“I am a member of the Swedish parliament. Today I rode my bicycle to work in a small office. In the morning, I drank a cup of coffee, copied documents myself, and reviewed the bill. It’s a headache. It’s because the interests of the people involved are mixed. In the afternoon, I met voters and talked about issues they were concerned about. I’m happy with my job, but I have no intention of running again. My talent It is enough to mobilize all of them and serve once. Shouldn’t someone else have to suffer a little in the next National Assembly?”
“I am a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. These days, my goal is to be elected again in the general elections next year. So, I see a lot of attention from strong supporters and party leaders. I abused my power a little, but I don’t worry, because I just need to exercise the privilege of non-arrest and immunity like other members of the National Assembly. , Families also use some facilities for free, but fortunately, the people don’t know that well. I am a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, who even envy King Yeomra, shouldn’t we enjoy this level of luxury?”
This is a reconstructed version of the Swedish and Korean parliamentarians, according to Jang Gi-pyo (77), the permanent co-president of the National Movement for the Abolition of Privileges.
In an additional interview with Yonhap News on the 9th, CEO Jang said that the Korean people could no longer tolerate the sense of nonsense, shamelessness, and privilege of lawmakers. It means that the anger of the people is intensely felt in the field.
He said, “36 years after the June 1987 uprising, a civil revolution similar to Britain’s Glorious Revolution (1688) will take place in Korea,” he said. “We call this a national political revolution.”
Representative Jang said, “If the large parties of the ruling and opposition parties do not actively seek to abolish the privileges of members of the National Assembly and continue to show lukewarm reactions, we can promote the founding of the party ourselves.” We only nominate those who want to give up,” he said.
He said, “On Constitution Day on the 17th, we plan to hold a large-scale demonstration in front of the National Assembly demanding the abolition of privileges,” he said.
Representative Jang said, “There are many judicial victims due to ‘complaint crimes’ in the legal profession,” and added, “We plan to set up a report center to receive cases of damage and to hold a tent sit-in in front of the court.”
Representative Jang, who jumped into the student movement as soon as he entered Seoul Law School, was imprisoned for 9 years and wanted for 12 years for the Seoul National University Student Rebellion Conspiracy Incident, the Mincheong Student Union Incident, the Cheonggye Clothing Union Incident, the Kim Dae-jung Rebellion Conspiracy Incident, and the Minjung Party Incident.
— Please briefly summarize the movement to abolish the privileges of high-ranking officials.
▲ It is to eliminate the privileges of high-ranking officials, such as members of the National Assembly, high-ranking prosecutors and judges, and high-ranking officials in the administration. Members of the National Assembly have over 180 privileges. Their annual salary is 155 million won, which is the highest in the world. I think it should be lowered to the average wage of urban workers, 4 million won. There are many convenient facilities such as a gym, hospital, oriental clinic, pharmacy, and public bath in the Yeouido Assembly Hall in Seoul, which members of the National Assembly use for free. Hospitals are also free for members of the National Assembly. There are a total of nine assistants per member of the National Assembly, and one or two of them manage the constituency office. It is illegal to use aides with civil servant status to do such work.
— Please explain the issue of the privilege of not arresting members of the National Assembly and immunity from immunity.
▲ These privileges are constitutional provisions that were made to criticize the government’s mismanagement of state affairs and to accuse corruption during the dictatorship. Now, it is being abused as a provision to hide corrupt lawmakers. Citizens are arrested even if they steal hundreds of thousands of won, but it is problematic for lawmakers to live leisurely while receiving a regular salary even if they commit serious corruption and shameless crimes. This privilege clause should be eliminated through constitutional amendment, but it will take time, so the lawmakers should declare it waived before that.
— What is the problem with the courtship of former officers in the legal profession?
▲ There are many cases in which high-ranking judges or former prosecutors make an unusually large amount of money by practicing as a lawyer. This is not a ‘private courtesy’, but a ‘crime of the former’. Attorney Lee, who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, earned 6 billion won in five years after retiring as a Supreme Court justice. After that, he became the Chief Justice. Attorney Ahn earned an income of 1.6 billion in just 5 months of opening his lawyer after his retirement from the Supreme Court. He lost his candidacy for prime minister because of this. Attorney Hong Mo opened a lawyer after retiring as head of the planning department of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and earned 11.4 billion won in 1 year and 3 months. I judge that most of this money is the price of unfair investigation and trial. As a result, powerless people suffer. They are called judicial victims, and there are millions of people like this.
