Will economic woes slash corruption?

By Edward Neilan

Korea, Taiwan democratic strength leads region. Will crisis spell a reduction in Asian 'corruption?'

TOKYO (JP): Amid all of the region's financial gloom as 1997 closes, there is a glimmer of hope that a regional political renaissance could begin in 1998 based on the showings of opposition forces in South Korea and Taiwan.

The presidential victory of old warhorse Kim Dae-jung Dec. 18 on his fourth try and the sweeping victory of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan local elections a week or so earlier, augur well for democratic development.

Taiwan escaped an economic hit in the recent crisis, a testimony to its strong banking sector.

Kim Dae-jung was the first oppositionist to come to power in Korea. In Taiwan, opposition Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Hsu Hsin-liang, who bore harassment, imprisonment and assassination attempts like Kim, may come to national power in elections in 2000. Or another, more charismatic DPP member, Taipei Mayor Chen Shui-bian, may be the winner.

The recent developments showed that in the truest sense of the word, democracy is ahead in South Korea and Taiwan while it lags in places like China, Japan and Singapore. Look closely and you will see that long one-party monopoly is showing signs of stultifying development in all three.

All three places could use a change in monopolistic rule; a change in ruling parties would help, as in the United States. What about Indonesia? Can President Soeharto display vision on the order of the late Chiang Ching-kuo in Taiwan and pave te way for a pluralistic political system?

Kim Dae-jung is an advocate of universal values and has spoken against the idea that there is an "Asian value" system that says strong authority, must rule--as in Singapore, Japan and China. In Japan the authoritarian control is cloaked in hypocritical benevolence.

In the November-December 1994 issue of the journal Foreign Affairs Kim wrote in an article "Is Culture Destiny?" that Asia should lose no time in firmly establishing democracy and human rights.

"The biggest obstacle to this is not its cultural heritage but the resistance of authoritarian rulers and their apologists."

The article took issue with Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew who had earlier written that the United States was foisting an "alien" democracy on Asia.

Kim said "Asia has much to offer the rest of the world; its rich heritage of democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions can make a significant contribution to the evolution of global democracy. Culture is not necessarily our destiny. Democracy is."

Let us hope that the recent experiences will find as one of its positive side effects a reduction in the system of corruption that has been pervasive and endemic in Korean life.

Someone has to make the point: Koreans are leaving this century much as they entered it. Fiscal irresponsibility and corruption paved the way for the Japanese takeover as the century began. The same two evils have led to the "IMF takeover" in recent weeks. And we haven't seen the end of Korea's financial problems.

But friends of Korea know the "Korean spirit" will endure, and the people will produce a solution to the financial mess just as they have produced answers in the democratic field.

What is Korean spirit? Let me share with you an anecdote from more than 30 years ago.

A certain Kim, about 45 years old, was a contestant among mostly younger entrants, in an English-language speech contest in Seoul. I was a judge.

Kim said "I am here today, working to improve my English because I was cheated in business by a foreigner. He took advantage of my weakness in English. But I don't seek revenge. I only want to improve myself so that this doesn't happen again. I am determined."

Kim struggled with his speech and some bright young man talking about flowers and trees won the contest.

But Kim got my vote. His words had come right from his gut.