South Korea’s first cyber-based political party has finally emerged. Korea IT Times have released a transcript of the Mobile Politics Network (MPN)’s Inaugural Declaration as follows.
Ushering in a new era of revolutions, we should put things right in this country by performing self-flagellation and strengthening our risk management capabilities.
At a time when politics put a brake on the development of this country and public distrust of politicians and animosity plunge this country into ceaseless confrontations, we solemnly declare the beginning of a new, innovative politics to rebuild this country through creative destruction.
Over the past half a century, South Korea has charged ahead with two tasks: economic growth and democratization. We have taken great pains to develop South Korea into what it is today. The generation of our parents had to make sacrifices for their survival and it was unthinkable for them to go after individual happiness. Thanks to their sacrifices and tears, South Korea has come this far.
Countries should give their people the hope that everyone can realize his or her dream and live a happy life if they do their best in their places. Leading a life laden with constant sacrifices and tears is no longer meaningful. We dream of a world where individual happiness is realized.
Politics should not pour cold water on the people’s hopes or send the world descending into chaos.
Unfortunately, Korean politics have thus far tormented the public, caused social divisions and flunked national security and economics. Exclusive, unfair politics only seek after personal interests in line with factional interests. Politics for the people have not existed. Korean politics have so far fed on the people’s worries and fears. Heaps of national tasks are left unsolved and efforts to revive the economy have ground to a halt. Today’s politics seem like a throwback to the bad old days.
The recent corruption scandal surrounding Choi Soon-sil has paralyzed national systems, damaging the country’s dignity and potential value. Political parties are divided over factional disputes and some politicians who hold sway over their parties showed us what the extremes of closed-door politics and politics of collusion are like. Turning a blind eye to external challenges and the public feeling the pinch of the long drawn out economic recession, Korean politicians are keen on exercising hegemony, always calculating political gains and losses. They have compromised law and order and defiled political consciences.
Against this backdrop, we have set up the nation’s first cyber party to resolutely transform the fundamentals of Korean politics. We are poised to charge ahead vigorously, sharing dreams and hopes with you.
Fellow Koreans!
Now, we need a political system whereby each and every member of this country easily participates in politics.
The whole world is connected through a single network. Advances in IT have ushered in the era of openness and communication. In this globalized world where all the information is made accessible, we can swim into a new sea of information each day.
South Korea boasts the world’s most advanced IT and infrastructure. We have set up the MPL to turn S. Korea into a strong nation by leveraging such a favorable environment in expediting political development.
Fellow Koreans!
With a heavy burden placed on our shoulders and a strong sense of vocation, we seek to tear down the walls that hinder communication in order to bring in politics of openness and communication led by the youth and our future generations. We are putting up a flag to breathe new revolutionary life into Korean politics by eradicating social evils running rampant all over the country
Once we have rooted out politics that disregard the needs of the public, politicking focused solely on pursuing party interests and politics festering with corruption and illegalities, Korean politics will be given a new lease on life.
To do so, we have to change personnel and institutions and inject innovation into our systems.
We have to restructure political parties and the National Assembly into low-cost, high-efficient structures in order to prevent politicians with an over-developed sense of entitlement from wasting our tax money. Furthermore, we have to make institutional changes to turn lawmakers’ full-time status into unpaid volunteers and fill the National Assembly with those who truly want to work hard simply out of a sense of duty for the county and the public.
Based on autonomy, creativity and innovation, we have pulled off the tough tasks of industrialization, democratization and informatization simultaneously, a feat that has been achieved by few. Drawing on such achievements, we have to break down our outmoded, abnormal political culture and replace politicians who think they are special and privileged with ones who respect the people and honor their wishes.
To join the developed country club for our future generations and imbue Koreans with a spirit of national pride in honor of Korea’s 5,000-years-old history, let’s keep our eyes wide open and become honorable witness to our times.
In our lives, we have to choose every moment. What we choose today will shape our future. Efforts to build a new South Korea should begin with selecting clean, transparent political parties and politicians of strict integrity who are competent and capable of setting out a vision.
If we voted for corrupt political parties and politicians once again, there would be no hope in our country. If politicians refused to accept new opinions for fear of losing their privileges, all our endeavors for industrialization, democratization and informatization would go down the drain.
South Korea’s strength in mobile Internet access is a gift from God. Spain and Italy have succeeded in forming cyber parties, which proved to save time and space and carry significant power. Waking up to this mission of our time, we will humbly accept the people’s will and strive to form a creative, future-oriented political environment.
By exploiting the power of mobile Internet access, we will destroy stereotypes and nurture the MPN into an arena for epoch-making revolutions. We will replace old politics that have been distrusted, ridiculed and criticized by the public with new politics that are respected and praised by the public. We will drive out unsound politics that undermine the people’s safety and happiness and join hands with the people to bring in politics of communication, mutual growth and governance.
Our goal is largely four-fold:
First, we aim to create a low-cost, highly efficient political climate through a mobile Internet-based political revolution.
Second, we aim to expand political participation by the public through mobile Internet access, listen carefully to what the people have to say and realize politics that truly serve the people.
Third, we will draw up policies based opinions collected from legitimate civic organizations and people from all walks of life and suggest right solutions to problems.
Fourth, by taking advantage of mobile Internet access’s convenience, diversity and interactiveness, we will spearhead a political revolution and a paradigm change.
Fellow Koreans, the MPN hopes that you will join us in making real changes.
The MPN will work hard nonstop for your dreams and hopes.
Thank you.
January 5, 2017
Initiators of the establishment of the Mobile Politics Network
