On December 3, 2024, then-President Yoon Suk-yeol declares martial law at the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Presidential Office

Some politicians from the People Power Party are recently raising their voices, stating that they need to attract centrist voters for next year's local elections. By using the term "centrist voters," they mislead public opinion into believing that our society is divided into left and right. There are no citizens who would follow the path advocated by the left, which is aligned with ancestral worship and pro-North Korea sentiment. After experiencing the Korean War and witnessing the horrific reality of North Korea, how can there be any leftists among our people? The reason they are called "centrists" is simply that they do not express their political views externally for various reasons.

Simply breaking with former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the People Power Party apologizing for President Yoon's declaration of martial law will not win over centrist voters. Instead, it will only make centrist voters, who actually represent the unaligned or unaffiliated, anxious and force them into silence. The silence of the centrists will result in a situation where the left can freely operate in our society. The method to attract centrist voters is surprisingly simple: continuously criticize the erosion of the economic foundation due to the populist policies of the left-wing government and consistently present long-term vision-oriented livelihood policies. Specifically, propose measures to revitalize businesses and increase job opportunities for young people. Young people today are angered by the bleak future that left-wing policies might bring.

To apologize is tantamount to acknowledging that the declaration of martial law was an act of rebellion. However, it has not yet been legally determined whether the declaration of martial law constitutes rebellion. Rebellion itself is not included in the grounds for impeachment by the Constitutional Court. If an apology is to be made, it is not too late to do so after a legal judgment on the existence of rebellion has been made. Despite this, why are such claims being made, and why is the media so enthusiastically reporting on these politicians' statements? I believe it is a manipulation of public opinion to label the declaration of martial law as rebellion, a strategy to divide the opposition parties, and an incitement to the public. Unaware of this, these politicians mistakenly believe that media exposure is self-promotion and do not stop.

We are currently in a system war. In war, any action that benefits the enemy is an act of treason. Even if they have their own convictions to break with President Yoon and consider the declaration of martial law as rebellion, internal infighting should not occur in a system war like this. Even if their views differ from the party leadership, the right path is to follow the leadership with the determination that unity is strength.

Perhaps they are trying to secure their positions by flattering the ruling party, assuming that the opposition will lose the next local elections. How grand their positions must be, it's utterly laughable. Haven't the old saying, "Even flowers that bloom for ten days must fade," taught us anything? Power is the same. It's "power that lasts ten years." While ten years was a long time for people in the past, such an expression was used, but now ten years is a short period. If rebellion is acquitted and martial law is justified, they will not only be pointed at by the world for a long time but will also have to live as traitors to history.

If elections are conducted fairly and justly, our citizens will never choose a left-wing leader. They will never agree to abandon the South Korea-US alliance and form a pro-Confucian and pro-North Korean alliance. Ask the citizens, the voters, right now! Would you agree to weaken the South Korea-US alliance while strengthening a pro-Confucian and pro-North Korean alliance? Do you want the withdrawal of US forces in Korea? These are rhetorical questions.

Therefore, instead of attempting to sow internal division with inappropriate remarks at this time, the immature politicians of the opposition party should go all out to establish an electoral system that allows for the election of political leaders who represent the free will of the people. For a fair and just electoral system, the abolition of early voting and the implementation of on-site counting on election day at polling stations are essential. From the perspective of someone who has experienced being a polling observer, the early voting system and the transportation of ballot boxes to the counting stations are significantly more cost-effective than the current electoral system in terms of time, cost, and management. Beyond cost-effectiveness, it is a transparent electoral system without a shadow of doubt. No one will raise suspicions about the results, which will greatly contribute to national unity.

However, it is utterly incomprehensible why both ruling and opposition parties are unwilling to achieve this. If we are to understand it, is it because they know they cannot win without fraudulent elections? Are they afraid of being labeled conspiracy theorists and losing elections if they advocate for electoral system reform, only for the system to remain unchanged? Regardless, while intellectuals and even ordinary citizens alike are appealing for such fair and just elections, both the ruling and opposition parties remain unmoved.

There is ample time to reform the electoral system before next year's local elections. It is simply a matter of returning to the electoral system prior to 2013 and implementing on-site voting only. If there are concerns about voter turnout, the voting hours can be extended, and voters can be given lottery prizes as an incentive. The only addition required is on-site counting immediately after voting. Therefore, both ruling and opposition parties, as well as political leaders, should follow the absolute will of the people and confidently present the on-site voting and counting system to the public. What are you hesitating for, out of fear? It's unlikely, but could it be fear of retaliation from China, which has been suspected of being behind past fraudulent elections? Do not hesitate, do not be afraid. You have the voters by your side, and the citizens who love Korea are with you.

Song Jun-ho, former Dean of Graduate School, Anyang University