[Insight & Opinion] South Korea Has Lost Its Positive Image of the Future

Fred Polak, a Dutch philosopher and futurist, argued in his book The Image of the Future (1973) as follows: "The rise and fall of the image of the future go hand in hand with the rise and fall of a society. If a society's image of the future is positive, that society prospers. Conversely, if the image of the future is negative and begins to lose vitality, that society declines." Here, the image of the future that Polak refers to means the hopes, expectations, fears, and anxieties that a society or individuals hold about the future.

In the past, South Korea had a positive, persuasive, and powerful image of the future. Even during the dark period of developmental dictatorship, the general public held hope and expectation that the future would be better. In the late 1970s, there was a slogan called the "awaited 1980s." The image of the future was that by the 1980s, the country would enter an advanced industrial society, the economy would be highly developed, and life would become more prosperous. Although South Korea experienced military dictatorship in the 1980s and the financial crisis in the late 1990s, we have strived to realize this image of the future. Even as the first quarter of the 21st century comes to a close, there has been no more compelling image of the future than this.

Is the image of the future that Korean society and individuals currently hold positive? Most would say no. Due to low birth rates and aging population, the economy will shrink, and society will lose its dynamism. The climate crisis will worsen, threatening our safety. Technology will take away our jobs, and competition and disparities over limited jobs will intensify.

South Korea has long lost its positive image of the future. What is needed in such times is leadership from the government and political circles. Since liberation, we have overcome bleak situations such as war, poverty, and dictatorship through leadership with a positive, persuasive, and powerful vision for the future. A vision for the future is especially important in times of great upheaval that require fundamental change. Now is the time when a compelling vision and leadership for the future are needed. Leadership that can turn the public’s negative image of the future into a positive one. It is necessary to recall that historically, societies declined when their positive image of the future lost power and faded.

The 22nd general election is just around the corner. Various election pledges are being announced one after another by each political party. They include issues such as livelihood problems, low birth rates, welfare, climate, safety, and gap reduction, but there is no compelling vision or leadership for the future. The political sphere should show a compelling vision for the future even now. A compelling vision is based on a powerful image of the future that can motivate people’s actions. Above all, a differentiated vision that reflects South Korea’s characteristics and situation will be much stronger than an ordinary vision.

The future can change depending on what decisions and actions we take now. More importantly, the present can be changed depending on what vision and goals we set for the future. A compelling vision for the future can serve as a valuable compass pointing to what and how we should act now.

Seoyongseok, Professor at the Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST