[Editorial] We Will Fight To Carry Out The Spirit Of Constitution

- Our promise in the 53rd Constitution Memorial Day

As the 53rd Constitution Memorial Day comes around, we are concerned about the future of our nation and the people. This is because the basic spirit of the establishment of the constitution of the Republic of Korea, that is the spirit of the constitution, seems to be unstable. The spirit of the constitution is, namely, liberal democracy and the principle of market economy. `Founding fathers` had a firm belief that only this twofold system of ideology, which is like the two sides of the same coin, will be able to lead our people to the creative, bright, and abundant future.

There have been shameful and misfortunate incidents when we look back a half-century history of the constitutional government in light of the spirit of the constitution. This is why we had great expectation when the `people¡¯s government` was inaugurated centering around the group who had fought against the authoritarian system under the slogan of democracy. However, we cannot help but seeing the reality as contrary to what we have expected.

What is the foundation of liberal democracy? As it was clearly pointed out in the process of establishing the constitution, it is the separation of the power. However, an era of the `king-like president` continues, in which idea, utterance, and command of the president rules the state affairs. This is not too different from the previous authoritarian regimes. Even Kim Jong-Pil, the honorary president of the United Liberal Democrats that is the one axis of the current joint regime, described the president as the `autocratic president`.

Another pillar of liberal democracy is constitutionalism. However, like the previous authoritarian regimes, selective enforcement of law and retaliatory enforcement in accordance with the arbitrary interpretation continue. As a result, one of the executives of the current ruling party lamented saying that ``once a person is investigated by the National Tax Service, he or she becomes tax evader. Once a person is called by the public prosecutors office, he or she becomes a criminal.`` This illustrates the deplorable reality of the person-governing in the name of the constitution.

The management of the nation through the institution is another pillar of liberal democracy. One of the distinctive phenomena of the current government is a political behavior, which oppresses the institutions through the already plotted public opinions. That is, conflicts are not resolved through the national institutions, such as Assembly, parties, and the jurisdiction, but through the method of mass protest. Moreover, a method that drives a particular person or a group into a corner under the unilateral public trial through the organizations, which is the under the influence of power, reminds the illegal fight for power which often occurred in the past communist societies.

However, whatever one may say, the life of liberal democracy is the freedom of media. We repeatedly say that the freedom of media is seriously infringed by the current government. Of course, media companies are not without faults. Dong-a Ilbo has deeply self-reflected on the wrong doings along with our apologies to the people, and has decided to comply with the legal requests. However, the method of taking advantage of weak points of media companies, making an exaggerated announcement while discriminatively applying the law, and condemning these companies through other media companies that are under the direct control of the government in terms of personnel and budget and some of the organizations which follow the public poll are certainly anti-democratic oppression.

It is needless to say that liberal democracy goes hand in hand with the principle of market economy. President Kim Dae-Jung by himself has emphasized this point countless times. However, what about the reality? Many businesspeople, financiers, and economists are worried that this important principle has dissipated. Finance governed by the government still prevails. Economic policy is operated through the policy of `pumping the national budget or filling it in with the national budget` following the clumsy socialist idea.

The spirit of constitution has certainly been suffering since this government. However, a study on the constitution of unification, conducted by a ruling party connected research institute, makes people nervous. For the long term, preparation for the constitution of unification is necessary. However, it is more urgent to prevent the spirit of the constitution from being infringed and to make it alive. Furthermore, if the constitution of unification is studied to the direction of bending liberal democracy and the principle of market economy, it can never be permitted.

In the strictest sense of the word, today is the first Constitution Memorial Day in the 21st century. We, who believe that the future of the new century, our people, and our nation depends on the protection and promotion of the spirit of the constitution, promise that we will boldly fight against those who secede and infringe the spirit of the constitution.