[From Conflict to Harmony] Jeong Se-gyun: "The Reason National Unity Fails Is Politics... Forces That Promote Conflict Must Be Cut Off"

The Path to Cooperation According to Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun
The Sooner the Constitutional Amendment, the Better... Let's Establish a Political Negotiation Committee
Cooperation, Regularization of Summit Meetings, and Making Personnel Hearings More Effective

Editor's NoteThe Constitutional Court has put a brake on the division within the Republic of Korea community. The impeachment ruling of former President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 4th is a catalyst for change. South Korea's democratic resilience, which does not falter in the face of hardship and adversity, has amazed the world. Now is the time to remove the shadows of hatred and discord and prepare for the future. With less than 60 days remaining until the 21st presidential election, it is a crucial test. We cannot afford to wander again in the swamp of conflict and chaos. To heal the wounds of our society and prepare for a new world, we present suggestions from prominent figures across politics, economy, society, and education.

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun urged in an interview with Asia Economy on the 7th that "a culture of cooperation must be established" in Korean politics following the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.

Regarding constitutional amendment, he said, "The sooner, the better, but it is doubtful whether it can be pursued in this presidential by-election." He then proposed, "We should create a political negotiation committee between the ruling and opposition parties to discuss constitutional amendment, secure a promise on it, and complete it before next year's local elections."

On the Constitutional Court's acceptance of former President Yoon's impeachment, Chung said, "It happened as it should," and reflected, "The lesson that politics cannot go against public sentiment has been reaffirmed." Entering politics in 1995, he has witnessed the Korean political scene for the past 30 years, serving as a six-term member of the National Assembly, Speaker of the National Assembly, and party leader.

Regarding the ongoing catastrophic political situations such as martial law and presidential impeachment, Chung repeatedly emphasized 'cooperation.' He said, "The Constitutional Court's ruling states that the president should have respected the National Assembly as a partner for cooperation."

Chung pointed out, "Since we have adopted a presidential system, there are cases where the president antagonizes or ignores the legislature, which is harmful not only to the president himself but also to the country." He added, "Whether the ruling party is in the minority or majority, it is very important for the president to respect the legislature and make efforts for cooperation."

As a concrete practical solution, Chung said, "It is necessary to regularize summit meetings and improve the National Assembly's personnel hearings to make them more effective, thereby establishing a culture of cooperation." More fundamentally, he stressed the need for constitutional amendment. He said, "Ultimately, constitutional amendment requires bipartisan agreement, which may not be easy at the moment," and added, "Efforts to build consensus between the ruling and opposition parties during the presidential election are necessary."

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is speaking about impeachment and the subsequent political situation during an interview at the Asia Economy headquarters. Photo by Heo Young-han

However, he noted, "In the past, presidential candidates promised constitutional amendments but they did not happen," and suggested considering the establishment of a political negotiation committee to fulfill such pledges. During the 1987 constitutional amendment, the ruling and opposition parties' senior members prepared an agreement through the '8-person political talks.'

Chung said, "It could be a subcommittee of the constitutional amendment special committee or a separate organization," and added, "Constitutional amendment discussions should proceed here, and the amendment must be completed before next year's local elections at the latest." Regarding the upcoming presidential election scheduled for June 3, Chung stated, "I am not preparing for the presidential election." The interview with former Prime Minister Chung was conducted twice, both face-to-face and by phone, before and after the impeachment election of former President Yoon.

Below is the Q&A.

-There were great concerns about aftereffects following the Constitutional Court's ruling.

▲The political circles must break away from the bad attitude of constantly expanding their own camps to incite conflict and seek political gain. During former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, 17 million people participated in protests, but no one was injured before the Constitutional Court's decision; unfortunately, there were accidents after the ruling. To prevent such incidents, political circles must make efforts to ease and resolve conflicts rather than incite them. Even now, there are aspects where political circles incite conflicts, and such behavior must be restrained.

-There have been concerns that politics is not fulfilling its role.

▲New technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), determine the future national competitiveness. Countries worldwide fiercely compete over these industries and advance rapidly. However, our politics is holding us back, causing AI and others to stagnate. While we remain stagnant, competitors rush ahead, which means we are falling behind. I worry that the competitiveness we have enjoyed so far is being damaged, and South Korea's status may decline.

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun emphasized in a supplementary interview with Asia Economy on the 7th that "constitutional reform must take place before the local elections at the latest." Photo by Heo Young-han

-What is needed for change?

