Chang Ki-pyo, the legendary democracy fighter, has passed away at age 78. He remained as “an eternal outsider” throughout his life. Chang ran for a seat in the National Assembly seven times after establishing several political parties, but failed to get elected as a lawmaker in all parliamentary elections since 1989. Clearly, he was a “loser” in real politics.
But more important than the shabby trajectory is the zeitgeist he persistently championed. During the Kim Young-sam administration, he was eligible to receive more than one billion won ($748,503) as a reward for his contribution to the development of our democracy. But he didn’t apply for the compensation. “Does it really make sense to get the money in return for my democratic movement when all citizens, including farmers and factory workers, contributed to the development of the country?” he asked.
There are many active politicians who continue praising themselves for their democratic activity during the authoritarian days, getting grants for their
children’s school admissions fee and even submitting a bill to give extra points to their offspring when they try to find a job. When the prosecution indicted opposition lawmakers for handing out cash before their national convention to elect a new leader, they called it a “political retaliation.” A progressive activist who embezzled the donations she collected from people “to help former wartime sex slaves” was later elected as a legislator. We hope our politicians learn from Chang who upheld the sublime values of honor and integrity.
Chang was devoted to scrapping legislators’ excessive benefits. “About four million won in monthly salary is enough for them,” he said – instead of their annual pay exceeding 150 million won on top of 186 kinds of privileges, including a free business class flight for overseas trips, a free seat at the VIP train at KTX and their uninterrupted pay even after being arrested. Chang believed that if such a legislature is left unattended, it can’t rescue a country stricken with the
lowest fertility rate and the highest suicide rate. After his death, the governing People Power Party (PPP) said, “We will embody his wish to abandon such hefty benefits for lawmakers.” PPP leader Han Dong-hoon proposed to fix legislators’ pay at the median income of the people during the April parliamentary elections.
In interviews he had while being hospitalized for his gallbladder cancer, Chang underscored the importance of “rational thinking beyond the boundaries of conservative or liberal ideology.” He urged our politicians to “stop dividing the country or giving blind support to their leader.” Before closing his eyes, Chang demanded people to “be awakened always.” We hope our politicians remember his last words.
Source: Yonhap News Agency