#102 Thinking about Democratization, Information and Communication

[스티븐스 대사]

Like many of you, for the past few weeks whenever I had a spare moment I was glued to the TV, immersed in the images coming from Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East.  Whether at my office in Gwanghwamun, or in my hotel room in the United States (I will tell you more about my frequent trips back and forth to the U.S. in a later blog), I was moved to see the Egyptian people transform their ideas and dreams of democracy, of the dignity of the human spirit, into reality.  As President Obama said,

There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place.  This is one of those moments.  This is one of those times.  The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same.

President Obama speaks on the situation in Egypt following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak (White House photo)

It is important to keep in mind that the history we are witnessing – and Egypt’s democratic journey - is in its early stages.  The protests in Tahrir Square lasted only 18 days.  The United States, the oldest constitutional democracy in existence, is over 234 years old, and we still have work to do to “form a more perfect union,” as the Preamble to our Constitution says.  We all hope for the best for the Egyptians as they embark on a new journey, presaged by President Obama in Cairo almost two years ago, and hope that, as President Obama has said, “the spirit of peaceful protest and perseverance that the Egyptian people have shown can serve as a powerful wind at the back of this change.”

February 12, 2011, Day 1 Freedom – Victory, Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt

Courtesy of Darla Hueske (Photo from Flickr)

Secretary Clinton had the Egyptian example in mind when she spoke at George Washington University February 15 on the choices and challenges facing us all in a networked world (http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/02/156619.htm).  While historians will debate the roots and reasons of the protests sweeping through the Middle East, from Tunisia to Egypt, to Jordan, to Yemen, and now to Iran and Bahrain, there is general agreement on one factor:  Young people’s access to information, and their ability to reach each other through new media and technology, was key to the speed and strength of their efforts.

Secretary Clinton Speaking at George Washington University (State Department photo)

The Republic of Korea is of course one of the world’s prime examples of a country that embraces ever-developing technological changes, and where instantaneous forms of communication are embedded in the culture.  Just get on the subway, and try to count the number of people in your car who are NOT watching TV, texting, or surfing the internet on their mobile phones – usually that number is pretty small!   Instantaneous communication has played an important role in politics in Korea as well.  We saw that last June, when Twitter and other social media spurred a larger voter turnout than traditional polling had predicted, and led to some unpredicted results.  It was because of this strong voter turnout that I wrote a blog last year I called, “A Good Election”.  And these days, I don’t think there’s a politician in Korea who doesn’t blog, use Twitter, post on Facebook, or do all of the above!

A Typical Scene on the Seoul Subway!

Social media networks like Facebook or Cyworld and microblogging services like Twitter and Me2Day give instant access to information not just through centralized nodes, but disparately to a multitude of sources, what I believe is sometimes referred to as “the cloud.”  This cloud helped bring individuals together to discuss values important to them, whether we are talking about Egyptian protestors or Korean Red Devil fans during the World Cup.   As Secretary Clinton said in her speech, “so it is our values that cause these actions to inspire or outrage us, our sense of human dignity, the rights that flow from it, and the principles that ground it.  And it is these values that ought to drive us to think about the road ahead.” 

We in the United States treasure the values on which our nation was founded.  The United States government launched the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 1940 to share American life and values with others.  The program seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through tailored visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders.  These visits reflect the International Visitors’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.  Over 1,200 Koreans have participated in this program, including former Presidents Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung, who were nominated for the program during their days as opposition politicians working for Korean democratization.

In 2000, nine newly-elected ROK National Assemblymen were nominated by Embassy Seoul to participate in an IVLP designed to give them a first-hand introduction to U.S. society, U.S. politics, and to those institutions and individuals that contribute to the American policy-making process.  The group’s three-week program included visits to Washington, D.C., Annapolis, Nebraska, Arizona, the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, and the U.S. military’s Pacific Command (PACOM) in Hawaii.  For three weeks, the then-new legislators from the then ruling Open Uri Party, the then-opposition Grand National Party, and one smaller opposition party, travelled together.  During their travels, they formed a bond of camaraderie that is still evident today.   

From Left: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (GNP); National Assemblyman Jong Bum Goo (DP); National Assemblyman Won Hee-Ryong (GNP); Ambassador Stephens; Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae (DP); National Assemblyman Lee Kang Rae (DP); Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs Chung Jin-suk (GNP); and National Assemblyman Lee Jong Kul (DP)

I know because I invited the whole group over to my residence for dinner after hearing about their trip from now Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae.  Of the group, five are still in the National Assembly (though the opposition party of 2000 is now the ruling party, and vice versa!  That’s democracy!).  In addition to Mayor Kang in Gwangju, another member, Oh Se-hoon, is also a mayor of Seoul.  And Chung Jin-suk is now Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs.  We had a lively dinner reminiscing about favorite (and less favorite) moments ten years ago as the group travelled everywhere from the farms of Nebraska to the urban landscapes of New York and Los Angeles, and saw American politics in action at the highest and most local levels.  We talked about how Korea and Korean-American relations have evolved over the past ten years, and some of the challenges facing both our countries.  The opinions were as diverse as the different parties represented, but the tone was invariably sincere and respectful.  The evening left me optimistic about Korean democracy, and about Korean-American relations. And yes, all my dinner guests confirmed that they use Twitter – a technology that didn’t exist when they entered the National Assembly just over ten years ago.  How will politicians in Korea and throughout the world be communicating ten years from now?  Hard to imagine.

A Toast to Lively and Free Discussion!

The word tahrir means liberation.  As President Obama said, “it is a word that speaks to that something in our souls that cries out for freedom."  Secretary Clinton spoke of how technology is creating the twenty-first century public space to discuss ideas and values like freedom, equality, and diversity.  I value these types of discussions, whether in person or online, with Koreans from every walk of life, and enjoyed some wonderful discussions last week with IVLP alumni.  I look forward to continuing this discussion, including on this site.