DJ Editorials and Some Words of My Own

DJ has been sick for a while, so I imagine the papers had been sitting on their editorials for quite a while.

The Chosun Ilbo’s editorial was pretty much what you’d expect from the Chosun — long, with lots of praise for DJ’s contributions to Korean democracy, his handling of the foreign exchange crisis of 1997 and his role in the building of Korea’s IT economy, while criticizing the failures of his North Korea policy, his tax audits of critical media like, oh, the Chosun Ilbo, and his failure to reduce regionalism within South Korea.

The Dong-A Ilbo, too, mixed praise and criticism:

On previous persecutions of him, Kim Dae-jung paid extra attention to human rights while president. Improvement in human rights came when he was in office. Contrary to his reputation as a “human rights president,” however, he failed to end illegal eavesdropping and almost ignored human rights abuses in the North. History will clarify the controversy over whether he retaliated against media that criticized him by ordering tax audits on them.

Creating glory and disgrace and praise and criticism, Kim Dae-jung is now part of history. His footsteps hopefully can serve as the groundwork for the country’s democratic development, economic prosperity, and peaceful reunification. May his funeral – a ceremony of saying good-bye amid the people’s mourning – be conducted solemnly and sincerely.

The Hankyoreh, of course, was overflowing with praise for DJ:

He was a giant who stood tall in Korea‘s modern history. Throughout his life, he devoted himself unwaveringly to this nation’s democracy and human rights, its peace and unification. The modifiers placed next to his name may have changed from time to time, from democracy fighter to opposition party head to president, but the values and spirit he pursued remained the same. Along the way, there were both successes and failures, and he went through some trial and error himself. But he was the rare politician who walked one path without wavering, through countless twists and turns of history, through whirlpools, hardship and honor.

They did note that he wasn’t perfect, however:

Of course, he was neither a perfect human being nor a flawless politician. A number of dark shadows hang over his long political journey. He was a victim of the chronic regionalism that afflicts Korean society, but at the same time he could not escape criticism that he was a factor in it as well. Nor can he escape comments that he delayed advancement of the political culture with factional politics, boss politics and monarchical party management. Late in his term as president, his ethical reputation suffered a blow due to improprieties involving his sons and associates. While he was alive, he faced criticisms as much as praise. He was the target of both more centrist conservatives and hard-right forces, whose persistent attacks continued right up until his condition grew serious. Bernard Krisher, former Tokyo correspondent for the U.S. current affairs weekly Newsweek, said that only when Kim died would the Korean people realize what a great debt they really owe to him. Now the true judgment of his life and accomplishments is left to history.

Here is what I’ll say about late President Kim Dae-jung. Unlike Joshua, I don’t believe “the great symbol of DJ’s legacy will be one act that symbolized so much else about his era,” namely, the cash payoff to North Korea to hold the 2000 inter-Korean summit (although that act probably symbolizes much of what was wrong with the Sunshine Policy and the subsequent inter-Korean relationship under DJ and his successor). I think his legacy is symbolized by today’s vibrant Korean democracy and high-tech economy. I’ll overlook June 2000 and instead focus on August 2001, when Korea repaid its debt to the IMF after a crash treatment course in structural readjustment and economic liberalization. The fact that I can go to a PC room anywhere in the country and enjoy broadband Internet access is largely thanks to infrastructural developments that took place under DJ.

Having said that, yes, his North Korea policy — while perhaps worth a try at the time — was a failure. Even worse, despite its failure, its propagation became a political necessity, something the North Koreans recognized. And yes, while his contributions to Korean multi-party democracy are enormous (although Won Joon Choe’s comment here is still valid), he was still representative of two phenomenon that have plagued Korean political development — a lack of intra-party democracy and regionalism. Given the political environment in which DJ was raised, none of this is particularly surprising, but nevertheless, it’s part of the political legacy he and his generation leave behind.

PS: I will also say that unlike the passing of Roh — which a friend of mine likened to a Greek tragedy — DJ’s passing is more a celebration of his time on Earth. He died in dignity at age 84, leaving behind a wife, five grown children, I don’t know how many grandchildren and a (largely) grateful nation. That’s a life well-lived.

UPDATE: Some DJ quotes via AP. I always liked this one, as it revealed DJ’s understanding that political and economic liberty are intertwined:

“Democracy and the market economy are two sides of a coin or two wheels of a cart. Every nation that has embraced both democracy and a market economy has been successful.” — Inauguration speech, February 1998.

In Korea Inc. — land of big business in bed with big government — this was a step in the right direction.

Tagged as: Kim Dae-jung