[Insight & Opinion] Both Politics and Life Must Not Lose Their Initial Resolve

Politics That Demands Only Black or White Choices
Lawmakers Must First Look to the People

The author retired from a research institute affiliated with the National Assembly at the end of last August. Although the term was four years, which seemed long, it passed by in the blink of an eye once it ended. Many achievements were promised in the inaugural speech, but looking back, it is not easy to point out remarkable accomplishments. The only notable achievement was creating a new system that transformed a small organization, which used to publish a report once a year, into one that produces weekly research briefs. Four years is not a short time to accomplish something, but it is also not enough, as I deeply realized.

I learned a lot during my four years working at the National Assembly. One of those lessons is that a politician’s individual power and influence can truly be significant. Each of the 300 members of the National Assembly is a politician. They perform very important tasks such as making laws, leading national affairs, reviewing budgets, and taking care of their constituencies. Yet, in public trust surveys, the National Assembly and its members always rank at the bottom. Why is that? Perhaps it is because they have lost their initial resolve. It is also because they are overly influenced by their affiliated political parties.

What is initial resolve? It is the mindset one has when starting a task. When I joined the National Assembly Future Research Institute, my initial resolve was to establish the institute as the National Assembly’s think tank designing the country’s future strategy. Looking back, although this was not fully achieved, I never forgot that initial resolve even for a moment. That is probably why I was able to achieve even small successes.

For members of the National Assembly, it seems quite different. Maintaining initial resolve is truly difficult. Those who have worked in the National Assembly for a long time unanimously say that in the first year after being elected, all 300 members are the greatest patriots. They are filled with a sense of mission and determination to improve the country and their regions through legislation and politics. This is the initial resolve of newly elected members. However, as the years pass, most lose this resolve within the next three years. They become overly swayed by their party’s policies and lines, unable to pursue their own politics.

I do not know much about politics. However, I do know how politics should be. Politics is an extremely important task of governing the country and society through legislation and policy. Yet, the majority of the public believes that current politics and politicians are failing in this role. If so, change must happen. How can it change?

It is not easy for political parties to change. Individual politicians must change first. Current political parties are excessively dichotomous. They consistently insist that their side’s line is right and the opposing side’s line is wrong. There is no compromise. But is that how the world works? The correct answers and solutions to real-world problems are not black or white. They are colors somewhere in between, which must be sought together. Yet political parties often try to choose only black or white. It seems they do not care about the colors the public hopes and wants. That is not true politics for the people.

To break free from dichotomous and exclusive thinking, the role of politicians as individuals is important. Each member of the National Assembly must maintain their initial resolve. Each party should not overly enforce only the party line, and each member should not blindly follow only their party’s line. Only then can that member become a genuine politician. It is not an easy path, but if each member of the National Assembly makes such efforts, I believe that eventually the National Assembly and politics will gain the public’s trust and change for the better.

Kim Hyungon, Visiting Professor at Chungnam National University · Former Director of the National Assembly Future Research Institute