A judicial verdict 443 days after the December 3 emergency martial law incident has brought the so-called "insurrection" political crisis to a close. While voices demanding national unity and political-economic recovery are emerging, deep-seated anxiety among the public remains.
Kang Won-taek, director of the Seoul National University Institute for Future Strategy and a professor who has spent his career studying political parties and reform, told The Seoul Economic Daily on the 20th that "martial law was not a sudden incident but the result of compromise collapsing and being pushed to the extreme."
Regarding the Lee Jae-myung government, which faces the task of "national unity," Director Kang advised: "After micromanaging, they must now present a grand vision." He emphasized, "The public is thirsting for open and inclusive leadership. This is the time to design a new order beyond the politics of division."
The following is a Q&A:
-The "political system enabling long-term national development" you proposed in your 2020 book "Decisive Moments in Korean Politics" still seems slow to materialize.
"That's right. So when I published 'A Country That Experienced Democracy on the Brink,' I wrote a reflection on failing to anticipate the possibility of martial law. The 'compromise'—a kind of covenant that sustained Korean democracy since the '87 System'—broke down during the Moon Jae-in administration, and I didn't notice. The spirit of mutual respect and compromise that made the 87 System function collapsed."
-Why did the 'end of compromise' occur during the Moon Jae-in administration?
"Political polarization intensified through the 'clearing out of deep-rooted evils.' They should have healed a nation divided by former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, but instead demonized the other side. The recent martial law was conceived as the Moon administration's purge created politics without compromise."
-Is the Lee Jae-myung government overcoming the chaos?
"After an extremely difficult six months of great uncertainty, President Lee's inauguration brought stability and allowed people to return to normalcy—that deserves recognition. However, [President Lee] is extremely detail-oriented. He needs to show he can move toward a future direction amid external challenges, but he's focused on micromanaging. Now he must present a grand vision. Since the Park Geun-hye administration, we've lived under narrow and closed leadership. The public is thirsting for open and inclusive leadership."
-Why did you warn that the political crisis of martial law might not be a one-time event?
"A divided government without compromise will become the same as the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Korea's democratization was a product of compromise. The June 29 Declaration emerged from political compromise between democratic and authoritarian forces. Compromise means keeping promises to each other—never demonizing the other side. Coexistence is the premise. If we return to a divided government, we'll go back to being a country that can't accomplish anything."
-You've advocated for constitutional amendment including a parliamentary system.
"We needed to consider a new form of political system. But constitutional amendment to change the power structure has become difficult. It requires a high level of political consensus, which is impossible. According to our Institute's survey, citizens said an average of 3.7 significant parties in the National Assembly would be appropriate. That means no single party gets a majority. Eventually, compromise becomes necessary, and when parties make concessions for compromise, politics begins to function."
-Isn't this a retreat from your previous arguments for institutional reform and constitutional amendment?
"I've been reducing talk about institutional reform lately. In a two-extreme party structure, a dominant party's unilateral actions can produce very bad results. Constitutional amendment could go the same way. The judicial reform centered on a de facto fourth-trial system is a unilateral process without communication with the opposition or public deliberation."
-What needs to be done to build a multi-party system?
"Electoral system reform comes first. A system that increases the likelihood of new parties emerging would be good. We need more young people who courageously take on challenges."
-The mixed-member proportional representation system, aimed at helping minor parties enter parliament, produced the worst outcome: satellite parties.
"Realistically, there's no way to prevent such circumvention. Ultimately, moving to a multi-party system requires increasing proportional seats, but public acceptance of expanding the total number of lawmakers is low. However, if multiple parties enter parliament, they can play significant roles and create change. If constitutional amendment and power structure reform are difficult, at minimum, we must break the two-party system."
-Electoral reform requires the ruling and opposition parties to meet. Relations between them have become more difficult than inter-Korean relations.
"The ruling party bears responsibility. To advance President Lee's policy agenda, the ruling party must responsibly extend its hand to gain opposition cooperation. Organic cooperation between the party and the presidential office is also needed. Even if it's difficult with the party leader, they should start with the floor leader."
-President Lee has attempted unity appointments aimed at resolving political polarization, but it hasn't been easy.
"The first-instance verdict has settled the rights and wrongs of martial law. Leave the final judgment on insurrection to the court's final ruling. The Lee Jae-myung government must show a new, future-oriented vision of society. The first effort should be unity appointments. He should frequently meet with conservative figures and seek their advice. Even if some politicians exploit insurrection eradication politically, President Lee should say he respects the judiciary's judgment and call for moving toward a new future. He must say he will embrace and integrate the division and conflict arising from martial law."