South Korea has a vision for the future. Where is New Zealand's? | Stuff.co.nz

South Korea has a vision for the future. Where is New Zealand's? | Stuff.co.nz

South Korea has a vision for the future. Where is New Zealand's?

Simon Draper

05:00, Jun 06 2022

41

Modern-day Seoul is very different to the 1990s, when it was still relatively poor, polluted and noisy. (File photo)  

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Modern-day Seoul is very different to the 1990s, when it was still relatively poor, polluted and noisy. (File photo)

Simon Draper is the executive director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono.

OPINION: I have just come back from my first visit to Asia in more than two years. I’m humbled and I’m jealous, that most futile of emotions.

To explain, let me take you back 30 years, to the beginning of my diplomatic career.

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In 1992, a memo circulated in our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about a new language training position in Korea. My innocent “Oh, where is Korea?” was taken as an expression of interest. Six weeks later, I found myself in a language school in the South Korean capital for the next two years, followed by two years spent on beef access negotiations.

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It was a hard experience. Korea had been a recipient of New Zealand’s official development assistance until 1978. In the 1990s, it was still relatively poor, polluted and noisy. If I wanted to eat something other than Korean food, there was only one other option: Indian food.

South Koreans were caught up in “pali-pali” – meaning “quickly, quickly”. Everything had to be fast; there was simply no time to waste. As a result, buildings collapsed, bridges broke and driving was an adventure, with several hundred new drivers getting their first ever driving licence every day.

Between extreme weather, the stultifying pollution and neglected state of the environment, Seoul made many foreigners want to leave not long after they arrived. Myself included, but I stayed. I saw it as a life experience; plus, I had a job.

Simon Draper: “Having shaken off its past, including a long history of brutal colonisation, Korea is looking forward with ambition and optimism.”

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Simon Draper: “Having shaken off its past, including a long history of brutal colonisation, Korea is looking forward with ambition and optimism.”

Last week, I was back in Seoul, and can only say I am humbled by what South Korea has achieved in those 30 years. Food? Choose from hundreds of diverse restaurants. Transport? So many public options I couldn’t try them all. The kilometres of bike paths looked inviting. The city was orderly and so clean it was almost glistening.

What is abundantly clear is that having shaken off its past, including a long history of brutal colonisation, Korea is looking forward with ambition and optimism. The future of how we live will be decided in cities like Seoul. Thanks to excellent planning, it is one of the most modern, safe, clean and pleasant cities to live in. It definitely wasn’t 30 years ago.

Of course, it’s not perfect. South Korea acknowledges there is more do in areas like climate change, gender equality and income inequality – but given the many other challenges they have overcome (no natural resources at all and a belligerent neighbour, to name but two), you’d have to bet they will.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has a clear plan for his country’s future. (File photo) 

CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGES

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has a clear plan for his country’s future. (File photo)

I was struck by what new president Yoon Suk-yeol, a political novice, said in his inauguration speech: “Rapid growth will open up new opportunities. It will improve social mobility, thereby helping us get rid of the fundamental obstacles that are aggravating social divide and conflicts.

“It is imperative for us to make that big leap. It is critical that we achieve rapid growth and this will only be possible through science, technology and innovation. Science, technology and innovation – they will protect our democracy, expand freedom and our inalienable rights to let our people enjoy a sustainable life of dignity.”

Reflecting on New Zealand’s own Budget, and other recent political speeches, it occurred to me I don’t really hear these types of speeches in New Zealand any more.

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New Zealand Budgets now seem to me to be essentially, ‘We have a pretty small tax-funded pie of money, which we the Government will grow/shrink by borrowing/cutting. Sorry, it’s not as much as we would like. Next year, maybe.’

So, the pie essentially gets sliced into thinner and thinner pieces.

In South Korea, I’ve observed, the main Government question is more like: ‘How do we make this tax pie bigger and grow the economy, because that will fix the other problems?’

The South Korean Government has plans, industrial plans, that it usually executes working closely together with business. (Now, if your first reaction to that was “Oh no, not Think Big”, then you are old. It’s not that.) As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

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So, what is New Zealand’s plan?

In 30 years, what industries do we want to excel in? How will we get there? What population size do we want? Where will those people live? What is our ambition or vision as a country?

