Tunisia looks to Korean democracy

Tunisia looks to Korean democracy

Ammar Amari By Philip Iglauer As a catalyst from where popular pro-democracy youth protests swept North Africa and the Middle East from December 2010 through 2011, Tunisia was at the epicenter of the Arab Spring. Events there began when 26-year old street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself afire in protest of the confiscation of his modest property and against the humiliation inflicted on him by a minor municipal bureaucrat. Bouazizi’s spontaneous act of defiance sparked the passions of ordinary Tunisians to join mass street demonstrations against social and political repression and for democracy. The protests ultimately toppled the decades-old autocratic regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14, 2011, after his more than 20-year abusive reign. Now, the fledgling democracy seeks lessons Korea gleaned from its successful democratization experience that had reached tipping point in the 1980s. The foreign ministers of Korea and Tunisia held talks Thursday to discuss ways Tunisia can learn from Korea’s democratization experience as the North African nation’s new democratic government charts a new course for the North African nation. During the talks held in Kim’s office, the South Korean foreign minister praised the transformative progress Tunisians have achieved since the Tunisian Revolution. Abdessalem thanked Korea for its support of the democratic ambitions of the Tunisian people. “We look forward to Korea sharing its experience in political fields as far as democratization is concerned, as well as in transparency and its legal framework,” said Tunisian Ambassador to Korea Abderrahmen Kraiem. Kim also conveyed Korea’s willingness to contribute to the process of democratization in Tunisia, said an official at Seoul's foreign ministry. South Korea has achieved robust democracy following several popular pro-democracy movements in the 1960s and 1980s. College students, intellectuals and union workers took to the street to fight against then the authoritarian government in the 1980s and this led to June 29 declaration, a milestone event in the nation’s democracy movement, in 1987. Tunisia spark a wave of protest over political corruption, unemployment, food inflation, freedom of speech and other political freedoms in the largest unrest in over 30 years. The protests inspired similar protests throughout the Arab World, sparking an Egyptian popular uprising in which longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak was ousted, in Libya where a destructive civil war broke out, the Yemeni revolution, in which longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to resign and further demonstrations in Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain. In Syria, autocratic scion, President Bashar al-Assad, remains beseiged by more than a year of political unrest, civil war and international condemnation. International assistance could make the difference for successful democratic transition to the North African nation. Abdessalem is on a tour of Asia to build technical and financial support for the new democratic government in Tunisia. He arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a three-day visit, and was in Beijing April 16-18 for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jie-chi. Tunisia received a grant in 2011 from Korean International Cooperation Agency on a $6 million-dollar online management system for procurement markets and a feasibility study for a techno park. KOICA has pledged financial assistance this year an additional $5 million. Abdessalem plans to also meet Education Minister Lee Ju-ho and Park Dae-won, head of the Korea International Cooperation Agency and visited Daedeok Innopolis, the nation’s most important hi-tech research and development center, in Daejeon, South Chungcheong Province.