[The Editors' Verdict] Hopes for Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Boo-kyum

Imokhee, Asia Economy Senior Correspondent

Representative Lee Nak-yeon and former Representative Kim Boo-kyum. Candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea leadership election to be held next month. Their alma maters are Gwangju Ilgo and Gyeongbukgo High Schools, respectively. These are prestigious high schools representing the Honam and Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) regions. Both belong to the generation before the high school equalization policy was implemented. The equalization system was introduced in the mid-1970s. Those who took entrance exams in large cities and entered traditional prestigious high schools are now all over sixty years old.

In the April general election for the National Assembly, the collapse of the "prestigious high school castle" became a hot topic. A generational change is sweeping across various sectors of society, and politics is no exception. Kim Boo-kyum has been a lifelong politician. Lee Nak-yeon entered politics in 2000. Before that, he worked extensively as a political reporter for a media company, so his ties to politics run deep as well. The reason for mentioning Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Boo-kyum’s high schools is the hope that they become the youngest members of the old-fashioned political era.

In social life, nothing is more important than one’s alma mater high school. This is especially true in political and governmental circles. Although criticism of the "SKY monopoly" (referring to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University) never ceases, university alumni ties were not as strong as those from high school. During the era when TK was dominant, reporters who graduated from Gyeongbukgo had more information than anyone else simply by maintaining good relations with their alumni. Under progressive administrations, the opposite was true. Early in the current administration, there were analyses that it was the heyday of Gwangju Ilgo graduates.

Time has passed, but I once felt a chill down my spine while hearing behind-the-scenes stories after a cabinet reshuffle and Blue House reorganization. The person who quietly handled personnel affairs at the time said there were several principles that could not be avoided regarding regional balance. First, positions related to the regime’s security are not given to people from opposing regions. For example, Chief of Staff to the President, Director of the National Intelligence Service, Prosecutor General, etc. The second principle was shocking. It was important to check the dominant forces in opposition-stronghold regions. Even when considering Honam, graduates from prestigious high schools like Gwangju Ilgo were excluded as much as possible. Instead, personnel were selected mainly from peripheral high schools in Jeonnam and Jeonbuk. I heard similar stories during the process of appointing people from Yeongnam under former President Kim Dae-jung.

The bonds among alumni from famous local high schools were so strong that they were subject to regime checks. Therefore, just looking at the alma maters of Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Boo-kyum can be worrisome. The "prestigious high school cartel," which was collapsing due to high school equalization and the passage of time, might survive a little longer. They might repeat the old-fashioned politics they have long been part of. The fortunate point is their life records. I have known them since their youth and am somewhat familiar with their characters. Both are far from "divisiveness" and are easygoing. Compared to their political careers, they feel less like old-school politicians.

Representative Lee has clearly entered the path to run in the 2022 presidential election. He is currently leading in opinion polls. Former Representative Kim has declared that if he becomes party leader, he will not run in the presidential election. However, if he loses in the leadership race, his future path is uncertain. With the opposition’s presidential candidates unclear, the ruling party leadership race featuring presidential-level candidates is bound to be interesting.

As the two confirmed their candidacies, other candidates withdrew voluntarily. Support is concentrating on Representative Lee, who leads in opinion polls. In a way, the jockeying for position has already begun. It is understandable that people do not want to damage a strong presidential candidate. Once in the race, losing would be a major blow. But more important than winning the leadership race is showing a new image. They must give confidence that they will lead new politics beyond being the youngest members of old politics. There must be no influence from specific high schools, regions, or political networks. I hope they reflect on this so that no curtain of favoritism is cast over the formation of their campaign teams.

Lee Mok-hee, Asia Economy Senior Fellow

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