[Column] An Opportunity to Change Fourth-Rate Politics

“Not everyone who works well becomes an executive, but there is no one among the executives who does not perform well.” This was said by a top official of Samsung Group a few years ago when I was writing a feature article analyzing Samsung Group executives. When asked, “What kind of employee earns stars at Samsung?” he replied, “There are various variables, so it’s hard to define in one sentence, but one thing I can say for sure is...”

This statement implies two meanings. The first is that Samsung’s talent pool is broad enough to select and promote capable employees as needed, and the second is that there is a system in place to filter out incompetent employees. The official said, “More important than securing a sufficient talent pool is preventing the wrong person from being promoted over the right candidate.”

The reason this came to mind a few years later was while observing the candidate selection process for the general election by various political parties. Looking at the list of proportional representation candidates who are supposed to embody the values the parties stand for, I thought it was in stark contrast to Samsung. Although there are some fresh and unconventional selections, many candidates placed in top positions lack professionalism or representativeness. For example, a 28-year-old candidate with no notable background other than being a BJ (Broadcasting Jockey) on AfricaTV raises doubts about whether they can represent youth or IT workers, and it is unclear whom a person who passed the bar exam less than a year ago is supposed to represent.

The 300 members of the National Assembly represent the present of our politics and the future of the Republic of Korea. The laws they create and pass change not only the present but also the future of Korea. A clear example is the so-called “Tada Ban Law” passed at the end of the 20th National Assembly. This law not only made it impossible for citizens to use Tada services but also cut off the budding vehicle-sharing business in Korea.

Twenty-five years ago, Chairman Lee Kun-hee pointed out that “businesses are second-rate, bureaucrats are third-rate, and politics is fourth-rate.” Since then, businesses have made remarkable progress, but politics has not changed much. While Samsung, which Chairman Lee called second-rate, has grown into a global company beyond Korea, I believe the main reason politics remains fourth-rate is ultimately due to the difference in people. The disgraceful politics that created satellite parties in a rush, blinded by a few proportional representation seats, is the result of underqualified politicians pushing out sensible ones, as bad drives out good.

Not everyone capable can become a member of the National Assembly, but I hope that those who are completely unqualified are prevented from entering. When this hope becomes reality, fourth-rate politics can rise to third-rate or even second-rate. The opportunity to change fourth-rate politics is just one month away.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.