[Editorial] National Assembly is Barrier to Economic Growth

The legislators from rural districts who blocked the vote on the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with Chile yesterday by occupying the platform will soon brandish the picture of the botched vote and cry, “I threw my own body to protect farmers, elect me! Elect me again.”

However, they can hardly evade criticism because lawmakers, blind with their quick electoral victory, disregarded the economic interests of the country. Ours is a country that is losing its overseas market shares to FTA blocs although 80 percent of its economic growth depends upon exports.

Rural voters must not jump to the conclusion that anti-FTA legislators are on their side. With the endorsement of FTA stranded, a set of measures for farming and the rural community are put on a backburner. Because the FTA was not ratified last year, about 550 billion won in subsidies earmarked for farmers was excluded from this year’s budge.

Economic growth will hardly continue if exports do not increase steadily. It will bring non-farming tax revenue under pressure, which will in turn slow investment in farming. Gaining more market share overseas will help create jobs at home, which will eventually benefit the rural community. The rural community cannot live off farming alone any longer.

If it genuinely wants to turn around the economy, each party should not field them as candidates in the elections if they oppose the FTA. Otherwise, they will be criticized as interest groups that pursue their personal agenda.

The leadership of political parties must be criticized because they looked the other way when their lawmakers hurt national interests. We wonder if they actually have qualities as leaders. Especially, Chairman Choe Byung-yul of the Grand National Party, which controls 55 percent of the assembly, should have done his best to make the FTA vote happen since he repeatedly said, “I will concentrate completely on turning around the country.”

National Assembly Speaker Park Kwan Yong, as he promised, should put the ratification to a vote on February 9 if that means he will lead the vote under the convoy of security personnel. We must promptly end the situation in which we cannot enact a treaty that was concluded by the two heads of state to mutually benefit the two countries for economic prosperity. We must end the impasse that will lead to this country being left in the cold by the rest of the world.