–What is the reaction of political parties to the abolition of privileges for members of the National Assembly?
▲ In the Democratic Party of Korea, former CEO Song Young-gil protested against Chairman Lee Jae-myeong’s statement that he would give up the privilege of not being arrested. Innovation Committee Chair Kim Eun-kyung asked the party to accept the privilege of non-arrest, and the Supreme Council also voted, but it was not even raised as an agenda at the general assembly. As a result, it is in a state of idleness. In the power of the people, CEO Kim Ki-hyun proposed giving up the privilege of non-arrest, and 102 out of 112 lawmakers signed, but follow-up measures are not proceeding properly.
— Unless the ruling and opposition parties abolish the privilege.
▲ We can directly promote a new political party. This party nominates only those who will get rid of the existing privileges, such as receiving only 4 million won per month, giving up the privilege of not being arrested, and using only three assistants. Such a person can do much better as a member of the National Assembly because he has a strong sense of duty and passion to serve the country and the people rather than money and privilege.
— Have you ever tried something like this?
▲ At the time of the 20th general election, Hwang Kyo-ahn, the representative of the Liberty Korea Party, contacted me. He was asked to serve as the chairman of the nomination management committee. I tried to accept the proposal on the premise that ‘if you do not pledge to abolish the privilege of the National Assembly member, you will not be nominated’. Representative Hwang presented this to the Supreme Council, but the members opposed me becoming the chairman of the nomination management committee. Because they thought they would be eliminated from the nomination. At that time, my attempt to abolish the privilege failed like that.
— Do you have any plans to form an alliance with other forces in the Third Zone?
▲ It can be considered, but it is inappropriate to mention it at this stage.
— Some people argue that high-ranking officials who do nothing but pay taxes should be called ‘modern-day government officials’.
▲ I understand what the purpose of such a story is. However, language must be social. It is unreasonable to refer to the members of the National Assembly, high-ranking judges and prosecutors as such.
— It seems that the members of the National Assembly are good at using the expression of putting down rather than abolishing privileges.
▲ What kind of king is a member of the National Assembly? Putting it down is an expression used by the king. From the point of view of the people, it is a bit cheeky. The privilege of a member of the National Assembly should be abolished, not put down.
— If the privilege of non-arrest of members of the National Assembly is removed, wouldn’t it be easier for the government to suppress the opposition members?
▲ Some are concerned that the great principle of the separation of the three powers will be shaken. I don’t think so. When the government arrests an opposition member of the National Assembly for a trivial matter, the people quickly notice. When the government does such a thing, the government and the ruling party suffer.
— From 20 years ago, the ruling and opposition parties said they would abolish privileges competitively at every election, but nothing has been done, but it seems that there will be a change this time.
▲ It is difficult to expect lawmakers to abolish privileges on their own. People must act on their own. Participate in rallies and demonstrations, and spread these movements among your acquaintances. In some constituencies, voters are already campaigning against candidates who do not declare the repeal of privileges. I believe that the success rate of this privilege abolition movement is very high.
— What is the current state of Korean politics?
▲ Democracy is destroying democracy. Because of fandom politics. Sending tens of thousands of text bombs and severely insulting people for expressing opinions contrary to party views is the road to totalitarianism. Hitler in Germany was a man who enjoyed popular support. He came to power through elections, not through a revolution or a coup. Formally, he was a democracy, but in the end, he violated human rights and blocked freedom. We must not forget this historical fact.
— Isn’t democracy fundamentally flawed?
▲ Plato called democracy ‘politics of the middle’. It is said that the majority will make unwise judgments by demagogues and crowd psychology. I do not believe that collective judgment is always right. Democracy, however, has two advantages. One of them is the sense of ownership that the people have while participating on their own. People are basically happy when they decide and act on their own initiative. Second, democracy helps prevent the worst, including dictatorships. ‘Iron politics’, which Plato said was the best way, is dangerous because it can degenerate into dictatorship.
