I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
My criteria for selecting Korea's next leader
By Kang Hyun-kyung
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The upcoming presidential election has a striking characteristic which distinguishes it from previous elections.
Quite a number of candidates have a legal background, serving as lawyers, prosecutors or judges before they joined politics, and they have a stronger presence in public opinion surveys. Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung was a lawyer before he was elected mayor of Seongnam City, and then governor of Gyeonggi Province. His rival Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) served as prosecutor general, although he himself chose to cut his tenure short in a show of resistance to President Moon Jae-in. Lee and Yun have been two frontrunners in recent polls.
Choi Jae-hyung, a PPP presidential contender, served as a judge before he took the helm of the Board of Audit and Inspection. Another PPP contender Hwang Kyo-ahn served as a prosecutor for several decades before he was tapped for the position of justice minister and then prime minister under the Park Geun-hye government. Outspoken presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo was a prosecutor, whereas former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae began her career as a judge after she passed the state bar exam.
I think people with a background in law gaining the upper hand in this presidential election is not a coincidence. Rather it may have something to do with the direction in which this country is heading.
When the economy is mired in recession, voters want a strong, visionary leader with a proven record in business or the economy, hoping that they can help revive the troubled economy. Likewise, when justice is endangered, candidates with a legal background may find it easier to appeal to the hearts and minds of voters than candidates of any other career backgrounds.
Some presidential candidates' rhetoric during their press conferences to declare their presidential bids reflects this sentiment. Instead of uttering their personal ambitions as a key driver behind declaring their presidential bid, these candidates remarked that they were called upon by the public to join the presidential election to rescue the country in peril.
Yoon, for example, said he joined the presidential race to restore free democracy and rule of law, accusing the Moon Jae-in government of having dismantled these values.
“Since I resigned from the position of prosecutor general in March, I've met many people from all walks of life. They all were worried about the future of this country and asking if this country would be okay,” he said on June 29 while declaring officially his bid to run in the election.
Mentioning the public's unwavering support for him even after he stepped down from the key post, he said the public's support and encouragement showed they wanted him to play a role in governmental change.
Choi made similar remarks. He said he chose to leave the Board of Audit and Inspection six months before the end of his tenure and joined the presidential race to save the country from crisis. He claimed President Moon's mismanagement of the economy and squandering of taxpayer money to curry favor with his supporters were some of the root causes of the problems.
The 2022 presidential election won't be all that different from previous ones, when it comes to the “format of competition.” Once the ruling and main opposition parties successfully field their presidential candidates through primaries, a two-way race between them will be inevitable.
Then the ball will be in the court of the voters.
Nobody knows which candidate will win their parties' nominations. But as voters, we all need to have our own criteria about our decision in 2022. I roughly have mine.
I won't consider candidates who habitually use big words, exaggerate or brag of their credentials, or who make empty promises. I also won't cast my ballot for a candidate if I have no idea how they lived their lives before entering politics.
In my experience, candidates who will pledge anything to be elected or make great-but-ambiguous promises, such as “overhauling the nation or the economy,” are another group of dangerous people who can abuse power, if elected.
I will vote for a candidate who presents realistic goals and a thoroughly defined role as a person in the top government job. Rather than painting himself or herself as a superhero, the ideal candidate would self-identify as a manager of the nation and try hard to let the system work for all, rather than pushing for ambitious experimental projects. I think South Korea is an advanced country with a strong system in place. What the person in the top job has to do is let it work.
Being an effective manager itself requires people to have a considerable level of prior experience and knowledge.
I wonder if we have such a person though.