In the past, we thought that, when democratic government replaces authoritarian regime in Korea, we would be able to have more comfortable and affluent society than in the past, thus throw the tough memory of the military regime into oblivion of by-gone days.
 
 However, on the contrary to this expectation, we hear often these days voices of discontent and sigh such as "we were better off in the days of military governments", "slump in businesses drives me crazy". What on earth does this change mean? What difference between military governments and civil governments make our livelihood more difficult since civilian leaders took power?
 
 Where do the present difficulties of the country originate from? Since the early 1990s, this country has had civilian presidents who have struggled for democratization of Korea. They came to power with brilliant slogans such as "Building-up of Right History", "The Second Foundation of the Nation" and "Building-up of the Nation as a center of the North-Eastern Asia Era".
 
 Lives of Korean people, however, got even more scanty and tougher. This is because these leaders consider their own glory first rather than to strive for the real welfare of people which sometimes calls for accepting risk of condemnation. These civil leaders, all alike, had vain desire to let their names be remembered as great leaders of democratization and reform, and made this country a test target of reform. As a consequence, the number of low-income people who commit suicide from economic distress is increasing.
 
 The figure who is most respected presently by peoples all over the world may be Jesus Christ. Taking into account both Catholics and Protestants, more than two billion people believe and confess Jesus Christ as their messiah. Jesus lived short life of 33 years and from the secular viewpoint he didn't have glorious birth and death. He was born at a manger in a small town named Bethlehem and died miserably on a cross between two burglars.
 
 But the fact that made the life of Jesus great was that he lived his life only for the glory of Father God, not for his own glory. This is very meaningful story. When he has 40 days' of fast in the wilderness, a devil came to him and said, "if you bow to me, I will give you whole this world". Jesus replied, "Worship only your God" and rejected devil's seduction. Even to the last moment on the cross, Jesus was seduced to reveal his own glory by spectators. "You said you would save the world, but you can't save even yourself. Come down from the cross, then I will believe you". If he were common man, he would come down from the cross, to the surprise of spectators and prove himself as "Son of God" and make them believe him again. But Jesus Christ chose receiving willingly the hardship on cross to complete his task of Redemption. The spirit of humbleness and obedience of Jesus Christ to sacrifice his glory brought about the prosperity of Christianity. The most common seduction which man receive in this world is to "reveal only his own glory".
 
 The reason why I took the life of Jesus as an example is to explain the mentality of champions for democracy or reformative presidents since the democratization of this country. More precisely, President Kim, Young-sam (YS), President Kim, Dae-jung (DJ), and President Roh, Mu-hyun (Roh) shut their ears toward the real welfare of people and pay attention only to reveal their own glory. The legendary king, Yoh in the ancient Yoh-Sun era of China once visited secretly to a town of ordinary people and asked a farmer what he thought about the king. Then he replied as follows; "I cultivate my own rice paddy and I am full as well as well. What on earth does that have anything to do with the king?" The king Yoh at first felt somewhat disappointing but soon changed his mind. He thought he did right in his governing the country.
 
 When a leader do well in governing and administering his country and people are well off, people usually believe that they got rich because they are frugal and hard-working thus reluctant to say they are benefitted from the president's good job. So most civil leaders until now believed that they have to do something great and enormous which amaze the heaven and move the earth then get their image as a great leader be remembered in the eternal history of the nation. But such a mentality of civil leaders, in turn, made the livelihood of people more difficult.
 
 Suppose any one asks to them, which you prefer of the two alternatives ; one is "great people under the leadership of plain leader, but people are well-off", the other is "plain people under the leadership of great leader, but people are in poverty", they may choose the latter one.
 
 Civil leaders of Korea all alike wanted their images remain as great leaders and on the other hand their politics concentrated on only "revolutionary change" show-off which dazzles people. This led to business slump and declining growth energy of economy.
 
 YS was known to have focused on "surprise show" and his series of excessive reform measures caused the country to be under the economic trusteeship by IMF. Homeless people wandered around streets without shelters, many young women were forced to prostitution and children forlorn by parents cried over hunger in empty homes. What a misery did he bring about to this nation?
 
 DJ who is boastful of his intelligence played a sun-shine policy (appeasement policy to North Korea) show toward North Korea and poured a great deal of money into North and as an outcome won Nobel Peace Prize. But people in this country suffered as four million people fell to the status of credit defaulters.
 
 Though Roh has been repeatedly urged to focus on economy and people's living, he disregarded all these requests and squeeze his brain to reform show which draws popularity all of sudden, sectarian behavior which calls for "come together who are on our side" and decisive political tactics.
 
 His brain is full of dirty desire how he can be recorded as "a great fighter for victory", "a leader who sacrifice himself for justice" and never try to enhance the living standard of people, some of who commit suicide from economic hardship.
 
 He was elected as a president by the slogan of "President for low-income people", he has no interest in whether 30 people or 100 people die a day from distress of life. Being compared with these fake civil leaders who concentrated only on revealing their own glory, President Park, Chung-hee (Park) was really a sincere leader who struggled to reveal the glory of the nation rather than his own.
 
