Parties wrangle over Korea’s identity

By Na Jeong-ju

Is South Korea a liberal democracy or just a democratic society?

The question appears to be a silly one, but in a country where legacies of the 1950-53 Korean War and Cold War rivalry with North Korea still exist, it represents a sharp ideological division in society, analysts say.

The dispute over the terms erupted on Sept. 19 when lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticized the education ministry over its decision to describe the Republic of Korea as a liberal democracy, instead of a democratic country, in its new guidelines for school textbooks.

At a National Assembly inspection session, the DP legislators demanded an immediate withdrawal of the decision, saying it could stir an unnecessary ideological dispute. Minister Lee Ju-ho rejected their claims, saying he has no plan to revise the textbook guidelines again.

The session turned into bedlam and was eventually suspended after Rep. Park Young-ah of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) sarcastically said, “Those who oppose liberal democracy should go and live in North Korea.”

Park expressed regret over her remark after protests from liberals but there is still hot debate.

DP lawmakers have boycotted the session, demanding a “sincere” apology from Park for portraying them as being pro-North Korean.

Advocates of the use of liberal democracy say the term differentiates South Korea from North Korea.

“Even the dictator-controlled North Korea calls itself a democratic people’s republic, but we all know that it’s not democratic at all,” said Nam Deok-woo, a former prime minister and currently chairman of the Korea Forum for Progress, a government-funded conservative group.

“As such, the meaning of democracy has become vague. It’s not strange at all to describe our country as being a liberal democracy given the path it has taken for the past decades. It’s about our national identity and constitutional values.”

Opponents say liberal democracy is associated with capitalism, competition and, more specifically, the country’s former authoritarian leaders who championed chaebol-oriented, growth-first economic policies.

“Obviously, democracy or democratization has been viewed negatively by those who were loyal to the late dictators, such as Syng-man Rhee and Park Chung-hee. That’s why the recent change to the definition of this nation in textbook guidelines is not understandable,” said Cho Kwang, a professor emeritus at Korea University.

“We must take note of the fact that some ultra-right groups have supported the use of liberal democracy instead of democracy to define this country.”

The education ministry is also involved in a feud with those who helped draw up the textbook guidelines.

Nine of a 24-member research panel that led the project tendered their resignations, alleging that democracy was used in the original version of the guidelines, but the ministry changed it to liberal democracy unilaterally.

The panel later issued a statement, criticizing the ministry’s decision.