In the past, regional conflicts have been customarily cited as one of the most serious problems after almost every election. Historically, voters in the eastern Gyeongsang Provinces overwhelmingly supported the conservative wing of politics, currently the Saenuri Party, while those in the western Jeolla Provinces cast votes for liberal candidates, currently members of the Democratic United Party.
However, what stood out during last week’s presidential election was a clash of generations although the traditional regional rivalry had eased a bit. This generation gap can be confirmed clearly through the election exit polls co-sponsored by the nation’s three nationwide major broadcasters.
Approval ratings for Park Geun-hye of the ruling party among voters in their 50s and 60s reached 62.5 percent and 72.3 percent, respectively. In sharp contrast, her approval ratings among voters in their 20s and 30s remained at a paltry 33 percent, compared with about 66 percent for Moon Jae-in, the standard-bearer of the main opposition party.
Voter turnout was also a testament to the deepening generational conflict because nearly 90 percent of voters in their 50s cast ballots in what appeared to be a voting frenzy, apparently in reaction to the younger generation’s active voting participation.
Although their political orientations are poles apart, both sides seem to have common motivation for active voting ― anxiety about the future amid the economic gloom.
Many voters in their 50s and 60s said they preferred stability from fear of economic woes, North Korea’s rocket launch and radical arguments put forward by progressives. This means that the aged conservatives preferred gradual change amid stability.
On the contrary, the younger generation stood by the opposition liberal camp out of frustration over job scarcity and the ever-worsening economic polarization in society. That’s why voters in their 20s and 30s strongly supported Moon who vowed to stop the governing party from regaining power.
True, the generational conflict is already visible across the board. On Thursday, a blogger began to collect signatures calling for the abolishment of free subway rides for the elderly on Daum, one of the country’s leading portal sites. The online petition’s initial goal of collecting 7,000 signatures was fulfilled in just two days and the increased target of 8,888 signatures was also met. Some Internet users insisted that the elderly be deprived of other benefits, including the pension granted to people aged 65 who are in the bottom 70 percent in terms of income.
Young voters’ sense of loss with Moon’s defeat is quite understandable but this irrational and emotional reaction to the election outcome is never advisable. Our concern is that the seemingly simple generation gap may escalate into a serious matter that could undermine social cohesion in years to come. Therefore, the incoming administration needs to deal with patching up the generational rift as one of its top national agendas.
The ultimate solution to the generational conflict will lie in creating more jobs and in this regard, we can’t overemphasize the role of the corporate sector in job creation. More importantly, the new administration will have to pool wisdom to ensure compromise and co-existence between generations.