 Park might have known that he could get immense popularity if he had governed the nation with abundant repertoires of "democracy, reform, clearance of the past history", "eradication of past evils", and "punishment of irregular wealthy people". From the viewpoint of populism, the remarks by him "let's tighten our belt and work hard" may have been foolish and most unpopular policy. This is even more true considering the contemporary political situation. Even today, many people are moved by the simple words "equality, human rights, environment, reform, etc." it was even more true at that time. Owing to economic growth under Park's leadership, most people drive their own cars and are freed from hand to mouth poor situation. Moreover, Korea has leading corporations in the fields of automobile, semiconductors, ship building, cellular phones and IT sector, thus can-do spirit has widely spread among Koreans.
 
 I dare compare Park with Jesus Christ even with the risk of being criticized by young readers of this essay as a Park, Chung-hee fanatic. But you should admit what is true. Park said as follows ; "My revolution was economic reform. Human being should eat and breathe first and then he can pay attention to politics, social and cultural problems. For this, I willingly offer myself to the altar of my fatherland". Park had a boundless repertoires if he wished he would be remembered as a democratic leader. The time was era of ideology and we didn't have any firm belief that if we work hard, we can be rich. When Park proceeded with economic growth, normalization of Korea-Japan relations, sending troops to Vietnam, and construction of expressways, the nation and opposition parties opposed persistently and severely. When construction of the Seoul-Pusan Expressway was underway, an opposition leader said, "This project is for rich people to easily drive to picnic places" and insisted he would lie down on expressway construction site. However, Park chose the unpopular policy of economic growth.
 
 In case men get rich, they tend to attribute their success to their ability. But when political leaders do something gorgeous and magnificent, people are easily moved and go fanatic. To shame on us. people's level at that time was as such. Political leaders, however often urged to pay attention on economic matters, are concentrating on political events such as clearance of the past history, and survey on pro-Japan activities during Japanese colonial rule. This is because mentality of most politicians pursue political success and popularity. Considering all these, it is enormous miracle that Park shouted a slogan unpopular and remotely felt at the time, "Let's get rich" in the era of ideology, 40 years ago. His courage and insight as shown in the process of economic development of Korea can hardly be seen one person out of one hundred political leaders, more accurately, one among ten thousand politicians.
 
 Park arrested economic tycoons in his initial stage of his power but released them immediately out of belief that their cooperation is essential for economic growth. Though he was criticized for politics-economy collusion by scholars and college professors, his foresight as above was a main driving force which enabled high degree of economic growth. Behind Park's determination to proceed with economic growth without interruption, there was a memory of starvation in his childhood, and pragmatistic education of Japan can not be underestimated. Military culture which pursues substance over formality also played a major role in the process of economic development.
 
 The spirit of pursuing real effect which is summarized in slogans such as "increasing production, exports and nation build-up", "rich nation and strong military forces" enabled this nation to achieve continued and stable economic growth. However, transferring into civil governments, they put the whole stake in political events including reform and past history clearance which draw people's attention and pursued "revolutionary change" show, thus making economy more difficult. Under these circumstances, which entrepreneurs can carry out investments?
 
 In conclusion, considering early 1960s situation which covers ideology-oriented era, economic condition without any capital and technology, widely spread sentiments of Korean politicians who regard their own popularity most important, it is an enormous miracle that Park drew up economy first policy and led the nation to the economic prosperity. At present, we are now enjoying the fruits of the economic growth under the invincible spirit of Park.
 
 Lastly, if we hear remarks of a female ex-PR secretary of Blue House (Presidential Office), we come to know her words are revealing common sentiments of Korean political leaders. "The president is forward in 21st century and people still remain in the era of dictatorship". If this is Roh's way of thinking, I believe that he'd better consult with a neuro-psychiatrist. The ordinary people are straight forward and they say they are hungry if they are hungry. Do her remarks mean that even though people are hungry, they have to obey to president like obey to great enlightening absolute monarch as in Chosun dynasty. Does it mean that you'd better not obstruct sacred will of president by silly and trivial thing such as eating and surviving.
 
 Even though common people become fools and starving, should the president be remembered as a great leader in the history? If parents really love their children, they would rejoice when they hear their children are smarter than they are. However, leaders who attach great importance on their glory, they want to hear they are great leaders, even though people are downgraded as fools. Such leaders get enraged when they hear that they are unwise and morons.
 
 Here is the reason why I regard Park as a great leader. Park strived earnestly for welfare and wealth of Korean people even though he would be remembered as a dictator in the coming generation. He loved his people from his heart. I urge the readers to appreciate his saying. "Spit on my tomb".
 
 

Kim Won-yool Andrew The writer is now a member of editing committee of Aware, internet journal of Catholic lay faithfuls. Mr. Kim graduated from Business Administration College of Korea University and received MBA degree at Georgia Tech. Atlanta. He worked for Korea Development Bank and Korea Ratings Corporation.