YS leaves lessons for politicians
Son Myung-soon, in the wheelchair, wife of the late former President Kim Young-sam, and other relatives attend a state funeral service at the National Assembly, Thursday. After the ceremony, Kim was buried at Seoul National Cemetery. / Korea Times
By Kim Hyo-jin
Former President Kim Young-sam, who died Sunday, represented a spirit of unity and harmony and his legacy leaves significant lessons which the current malfunctioning political arena can benefit from, according to political observers and politicians.
They credited Kim for demonstrating an inclusive style of leadership, respecting both the legislative body and the public.
“The political domain is now deeply mired in factional strife and ideological divisions. Kim’s ability to compromise and communicate clearly in politics should resonate through current society,” said Lee Nae-young, a political professor at Korea University.
Kim was known as a political leader who appointed people regardless of their political ideology and the clamoring demands of factions.
While serving as Chairman of the Democratic Liberal Party (DLP) in 1991, Kim designated Shin Kyong-shik, a former lawmaker of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP) to be his political aide.
The DLP was created following a controversial merger of his opposition Reunification Democratic Party with the ruling DJP of then-President Roh Tae-woo, and another opposition faction led by Kim Jong-pil in 1990.
In order to glue the party together, he did not hesitate to bring in aides from different factions, unless they supported the authoritarian military regime.
This approach continued while he served in the presidential office. Late lawmaker Lee Choon-gu who was chairman of the DLP was one outstanding example. A former military officer, Lee used to be a member of an elite military faction called “Hanahoe” purged by Kim.
“Kim should be credited as being a great leader of bipartisan politics,” said Lee Sang-don, a professor at Chung-Ang University, while citing an apparent backpedalling on political pragmatism within the Park Geun-hye government.
Lee added that Kim’s controversial decision to merge with the then ruling party should be also reassessed. “It could be seen as a tactical call to divert power to the opposition,” he said.
Political observers pointed out Kim also developed a good relationship with the Assembly.
In 1996 when the opposition camp and the labor sector fiercely opposed passage of the Labor Law led by the ruling camp, then President Kim called in Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil, who were the leaders of the opposition parties and held a meeting about the issue.
Kim promised to revise the law after the talks, and the Assembly passed it after two months with agreement from the rival parties.
“His political stance illustrates better communication and keeping comparatively amicable relations with the legislative body,” said Jung Yong-duck, a professor at the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University.
Kim is also credited for prioritizing public opinion.
He appointed Park Hee-tae, former National Assembly vice speaker, to be the first Justice Minister in his administration. But in just 10 days after a controversy over Park’s daughter’s illegal entrance to a prestigious university erupted, Kim dismissed Park.
On the day of the funeral, the rival parties spoke in one voice, pledging to carry on Kim's legacy, “unity and harmony” in politics.
“Upon Kim's death, we are required to reflect on our society which is mired in division and a lack of communication. Longstanding conflicts and discord has consumed the politics of persuasion and compromise,” said Kim Yeong-woo, senior spokesman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy at a briefing. “The political domain needs to uphold his legacy calling for solidarity and accord.”
Rep. Chairman Kim Moo-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party said, “The achievement of Kim, the heroic champion of democracy, will go down in history. I will inherit his conviction and courage.”