Rise of popular sovereignty

By Kim Ji-soo

Popular sovereignty is not a concept often put forth in Korea. In its compressed modern history after the Korean War, a “can-do” spirit pushed the once war-devastated small country toward prosperity and democracy, and on that journey, popular and individual sovereignty were many times preceded by group or national sovereignty.

In line with this thought, one of the keywords that caught my attention during President Moon Jae-in’s Aug. 15 Liberation Day speech was “popular sovereignty” as used by Cheong Wa Dae. President Moon used the term “popular sovereignty” many times in his speech. He pointed out however that the words, the ideals, hail back to when 14 independence activists gathered in Shanghai a century ago to fight for independence against Japanese 1910-45 colonialism. The value of popular sovereignty was heralded by the independence leaders as a foundation for Korea’s independence movement against imperial Japan, the President reminded the public, and that continued through the candlelit protests last year that impeached former President Park Geun-hye.

“Popular sovereignty became the founding ideology of the Republic of Korea through the establishment of the provisional government, and we inherit its spirit today. The aspiration of our forebears to build a nation where the people are the rightful owners has continued for over a century, and it has finally been realized by the people holding aloft candles,” Moon said in the speech.

Personally, having witnessed the passionate rush of street protests in Seoul in 1987 as a college freshman after stoic grey days in the years before, this reporter felt a closure of sorts upon hearing the President’s words. Confidence followed the feeling of closure, realizing we Koreans can exercise our popular sovereignty in politics without fear of reprisal for choosing a side.

Finally, the decades of political struggle have brought an era during which every Korean can vote for whomever they believe in, without subtle or overt manipulation or an imposed zeitgeist. As a result, each constituent, not the regime or government, whether authoritarian or liberal, holds responsibility for the outcome. This responsibility will prompt people to think more about their political choices.

In other words, we can interpret popular sovereignty as popular responsibility. Many issues are surfacing in the now-industrialized, 21st century Korea that require more responsibility for individuals to think about how their actions can effect change. As Korea has taken a faster path to industrialization, economic growth and democracy, individual accountability has sometimes been dwarfed by overarching group, societal and national goals, interests and accountabilities.

In such an environment, it was perhaps easier to say, “Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t I?” to justify unfair processes or practices in business or everyday life. It’s hard to ignore the fact that this disregard for the right way of doing things, in order to, for example, quickly move from poverty to prosperity, is what has led to many unethical practices. As a society, we may be experiencing the “fallout” with crowded chicken farms that produce pesticide-contaminated eggs, companies that manufacture harmful food and household products, and a housing shortage owing to the practice of multiple home ownership, a current concern in Korea.

Everybody talks about happiness these days, but I believe people are truly happy when they feel they are in charge of their lives, make meaningful decisions and hold themselves accountable. Now, after decades of authoritarian politics and culture, the people are finally practicing popular sovereignty in politics. Why not expand the practice into other areas of life and society?