Having and understanding this vision is a critical part of achieving sustainable growth and transformation. And if we do have one, how will we do it?

People shopping at Seoul’s Namdaemun street market at night. (File photo) 

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People shopping at Seoul’s Namdaemun street market at night. (File photo)

As I said, I was jealous and humbled when I returned to Seoul. Jealous that they had achieved so much to make their lives better and lifted millions into a prosperous middle class, while enhancing their environment, democracy and human rights. Their lives were visibly much better and richer than 30 years ago, and that was going to continue.

Back home, I feel that 30 years on we’ve been pretty static, unless your business is selling houses to each other in Auckland.

When I asked a handful of Korean media and artists what came into their mind when I said New Zealand, the only answer I got was “Lord of the Rings” – which is now 20 years old.

We used to say we were a lucky country here in New Zealand. Well, if you were born 30 years ago you would have been luckier to be born in Seoul than Auckland.

That’s humbling.

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South Korea, Singapore, Japan,Hongkong, China all have great government plans be it economic, education, healthcare, etc. They have efficient public servants and dont waste public funds ,unlike the $50 million wasted on Auckland's cancelled Harbor Bridge Cycleway project, or flag referendum or planting of 1 billion trees that went nowhere. It took 10 years plus for a decision tp be made on how to rebuild Christchurch Cathedral. This will never happen there. Also, their workers are extremely hardworking. A 10 hour work day is common. It is considered shamefull to be on welfare. Watch out for Vietnam, rising fast. Soon it will overtake NZ.

Totally agree with this opinion piece : we had 9 years of underinvestment, high dollar ( forcing manufacturing to move to China, Cambodia or Vietnam) ,low taxes ( trickle down economy proven not to work ) education cuts. Now when the government goes to USA meeting with high tech businesses, with Blackrocks representatives ( biggest investments funds in the world) due to Jacinda reputation, signs deals with California (5th biggest economy in the world ), puts out a progressive budget , oposition supported by all media attacks it with misinformations! Promising to go back to good old days of tax cuts for tge highest earners and cuts on everything else ! And you ask why our kids leave as they did during 9 years before!

South Koreans take pride in their nation. We on the other hand seem more divided than ever, with a democracy that leaves you feeling its an illusion of choice. Maybe we could start by being more self sufficient, with less money going off shore. It will take years to change the current situation and a government that puts its people first.

Thirty years ago we had a plan: it was to turn this country into a low wage economy.

And, my goodness, haven't we succeeded!

Productivity is low because who's going to work hard for a pittance?

But the fat cats at the top are doing OK so why should they change?

sadly too much fairy dust in the air here

blinding our vision

It seems like the people of Korea are focused on moving forward.

In NZ we have far too many who will not embrace change in case there is no immediate benefits for them.

They do not wish to look over the horizon.

You just need to look at the number of things such as 3 waters, tax reform, healthy home standards, health reforms, climate change and so on.

What do we get, instant screaming of opposition and talk of repealing legislation before it has even got to select committee.

There is a pervading philosophy of, if its not my idea it's no good so I won't even consider it.

Health and 3 waters are classic, everyone says the system is broken but nobody actually wants to try to fix it because they may not directly benefit.

Great article. This really tells the difference between a society dominated by the culture of me first, greed and an obsession with building and protecting private wealth no matter what the impact is on others, ecology or the common good and a country that has a collective vision based on we first and national pride.

The problem is not so much about political party's, but about every one of us becoming decent , tolerant and generous person who is not obsessed on what he or she might lose, or miss out on individually but how we can celebrate and incorporate our diversity to benefit and grow collectively to build our common wealth.

Year:2000

Population: 3.858 million

Year: 2008

Population: 4.260 million

Increase: 402 thousand migrants

Year: 2017

Population: 4.814 million

Increase: 554 thousand migrants

Year: 2020

Population: 5,002,100 million

Increase: 188 thousand

I say we have reached our limit. Bearing in mind that we still have the parents, siblings and everyone else that can join their newly minted NZ residency. Pension, free health & education. Welfare safety net.

Our businesses want more people, which equates to, more people to rip off.

