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The term "386 generation" was coined in the 1990s to refer to those in their 30s who were born in the 1960s and attended university in the 1980s. Many of them directly or indirectly engaged in pro-democracy movements against the military dictatorships. Now that they are in their 50s, a preferred term is simply "86 generation."
Among those politicians is former Justice Minister Cho Kuk who stepped down over corruption allegations surrounding him and his family last month after 35 days in office. He has been at the forefront of the "Gangnam Left," a term used to describe the highly-educated, high-income class who "allegedly" hold liberal ideas.
Cho, 54, a law professor at Seoul National University, served as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. President Moon Jae-in appointed him as justice minister in September to reform the prosecution which has long been criticized for abusing its power and serving as the handmaiden of political power.
But Cho had to resign in the face of strong public protests against his hypocritical behavior. As a scholar and civic activist, he had advocated for social justice. But now he is seen more as a "champagne socialist" or "limousine liberal" because he and his wife were allegedly involved in corruption including admissions fraud to help their daughter enter a prestigious college and medical school.
Of course, it is wrong to generalize the 86 generation as hypocrites just like Cho and his ilk. There are respected politicians, civil servants, corporate executives and others in leading social positions who fought for democracy, worked hard for economic development and strived for a better society. This generation has become the mainstream of our society with dominant political, economic and social clout.
But now, 86-generation politicians are under greater public pressure to retire from politics or at least retreat to the backstage. The Cho Kuk case revealed their incompetence and failure to create a fair society as promised by President Moon.
The problem is that the 86 generation, liberal or conservative, is now too engrossed in keeping their vested interests. It is difficult to find anyone in their 50s willing to give up their privileges or perks for the sake of the younger generation or the underprivileged.
Sixty-six, or 53 percent, of 123 lawmakers of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) belong to the 86 generation. They are a leading force in the party. But most of them are unable to present a new vision or hope for the country's future, while engaging in partisan struggles and seeking their own personal or political gain.
Of course, there are some DPK legislators who call for change. They include Reps. Rhee Cheol-hee and Pyo Chang-won who felt frustration at the party's mishandling of the Cho case and called for its reform. They have drawn attention for their decision not to seek re-election, a move seen as giving up on their vested interests.
Progressive lawmakers and politicians cannot be progressive anymore as long as they are complacent with the status quo and try to maintain their own interests. In this sense, the DPK has already begun to lose its progressive characteristics.
The Cho case has raised cynicism that the DPK is no better than the main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) which is still reeling from the aftermath of the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.
The 86 generation began to enter politics after longtime liberal opposition leader Kim Dae-jung became president in 1998. In the 2000 general election, 14 of this generation were elected. The number jumped to 68 in 2004 and 2008, and 100 in 2012. It peaked at 132 in 2016, accounting for 44 percent of the total National Assembly seats. But their days are numbered as they get older and their ideas become outdated.
It seems like high time for a generational change ahead of the general election scheduled for next April. Lawmakers aged over 50 had better abandon their vested interests and stop seeking re-election to open the way for the younger generation to usher in new politics and a fair society. The new era needs new people with fresh ideas and innovative thinking.
Park Yoon-bae is chief editorial writer of The Korea Times.
