PARK Jong Dae: Ugandans need to forge solutions to their problems

What can Ugandans learn from the work ethic of South Koreans?

The realities of the current South Korea are different from the realities of Uganda now. People are more individualistic rather than communal in Uganda. Such an attitude slows development.  During the time South Korea was in a state worse than what Uganda is facing today, people were encouraged to be united against the one enemy which was poverty. It is at this point that the government formed SaemaulUndong programme which translated means ‘New village movement.’ This stood for the values of Diligence, Self Help, and Cooperation. This is the work ethic that got South Korea out of poverty.

Ugandans, also need to own their problem and together forge a collective solution out of it. It doesn’t help being lazy when a nation is faced with a poverty problem. The president of Uganda did well to talk off people who wake up early in the morning and engage in gambling and drinking. Such take the country back. What moved South Korea from a third world country in the 1970s was its countrymen jumping on the bandwagon to work hard in a collective manner for the betterment of the whole nation.

But, I think it is not that a particular policy will bring about development as various scholars each have different policies they believe can foster development. It is the right mindset of the people that turns tables.

On the part of the leadership, I think Uganda needs to cut some of the red tape. It is absurd that most developmental activities like building roads can only be done by government. If the people have to depend on the government for everything then there is a problem. South Korea back in the day left development in the hands of the motivated Koreans who had a positive attitude toward development. People are more individualistic rather than communal here and such an attitude slows development.

What is your view on how different world leaders are reacting to the leadership in North Korea?

North Korea has taken the wrong ideology to be self-reliant from the world. This regime is a three generation regime which is a sign of serious dictatorship and brain washing of North Korean people. To the extent that family members cannot trust each other, one family member can report another if they said anything negative about the regime. This is the primary problem with North Korea. So North Korea cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons. It is true that other countries have nuclear weapons but North Korea cannot be trusted. So I am in support of the stand of most world leaders in discouraging North Korea to test their nuclear weaponry. We cannot ignore the threat North Korea poses to us and the whole world. They are doing all this almost at the border just 40 miles away from South Korea.  It is a threat that cannot be ignored.

How would you wish to see world leaders’ deal with the North Korean situation?

They should send a strong message that it is not business as usual. This is a global threat and everyone needs to be involved. They should enforce major economic sanctions on North Korea. Maybe if the North Korean leaders see their people make long lines to buy gasoline then they will wake up. Something serious needs to be done against them.

Would you say South Korean currently feels threatened by the actions of the leadership in the North?

We are used to the situation of North Korea for decades. Despite this, no country will allow North Korea to launch as they plan to. We are not really threatened because we have what it takes to stop them, but why wait until something worse escalates? The after effects and consequences will not favour the leadership of North Korea.

SK, a major South Korean company had expressed interest in developing Uganda’s refinery. Why exactly did the company pull out?

SK previously pulled out because Rostec the Russian company was the leading bidder, though on the other hand, SK construction failed to secure funding from the parent company; SK energy. It is a conglomerate. They had suffered big losses in the past and so the parent company couldn’t give funding for any work which was not in their favour.

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