hankyoreh

President Park Geun-hye stated clearly that she wants to take steps to turn the historical Saemaeul, or new village, movement into something that the entire South Korean public can take part in.

“Now is the time to draw upon the spirit of the Saemaeul movement as we unite the strength of the Korean people to achieve the second ‘miracle of the Han River,’” Park said on Oct. 20. “I look forward to updating the Saemaeul movement for the present times and transforming it into a forward-looking movement for reforming civic awareness.”

Seeing Park trotting out the Saemaeul movement, a legacy from her father Park Chung-hee’s time as president, leaves one feeling incredibly conflicted.

It is true that the Saemaeul movement contributed to the modernization of the country’s farming villages, but the movement also clearly served to prop up Park’s dictatorial regime after the “October Yushin.”

The National Intelligence Service is flexing its muscles just as it once did during the Yushin regime, and now Park says she will resurrect the Saemaeul movement. She could hardly do more to turn back the clock.

Park said that the new Saemaeul movement could be described as a movement to reform civic awareness, a community movement, a creative movement, a cultural movement, and a global movement.

Park argued that she is adjusting the concept to current times, but in the 21st century the very idea of a government-led civic movement is anachronistic.

This also applies to the idea of a movement to reform civic awareness.

Park’s idea is to use the Saemaeul movement to bring about a creative economy that is locally centered. It would have been better if Park had just opted not to tack on the phrase “Saemaeul movement”.

It is also troubling that all three of the main broadcasters made Park’s remarks their lead report on the evening of Oct. 20.

The three TV stations brushed aside problems threatening the very fabric of the country - such as the National Intelligence Service’s manipulation of public opinion on Twitter - and instead scrambled to pay lip service to Park.

Nor was there any need for the Ministry of Security and Public Administration to use the occasion of Park‘s remarks to state that it would move ahead with various projects led by the Korea Saemaeul Movement Center.

Whenever the government takes action in some social cause, whatever it may be, there is bound to be trouble as people seeking to abuse government authority reap the rewards appear just like moths gather around a flame.

It is troubling to see Park dusting off the Saemaeul movement, as it makes it seem that she wants to take South Korean society back to the Yushin regime. It is frustrating to see Park trapped in her father’s time, seemingly unable to take a single step forward.

If Park thinks so highly of the Saemaeul movement, it would be better for her to treasure it as a thing of the past. The Saemaeul movement got the job done in its time, but we are in the 21st century now. Once stream water has passed through the mill, it can never go back, and must be replaced by a new current.

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