Roh Stresses Mature Democracy
Korea Times, April 19, 2007
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
President Roh Moo-hyun stressed on Thursday that the nation should now develop a political culture of tolerance and responsibility for a mature democracy.
In a special address he delivered to mark the 47th anniversary of the April 19 Revolution, he said that human rights could be improved further and society could be operated in a fairer and more efficient manner only under such a political climate.
Roh said that the country should strive to complete the long march toward a true democracy through a more advanced political culture based on dialogue and compromise.
``It is already two decades since our people achieved a peaceful transfer of government for the first time through democratic elections,’’ he said. ``But we still have a long way to go and are faced with many daunting tasks.’’
Roh put a special emphasis on ``dialogue, compromise and mutual respect,’’ suggesting that the country’s political parties reach a level of maturity where they could even form a coalition government like those of European countries.
``All problems should be resolved through dialogue, compromise and mutual respect,’’ he said. ``And the political accountability should be determined by elections.’’
In 2005, he proposed a ``grand coalition’’ joined by the largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP) as well as the Uri Party, although the proposal was rejected.
Held at the April 19 National Cemetery in northern Seoul, Thursday’s ceremony was attended by thousands of citizens, government officials and politicians. GNP leaders, however, did not show up at the event.
One of the most historic events in South Korea’s modern history, the April 19 pro-democracy movement in 1960 toppled the authoritarian administration headed by Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Initiated by university students, the uprising led up to a massive movement across the country against Rhee, who illicitly revised the Constitution and rigged the election in order to extend his rule.
But the democratic mood was dampened by a 1961 military coup by Gen. Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country thereafter with an iron fist until 1979, followed by another military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan.
Spirits of the April 19 Revolution were succeeded by the civil uprising in Kwangju in 1980 and the ``June Struggle’’ in 1987 that marked another epoch in the history of the South Korean pro-democracy movement.
``The April 19 spirits would live forever in our minds and history, and would rise up again if any illicit forces try to violate this soil,’’ Roh said in the speech.
jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr
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