▲Politics must quickly regain its true form. The way to solve problems is for politics to recover and fulfill its role. Politics has caused concern among the people, but many issues cannot be resolved without politics. People say politics is missing now, but it must be restored.

-There are great concerns about political polarization.

▲With the emergence of social networking services (SNS) and fandoms, conflicts have intensified. Increasing transparency is desirable, but nowadays, there are aspects that incite fights between the two camps. Ultimately, each camp must fiercely compete while maintaining a framework of governance through dialogue and compromise. The legislature should fulfill its role through legislation, and the executive through governance. I was relieved that pension reform was recently achieved. I thought that if left to the ruling and opposition parties, compromise would be possible, but it did not happen because the president was behind the ruling party.

-How can conflicts within the political circles be reduced?

▲Extraordinary efforts are needed. Since I started politics until now, I have talked about national integration, but it has not worked well. The cause lies in politics. Politicians are caught in a culture of inciting conflicts to gain political advantage. Politicians must put their hands on their hearts and self-examine whether they serve the country. Through such efforts, even if there is temptation for political gain, efforts to cut it off are necessary.

-How do you view the current state of the Korean economy?

▲I am very worried. After the International Monetary Fund (IMF) foreign exchange crisis, we were the strongest in manufacturing. Now, that has been broken. Not just breaking, it has already broken. The competitiveness of companies has greatly declined. Many industries where we led, such as shipbuilding, semiconductors, and IT, have fallen to second place. Especially in AI, we are now second-tier. Our technology and competitiveness are falling behind China. To resolve this, political uncertainty must be eliminated. Politics must be restored so the economy can advance.

-What path should politics take going forward?

▲Based on reflection and introspection of our politics over the past three years, a new start must be made when the new government is inaugurated. The new government must pursue integration and future-oriented politics for South Korea to rise. Otherwise, it will be unsustainable.

Who is Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun?

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is one of South Korea's most prominent politicians based on his political career. He served as Speaker of the National Assembly and Prime Minister and also experienced being a party leader. He held key positions within his party, including floor leader and chairman of the policy committee. He also served as Minister of Industry and Resources and was twice the party chairman, a position equivalent to party leader, during the era of the Uri Party.
He is a figure whose political skills and practical administrative abilities have been verified. Many sought him as a savior in critical political moments because he aimed for broad politics that embraced various factions. He restrained actions beyond the right path and tried to find common ground, practicing the essence of politics.
He was elected Speaker of the 20th National Assembly in the first half of its term in 2016 for these reasons. Lawmakers placed him in one of the three highest positions. During the Moon Jae-in administration, from January 2020 to April the following year, he served as Prime Minister, taking responsibility for the executive branch. Having held key positions in the government, National Assembly, and Democratic Party-affiliated parties, he is regarded as a politician who has experienced everything except the presidency.
Chung is a politician from Honam, specifically Jeonbuk. Born in 1950 in Jangsu, Jeonbuk, he graduated from Jeonju Shinhung High School. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in law but initially demonstrated his capabilities in the corporate sector. He joined Ssangyong Group in 1978 and rose to executive director. In 1995, he entered politics at the suggestion of former President Kim Dae-jung and quickly rose to the ranks of presidential candidates.
Politician Chung Sye-kyun is well known as a frequent recipient of the 'Baekbong Gentleman Award,' given to capable and dignified politicians. He is highly regarded by political reporters and political scientists. He was elected to the National Assembly six consecutive times from the 15th general election in 1996 to the 20th general election in 2016, demonstrating his political competitiveness.
Notably, in the 19th and 20th general elections, he was elected consecutively in Jongno, Seoul, leaving his political hometown Jeonbuk. His opponents in Jongno were prominent presidential candidates Hong Sa-deok (19th) and Oh Se-hoon (20th). The 20th general election result, where Chung, who was trailing in polls, defeated Oh Se-hoon in actual voting, remains a hot topic in Yeouido political circles.
During his tenure as Speaker of the 20th National Assembly, Chung passed the impeachment motion against former President Park Geun-hye. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he was regarded as the right person for cooperation and was appointed Prime Minister. During his term, he led the COVID-19 response efforts.
He ran for the 20th presidential election but did not succeed. Afterwards, he served as chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation. Recently, upon stepping down as chairman, he stated, "The heirs of Roh Moo-hyun, who have progressive passion, will ultimately create a world where common sense and principles prevail."