— There are people who say that voting by artificial intelligence ( AI ) and politics by AI would be better.
▲ There are people who think so. But aren’t AI programs also created by humans? The fairness of the information input is also a problem. democracyIt can also be swayed by AI . Think carefully.
— You said that the legal system is still respected, but why is it not going away?
▲ This is because it has become a money-centered society. There are many people who think that money is more important than the responsibility and reward of being a public official. Money is not something you can take with you when you die, but there are surprisingly many people who cling to it. they are stupid people Happiness comes from self-realization.
— What plan did you come up with to get rid of the former court privilege in the legal profession?
▲ We plan to set up a judicial victim reporting center soon. Tent sit-ins are also being considered centering on the victims.
— Is the KCTU a privileged class?
▲ I have argued for a long time that non-regular workers and youth unemployment are caused by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. The KCTU also suggested that there should be no non-regular workers by not insisting on their own high wages, rather than the elimination of discrimination against non-regular workers. Five or six years ago, I held a rally condemning the KCTU in this direction in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The KCTU is still ignoring this.
— Are you saying that non-regular workers are created because of the KCTU?
▲ The insistence on high wages and opposition to layoffs by full-time workers at large corporations under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions causes two problems. The first is to reduce the wages of workers at partner companies, and the second is that they block new hires from their own conglomerates. In this process, non-regular workers increase, and their wages remain at a low level.
— Isn’t the chaebol system itself a privilege?
▲ There is a net function of chaebol. It is difficult for companies to actively develop technology if they do not have sufficient capital. This is because technology development is likely to fail. In this respect, chaebols can develop stable technologies. In terms of sales안전놀이터, companies within the chaebol system can support one side when one side is in trouble. If the shipping industry is difficult, it is a way to supplement in the automobile field. Foreign companies take issue with Korea’s chaebol system, claiming that they are losing out on competition because of this.
— Are there any downsides to the chaebol system?
▲ There are many bad things from the point of view of the people. Chaebol block other companies from entering the market through insider trading. It disrupts the market economy. There is also an aspect of destroying ethics and morality by offering bribes to the political world.
— What do you think of the assertion that economic growth raised the level of public consciousness and consequently created democracy?
▲ There is such an aspect. However, the economy does not grow only when there is corruption. For a long time, chaebols received huge preferential treatment from the government. Low wages and low interest rates based on the sacrifice of the people are also not a small benefit. In the past, chaebols also made a lot of money through real estate speculation. — What do you think about the annual salary of
the chaebol CEO ?
▲ The annual salary of CEOs in Western Europe is 7 to 8 times the average wage of workers. In Korea, it may exceed 100 times. CEO of Samsung ElectronicsSome say that one person contributes more to the development of a company than 100 employees. Where is the basis for that? There are people who say that such a gap is okay because it is capitalism, but such capitalism is difficult to survive.
— What do you think about the assertion that civic groups are also privileged forces?
▲ It has become an interest group rather than a privilege. Projects from local governments flocked to the Hope Factory in the past. Giving the project worth 100 million to 200 million won to the organization is intended to ask them to look at it even if there is an issue that could be raised. .
— What is progress?
▲ The goal of mankind is to pursue an ideal society where all citizens can live happily. Conservatism is the gradual change of society in that direction, and progressive is the ideology of fundamentally overhauling the social system to achieve a goal. In this regard, both the People’s Power and the Democratic Party are conservative.
— What should Korean politics do in detail?
▲ Food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education must be basically guaranteed. Work should also be provided. To this end, the abolition of privileges for members of the National Assembly is important. This is because lawmakers think about the weak and come forward with legislation.
— Is there anything you want to tell the readers?
▲ The level of politics is determined by the level of the people. The people, not the members of the National Assembly, should change politics. Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states that the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea rests with the people, and all power comes from the people. The privilege of members of the National Assembly is abolished only when the people express their intentions through collective action, and only then can politics for the people and administration for the people be possible.