Signs of Spring?

The drive to win constitutional change and open the way to greater democratization in South Korea may--just may--be making some progress. In a meeting with opposition party leaders this week President Chun Doo Hwan indicated that he won’t stand in the way of revising the law to allow direct popular voting for president in 1988, if that’s what the National Assembly wants. This is a concession, though hardly a conclusive one. Chun’s party dominates the Assembly. By taking only a neutral stance on constitutional revision Chun has stopped well short of endorsing change.

The regime has clearly been disturbed by the weekly demonstrations that have been held in South Korea over the last few months in behalf of direct popular voting for president. Its initial impulse was to ban the rallies as a threat to law and order. Under American pressure it has allowed them to go ahead, though it continues to forbid Korea’s best known dissident, Kim Dae Jung, from actively participating in them.

Of late, the demonstrations have been winding up with violent confrontations between students and police. On college campuses as well anti-government rallies have become increasingly militant and more outspokenly anti-American. That disturbs the government, both because it sees its authority threatened and because of its constant worry that disorders invite exploitation by Communist agents from the north. It also disturbs the more mature political opposition, which is concerned that its peaceful protests could be swamped by an official and even popular backlash against student violence.

Chun’s gesture toward his opponents comes with an eye on the calendar. In September Seoul will host the Asian Games, and in 1988 the summer Olympics. Both events will draw major international attention to South Korea. Chun wants that attention to be favorable and to take proper note of the enormous economic advances his country has made.

His opponents are insisting that Korea’s progress is incomplete without an accompanying expansion of political freedoms. Until now, Chun has indicated that greater liberalization couldn’t even be considered until after the 1988 presidential election. Now he hints that the timetable could be moved up. It should be. The question for Koreans is whether prosperity and national security can be maintained without authoritarianism. They deserve the chance to answer for themselves.