South Korea has 10 times our population, and only a third of our land area. Meaning there's a lot more money and far less cost to run the country.

And who really wants that overcrowding.

Sounds like another petty excuse to me. New Zealand is so good at that. The problem is that since the 1980s, 90s revolutions we adopted rampant mono cultural individualism as a way forward. We have forgotten how to work together. The ability to listen and respect each other and work for the collective good is essential to having a goal for the future. At the moment whenever anybody suggests a goal worthy of genuine consideration, the "me first lobby", terrified about what they may lose or miss out on, come out baying for blood and tear it down. So, we endlessly trudge down the monotonous road to feudalism amid its own toxic squalor.

We always use the same excuse, we have repeated it so many times to cover so many situations most people believe it. Once you believe you cannot achieve, then you are lost. We need to stop making excuses for why and start believing we can.

So are you suggesting that we have too few people.

So you must then support the policies of the last 30 years trying to grow the population.

I agree with you that successive governments have failed to make your plan stick.

They also have to fund a huge military. NZ effectively has little military at all.

You missed the part about South Korea having no natural resources didn’t you? No hydro, no export agriculture, no tourism (relatively speaking).

Yet they have a higher average wage than NZ.

Well written and thought-provoking. Indeed, what is our plan? Beyond the same old stuff being peddled by our leaders, and those who want to be our leaders, there's not a lot I'd call aspirational. As I've said before, we need to reframe what makes a good leader and to that end, set the bar higher surrounding the selection process. Of course, before we decide what makes a good leader, we need to have some idea about what we want our world to look like first. This is where articles like this by Simon Draper can help us to appreciate the possibilities, not that success is necessarily measured by wealth and prosperity alone

NZ plan. One cottage, next to a 6 storey building, next to a villa, next to a 6 storey building. Instead of turning Dominion rd, Parnell rd and Ponsonby rd into High rise residential towers with shops, cafes and restaurants in the ground floor, We are turning Orakei, Mission Bay and St Helliers into Soviet era residential slums... These are our town planners' skills.

I thought the article was about New Zealand.

It’s not the town planners, it’s the property owner’s vested interest that have put up road blocks, hence we get these awkward solutions.

We need an ambitious vision and a plan to get there. Sadly with the combined powers of the three year electoral cycle and 24 hour news cycle, all our governments worry about is making us happy enough to re-elect them. The result is middling at best. So why the rest of the world advances, we sit back and watch and milk our cows and live in our overinflated and rundown housing.

Yup, sadly the goals that any government have all are geared towards getting the most votes at next election.

In 30 years, what industries do we want to excel in? How will we get there? What population size do we want?

To maintain a better quality of life, no more than the present 5.2 million people.

Rapid population growth has destroyed this country in the name of GDP

No, the lack of a coherent plan.

Look at our tax system. An analysis of our tax system tells the full storey. Increasing taxes without incentivising society through direct tax benefits if they achieve the set objectives.

Example: ETS. The only advantage is avoidance of this tax.

Install solar panels, use less power and improve resilience…..

Great individual initiative, but guess what government does…. make those who use less grid power pay more per unit.

We need a plan.

Great article. I agree science and technology and sensible, balanced population planning is the way forwards. (not massive numbers of people that the infrastructure cannot cope with).

All the NZ political parties do indeed lack a useful overall plan. The problem is Muldoons Think Big projects gave government involvement in the economy and "planning" a bad name. Muldoon tried to do too much, requiring massive government borrowing way beyond anything in recent years, and were a mixture of good and bad ideas. It gave government planning and involvement in the economy a bad name on both the left and right of politics. This is unfortunate, because small countries do need some sort of plan, and some government involvement in the economy, especially with big infrastructure and helping businesses get started.

I remember travelling to South Korea in 2005. Even then, Seoul made Auckland look like a sheep station.

In 2005 we were 4 million people, the whole country was a sheep station. And looking around the world at the massive overpopulation, that's not a bad thing.

South Korea is incredibly focused on the sustainability of it's growth. It has it's own Green New Deal. It has had a huge focus on trying to improve the quality of it's air pollution and water quality technology over the last decade. It has been second only to the US in patents for water improvement technology, according to one source. Its environmental focus has been needed but its scope and drive from 2010 to the present has far exceeded New Zealand's.

not much point in conjuring up a new Samsung smart phone and there are more than enough car companies plus this is a nation that in 2022 still thinks women should stay home cook clean and look after the children.

