Posted January. 04, 2014 01:08,
Clause 1 under Article 1 of the Korean Constitution is the declaration that The Republic of Korea shall be a democratic republic. Democracy literally means that People are the owner of sovereignty. Republic means a state that is ruled by all people, and roughly translated, it constitutes repetition of the word democracy. Then, what is the word that is most often used in the preamble to the Korean Constitution, which starts with We, the people of Korea, proud of a resplendent history and traditions dating from time immemorial ? Democracy, Freedom and People are used three times each.
Likewise, democracy is core value that sustains our community. If one explains the meaning of democracy that way to people in their 40s or older who experienced the nations democratization process, they will feel that It may be accurate but is very dry and dull. To these people, democratization was a supreme task and call of the era. It was time-honored aspiration, and achievement of overflowing excitement that was made through endless dedication and sacrifices. They are the generation who know through strong, shared experience that peoples freedom and basic human rights, which had been lightly disregarded, were reinstated only through democratization.
The website of a conservative organization put a Democratization button to indicate a menu for people to express objection. Here, the term democratization is used to mean dislike or suppress. The organization thus expresses their antipathy towards the force that spearheaded democratization, which currently functions as an actual political force. A member of a female music band told a radio interview, We are a team that respects each others personality. We dont democratize, which caused outcry. She meant to say that the band does not disregard or suppress minoritys view, but she had to apologize later, saying, I used the word without knowing the exact meaning.
Recently, the website of a progressive organization is using a Privatization button for visitors to indicate dislike. This is a practice in which the term privatization is being cursed as devil due to ramifications of recent rail workers strike. However, just looking into Korean Air, SK Telecom, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, KT, POSCO, and KT&G will allow one to instantly realize how irrational to despise privatization. They were once state-run firms, but have become highly sound and competitive companies through their privatization as watershed. People think and figure out the world through the medium of language. Denying all values that the rival group emphasizes is extreme ideological confrontation.
Editorial Writer Heo Seung-ho (tigera@donga.com)