Gyeongsang breeds presidents

7 of 11 heads of state have been born there

President-elect Park Geun-hye

In politics here, where you’re from is something that matters especially for wannabe presidents.

They would need to bear this in mind when building their credentials because the vast majority of Korean presidents were born in the nation’s southeastern region of Gyeongsang.

Since the late former President Park Chung-hee, seven out of eight Korean presidents, including President-elect Park Geun-hye, have been Gyeongsang-born.

Four of them _ two Parks, Roh Tae-woo and incumbent President Lee Myung-bak _ are from the North Gyeongsang Province. President-elect Park, 60, was born in the city of Daegu.

Former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Kim Young-sam and Roh Moo-hyun were from South Gyeongsang Province. President Kim Dae-jung was a native of South Jeolla Province, making him the only exception.

Lee Chul-soon, a professor of political science at Pusan National University, observed that the local population’s centuries-long hunger for power and ambitions to have access to power through education could be underlying causes of the overrepresentation of Gyeongsang-born presidents.

“People from the region have long been dying for political power for several centuries since the Joseon era because they had been under-represented in the bureaucracy,” he said.

“I remember Cho Gab-je, a conservative commentator, claimed earlier that President Park’s rise to power through the May 16 military coup in 1961 broke that pattern as he became the first Gyeongsang-born leader after Joseon. Since the Park government, people from Gyeongsang have come to be overrepresented in the nation’s top job.”

The late President Park, the father of President-elect Park Geun-hye, was born in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1917.

Compared with people from other regions, Lee noted, locals there have demonstrated the unrivaled drive for success in the political circle and they have regarded education as a means to achieve their goals.

“We have a prestigious high school, namely Kyeongbuk High School based in Daegu. In the past, the vast majority of high performing students there went to Seoul National University College of Law because the legal profession background would help them get a National Assembly post after retirement,” he said.

“Smart local students’ single-minded pursuit of a law degree stood in stark contrast with that of the graduates of Kyeonggi High School, once the nation’s most competitive until the late 1970s, as some of its honor students opted for other degrees, such as arts or music or business administration.”

The political scientist said the geographical characteristics of the region, especially the northern part, can give clues as to why Gyeongsang-born people are overrepresented in presidency.

“In the past, people in North Gyeongsang Province were small farmers who made ends meet by raising and harvesting crops on their land. There were few business opportunities. I think these characteristics prompted them to conclude that education was the only way their children could be successful.”

Most populated region

The Gyeongsang region, combined with Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, is the nation’s most populated area. Nearly 20 million people reside there.

Noh Dong-il, a political science professor of Kyungpook National University based in Daegu, said the large population and sweeping support in favor of candidates representing the region probably formed structural causes that resulted in the overrepresentation.

“People here tend to be more cohesive and united in elections than those outside the region because of a popular belief that a vote for home-town politicians is a vote for the local economy,” he said.

Noh also pointed out that locals’ responsiveness to political issues is another reason that can explain why they dominated presidency.

“History tells us that people in the Gyeongsang region were more active in responding to calls for sacrifice from the nation. One of the prime examples was that the nationwide campaign to repay money borrowed from Japan in 1907 began here in Daegu when the nation was under the influence of the neighboring government,” the political scientist said.

Since a group of local intellectuals took the initiative of the campaign to prevent the nation from relying on Japan, donations came from people from all walks of life and soon it became a national campaign.

Professor Noh noted locals were also active in political movements after the nation gained independence from Japan in 1945. “After the liberation, Daegu was home to leftist movements before the Korean War.”

Path to leadership

After graduating from the university, aspirants from Gyeongsang joined the government after passing the state exam to select officials, or the judiciary department or became practicing lawyers through the state bar exam.

Hahm Sung-deuk, a professor of public administration of Korea University in Seoul, said Cabinet ministers with a geographical background from Gyeongsang have taken the lion’s share of ministry posts from the Chun Doo-hwan government to the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

More than three out of every 10 Cabinet ministers who have served in public office during the period were from the region, followed by those from Seoul and its surrounding area combined (20.83 percent) and those from the Jeolla provinces (19.5 percent).

“Bureaucratic experience seems especially important when the president selects Cabinet ministers,” the political scientist said.

Overrepresentation of Gyeongsang-borns is also found in the prosecution and other powerful government bodies, such as Cheong Wa Dae. In 2003, an investigation team of local daily Munhwa Ilbo found that 41 percent of high-ranking officials in Cheong Wa Dae, the National Tax Service, the prosecution and the National Police Agency were from the region.

After having a successful career in government or the judiciary or the prosecution, those with stellar resumes tend to seek jobs in the legislature as lawmakers as the last post in their careers.

People with strong educational and career backgrounds and networks with politicians tend to easily pass the party’s selection of candidates to run for National Assembly seats.

Approximately 35 percent of candidates running in the April 11 Assembly elections this year on the ruling Saenuri Party ticket were former government officials, judges, prosecutors or lawyers.

Out of 152 sitting Saenuri Party lawmakers, those with the geographical background of Gyeongsang account for 40 percent (61 lawmakers).

Overrepresentation of Gyeongsang locals in the party would make it easier for them to take leadership posts, such as chairperson or a presidential candidate, because these posts are filled through competition.

Those who earn the most votes from delegates win the leadership race.

Party insiders say lawmakers select delegates, indicating that they can make their voice heard in the selection for leadership posts or even presidential candidate.

Party leaders or presidential candidates cannot win the competition without the full support or endorsement from the Gyeongsang elite.

This paved the way for the belief that if you were from the region, your geographical background would be an asset that can help you make your dream come true. If your origin of birth was somewhere else, you will probably need to make an extra effort to make up for your “disadvantage.” <The Korea Times/Kang Hyun-kyung>