So true. And the saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" describes the state of current New Zealand politics aptly.

We need a clear vision of where we want to be in 5, 10, and 30 years and a development plan to get there. Unfortunately all we get at present are short term 'band-aid' fixes without any attempt to think about long term solutions or ask the key question - "What is our ambition or vision as a country?"

I came back to New Zealand last October after living overseas since 1988 (a little over 30 years). The New Zealand I came back to seemed less safe, more fractured and much more unsure of itself position in the world. Government and local bodies have also managed to enact an insane amount of petty regulations, stifling entrepreneurship and innovation.

At this rate, in another 30 years New Zealand may end up being a recipient of Korean official development assistance!

Milk powder and meat sells, so why make any progress? Same as the Arabian deserts. Rich in oil ,but pretty much nothing else. Necessity is the mother of all inventions. We should and must look outside agriculture and put more into research and development in other fields.

so true

so sad

so typical for our current leaders

so sad

so true

I thought Kiwi's do it better than the rest though?

Just another myth like clean green, egalitarian society, non racist society, equal opportunity and so on.

Unfortunately over the last 30 years NZ has suffered through successive governments driven by political short termism. So there has been no real transformational aspirations offered up. Just boring, middle of the road, don't rock the boat politics. Because all the politicians care about is getting reelected so they won't offer up anything that may spook voters. They're all the same. They spin and lie and flip flop. Whatever it takes to get into power and stay there.

30 or 40 years ago NZ was 2nd from the top of the most successful OECD countries. Today, we're way down the list.

Isn't that the fault of us voters?

We have the ability to pick & choose what policies we like. This vote will result in who runs our govt.

If say Luxon wanted mandatory Te Reo in schools - many voters in their party would not want that. So will Luxon put that out as a policy?

If say Ardern wanted a CGT - many voters do not want that. Ardern has now ruled that out whilst PM. Did the PM gain or lose votes as a result?

The Labour govt have implemented plenty of policy that may lose them votes. Not mine or many others I know but will lose some.

The trouble with us voters, is we need to give the policies time to kick in, so we can see what the results are.

In 2008 I voted for the nats, on the back of a JK speech & policies & again in 2011. 2014, totally disillusioned. They have lost my vote since mostly on character basis, I find them traitorous for the majority.

I really enjoyed this article and it raises some interesting and thought provoking points.

It's not until someone points it out that in NZ, vision for the future is lacking.

Of course, Korean made electronics are legendary... Samsung as a brand is recognised globally. Unfortunately, NZ does not have a comparable industry.

Oh sure we've got kiwifruit and NZ lamb neither of which will make us heaps of cash. Our dairy products are good but largely for local consumption.

Comparing NZ to South Korea is the difference between reactive vs proactive. What NZ needs is a product or industry that the world can't get enough of. China has manufacturing, the US has Silicon Valley etc etc.

Our dairy is largely for local consumption? Really, none of what we are good at producing is aimed at local production.

We do need a plan. And the plans that are presented are regressive, especially democratically.

We need a plan that will allow all businesses to thrive without polluting the environment. Thriving businesses generate wealth. Growing earnings increases tax revenue that will allow us to create better public services and that is a plan.

Picking winners is for stock market analysis and speculators. Governments that spend public resources to identify and support winners are wasting public resources.

and we continue to live on promises, announcements. more promises, more announcements...

all delivered with a smile here or abroad

hiding the ever growing problems in the country once proudly known as New Zealand

a country in which greed is the main growth factor, it seems

and a country in which ageism is growing

a country in urgent need of professional leadership

NZ should excel in the peacemaking arena. Only 82 years, which is only one lifetime in reality, yes one short lifetime, since WW2 killed 65 million. Peacemaking is the most needed international skill required. Well I ask you look at Ukraine, Syria, does the human race ever learn. All very well planning a nation's jubilant future when wars just don't seem to stop at all and modern weapons can ruin us all. Effective peacemaking is what NZ needs the most.

sadly we even have forgotten our Pacific neighbours