What Is the Dignity of a Wonderful Republic of Korea? [Lee Geun-myeon's Dream of Dignity] (February 2, 2026)

(This is a column by Lee Geun-myeon, Senior Advisor to the Pension Future Forum.)

The Republic of Korea is no longer a poor country.

Per capita national income has surpassed 30,000 dollars, and the country has entered the ranks of the world's top ten economies by size. Key industries, from semiconductors and shipbuilding to batteries and defense, have secured world-leading competitiveness.

Politically, too, Korea ended military dictatorship and has resolved multiple peaceful transfers of power and even impeachments within the framework of its institutions. Looking only at the numbers and the track record, the Republic of Korea is clearly a successful country.

And yet, it is strange. The image of Korea as seen by the international community remains unstable.

Modifiers such as 'an unstable advanced country,' 'a noisy democracy,' and 'an unpredictable country' continue to follow it.

We have clearly grown prosperous, so why has respect failed to follow in equal measure? This question is not a matter of sentiment, but a structural question that determines whether the Republic of Korea can move on to its next stage.

(Excerpt omitted)

In this way, authority has grown, but responsibility has scattered into thin air.

Today, the Republic of Korea is a country 'that has power,' but it is hard to call it a state 'that takes responsibility.'

The problem is that this structure comes back as a direct cost to the lives of the people.

When politics fails to reach agreement, the budget is delayed, policy drifts, and businesses postpone investment. When the administration fails to make decisions, civil complaints pile up and social conflicts go straight to the courts.

The more the judiciary becomes the final arbiter of politics, the more state affairs are placed in a state of potential crisis that could come to a halt at any time.

All of these costs ultimately culminate in a loss of the people's time, opportunities, and trust.

(Excerpt omitted)

Now, we must no longer ask only, "How much more will we grow?"

Instead, we must ask, "How will we protect this achievement?" and "What kind of country will we hand down to the next generation?"

Dignity is not created by declaration. It is a habit of the state, formed day after day through the accumulation of political language, administrative judgment, market order, and civic attitude.

This article is not a single conclusion but a starting point.

The dignity of politics, the dignity of administration, the dignity of the market and labor, the dignity of education, welfare, and housing, and even the dignity of citizens.

What must be fixed for the Republic of Korea to move beyond being 'a prosperous country' and become 'a respected country,' and where we must begin redesigning from — these are things we need to examine in turn.

https://n.news.naver.com/article/421/0008747032?lfrom=kakao