be described as the
greatest national crisis since the end of the Korean War,
resulted from a foreign exchange crisis and subsequent management
of the nation's finances by the International Monetary Fund. This
was followed by a chain of corporations' bankruptcies, mass
unemployment, painful restructuring of companies, the Government
and public organizations, as well as a rapid decline in incomes.

To overcome the crisis we must focus on the people's energy
and capabilities, share the restructuring and efforts to wipe out
old systems, practices and ways of thinking and build new
political and social orders.

What is the second nation-building?

Building on a foundation of industrialization and
democratization, we must complete a market economy. The second
nation-building will overcome the greatest national crisis since
the end of the Korean War. We must undertake across-the-board
reform and a national movement aimed at building an advanced
Republic of Korea by taking a leap forward through the parallel
development of democracy and a market economy.

What are the causes of the national crisis?

The nation failed to detect developments in the international
community such as enhancement of information capabilities and the
World Trade Organization system. It also failed to reform all
areas, including politics, the economy and society, to liquidate
authoritarian practices which include collusion between
politicians and businesspeople, corruption, a don't-rock-the-boat
attitude and overextended business corporations.

What is the value of democracy in a world of globalization and
informationization?

Democracy provides opportunities for a people to restore the
basic principles of society. The first stage of the process is to
establish democracy, rule by law, and the realization of justice.
The second stage is to expand human rights and equality that will
in turn make economic activities more effective.

What are the historical aspects of the Government of the
People?

The fact that, in an election, the opposition party, which was
alienated from the center of power for a long time, took power
from a strong, vested interest group is a great historic event
comparable to the April 19, 1960, Student Revolution.

Democratization efforts by past administrations were made on
the basis of agreements between elite groups, divided into ruling
and opposition political camps. However, a Government of the
People was inaugurated for the first time in the democratic
history of the country.

What is the second nation-building movement?

The second nation-building is a national reform movement under
which Government leadership will democratize all segments of
society; a movement undertaken by the Government and the people.

Second nation-building is the parallel development of
democracy and a market economy. Under past authoritarian
governments, democracy was sacrificed for economic development.
The Government of the People will overcome the crisis caused by
the limitations, or total failure, of the old economic
development policy.

What is a democratic market economy?

It is a fair competitive market based on economic principles,
values and the concepts of a capitalist society. But it leaves
room for the Government to intervene in the market within the
boundaries of not impairing fundamental market principles; the
purpose of any such intervention being to steer the competitive
function into productive and socially redeeming avenues.

The Government's intervention in the market would be carried
out in such a way as to protect the socially underprivileged and
to complement the market function for the efficient distribution
of wealth.

What is globalism?

Globalism rejects cronyism, the monopoly of national resources
by a privileged few and collusion between politicians and big
business interests that characterized past administrations.
Globalism encourages the people's participation in State, social
and economic affairs and seeks a social consensus based on
universalism and international norms.

Globalism defies nationalistic practices and "Asian values"
that are basically self-serving and defensive. It does not deny
national identity or promote is disappearance; it aims to
discover and appreciate both the adversities and triumphs in a
nation's past.

Globalism is the most practical way to overcome the crisis,
unemployment, regionalism, the lack of national consensus and the
confrontation with North Korea.

What are the three principles?

The universalism of the 21st century can be represented by the
spirit of freedom, justice and efficiency; the underpinning of
the second nation-building.

The principle of freedom encourages diversity and creativeness
in education, science, the media and culture. Deregulation will
be carried out by the central Government, political parties,
local governments and other public sectors.

The principle of justice concerns the law, and under
democracy, nobody is above the law. This principle is
instrumental in promoting human rights, a social consensus, equal
employment opportunities and civic activities. It promotes
balanced development and equality in such matters as the
distribution of national wealth, welfare, environment and the
middle class. Justice also requires eradicating corruption and
irregularities through the Government's regulatory reform as well
as renewing the discipline of the civil servants.

The principle of efficiency applies to resolving all old and
new issues involving Government-business collaboration,
deregulation, distribution or delegation of decision-making to
lower-echelon structures of the government, local autonomy,
business and labor organizations. Restructuring of both public
and private sectors must be carried out constantly.

What are the three guidelines?

The first guideline for the second nation-building is to carry
out reform with emphasis on substance over form. Reform must be
made persistently instead of being staged in one big event and
then stopped. The second guideline is that reform should be
initiated from the grassroots level. The direction of the
movement has to be "bottom up" instead of "top down". Only the
participation of the people guarantees success of the movement.
The third guideline is that society's leaders should act as role
models in the reform movement. Reform cannot succeed if the
people do no trust their leaders.