At 3:00pm last on December 17 when the presidential race was drawing to a close, I went to see Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun's street campaign in front of the Lotte Department Store in Nowon-gu, Seoul. The crowd which was only 100, 30 minutes before the rally, increased to 1,000 when candidate Roh arrived.

I was swept amidst the crowd and ended up sitting five meters across from Roh and there were 1,000 people behind me. Around candidate Roh stood young politicians such as Assembly members Joo Mi-ae and Im Jong-seok, Kim Haeng, spokeswoman for the National Alliance 21, and actor Moon Sung-keun. They gave support speeches targeting the young audience of workers, housewives in their 30s and middle and high school students. Roh conscious of the older generation not liking this young atmosphere suddenly said, "There are those who are worn out among the young and treasure among the aged; age isn't everything."

Campaign targeting those in their 20s and 30s continued on the Internet. A dialogue was posted in a comic strip titled "Get off your Backside," on Roh Moo-hyun's official website during the presidential campaign period noted, "We are different from the older generation!" "As young as we are our brains function better and we know more information!" "The older generation don't know these things and with our weapons such as the Internet we can change the world." (Looking at a grandfather and a housewife) "How can you change the world when you are slow?" This contained a good deal of confrontational elements between generations.

However this type of campaign strategy from the Roh’s campaign force proved effective. He became the owner of Cheong Wa Dae and the media called this election a "generation revolution." Experts say that this is the first presidential election where a generation made a president.

A few days after the election, I met a professor of journalism near work drinking beer dejectedly. "How can people in their 50s live in the future? Please don't forget that the night candidate Roh was elected, your father's generation cried while you were celebrating. There were mothers who didn't sleep for two nights because they were worried about nation," he said.

Isn't our society giving too much of the spotlight to the younger generation? The 11,443,297 votes that candidate Lee got from those in their 50s and above is as important as Roh's 12,014,277 votes. The Republic of Korea is society where diverse generations live together.

Professor Kim Ho-ki of Yonsei University called this election a "generation war" and said the emotional cry for change worked, however he pointed out that a generation decided the outcome of a presidential election could be reason for concern.

A generation leap is a stimulus for social development, however, there can be incredible side effects in a society where the younger preach to the older. Some banking institutions have experienced failure when they hired young branch managers. In a series titled "People who Live to be a 100" the Chosun Ilbo carried not long ago, 100- year-old citizens said that they are getting along with friends in their 70s and 80s. The older generation needs to understand the younger generation.

When reporting on the issue of Korea's "386 Generation," or people in their 30s, educated in the 80s and born in the 60s, back in 1999, one person answered "never" to the question of whether he would be involved in politics. However he is currently a politician. There are quite a few "generation 386" politicians being criticized, but it is not age that is the issue. President-elect Roh must come out with policies considering the "old treasures" rather than the "young worn-outs."

(Chosun Ilbo Culture Desk Assistant Editor) December 26, 2002