Life in the suburbs of San Francisco is monotonous and serene. When the sun is out, I pick up my tennis racket, and occasionally, I take a leisurely stroll around the golf course. It feels like a reward for the fierce, relentless life I lived back in Korea. Here, I’ve developed the retiree’s virtue of detachment, brushing off most news with a shrug and a murmur of, “Well, that’s just how the world goes.” I thought it best not to swing between joy and sorrow over news crossing the Pacific, trusting instead in the resilience of the younger generation and the Korean people.
However, over the past year, the news from my homeland has shattered this tranquility.
Korea has always been a dynamic society, but the current situation is more stimulating than any soap opera or thriller novel. It is a narrative so chaotic that a single book couldn’t contain the sheer number of “villains” appearing one after another. Just when one antagonist seems to disappear, a new, more powerful, and bizarre lead villain takes the baton before we can even sigh in relief.
The decisive blow came on December 3rd, 2024. There was no foreign invasion, no risk of state subversion, yet the President declared martial law. The scenes of soldiers smashing through windows to storm the National Assembly felt like a frame from a surreal noir film, something impossible to believe in 21st-century Korea. It was the moment the pride built on the “Miracle on the Han River” and “K-Culture” came crashing down. It revealed the naked face of a nation hiding behind the facade of an advanced country—a face where power precedes justice, and the sophistry of legal technicians rules. Watching the prosecution, the courts, and even scholars abandon their shame to play in their own exclusive leagues, I felt a deep sense of self-reproach beyond mere embarrassment.
And yet, something strange happened. At the very moment I thought we had hit rock bottom, a sprout of hope appeared from an unexpected place. The reason we cannot view this breathless turmoil merely as entertainment or gossip lies here: President Lee Jae-myung represents a disruption in the way work is done—a method never before experienced in Korean politics.
Watching the recent state administration, two words come to mind: “Transparency” and “Speed.” Most astonishing is the live broadcasting not only of cabinet meetings but also of operational reports from major state agencies. Shattering the old ways where power operated in shadowy backrooms, this administration has adopted a “Town Hall Meeting” style of governance, sharing every process with the public. This is not just a change in format; it is a signal of a massive structural shift.
In these scenes, I harbor a hope that a new “Great Fortune” is entering Korea. This transparent system is changing the very air of the civil service. It invites us to imagine a government where complacent high-ranking dignitaries fade away, replaced by true “workers” armed with a sense of duty and pride. The tension of being watched by the public, combined with the efficacy of knowing one’s work directly impacts national development, is awakening the dormant patriotism and capability of bureaucrats.
Of course, we cannot be certain how long this change will last or if they will see it through to the end. But one thing is clear: we are witnessing the explosive potential Korea possesses when a leader sets the proper stage and draws out the nation’s potential.
This shift in reality fuels a daydream for a retiree like me. What if we were to overlay the “spirit” of our history’s greatest figures onto this transparent, dynamic system? I call it the “Republic of Korea History Avengers” Cabinet.
First, the face of the nation, the President, must be King Sejong the Great. His spirit of loving the people as if they were heaven, his constant communication, and the innovative leadership that created Hangul are the only keys to integrating our currently divided national opinion.
For the Prime Minister to oversee state affairs, I would summon Dasam Jeong Yak-yong. He is the master of administration who reformed old systems with a pragmatic spirit and meticulously cared for the people’s livelihood.
Anxious about national defense? If Admiral Yi Sun-sin stands as the Minister of National Defense, the people could sleep soundly.
Collapsed judicial justice would be rectified by Baekbeom Kim Gu as Minister of Justice, Dosan Ahn Chang-ho as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Ahn Jung-geun as the President of the Constitutional Court. If the unyielding spirit that refuses to compromise with injustice, combined with a philosophy emphasizing “the power of high culture,” becomes the foundation of law enforcement, the law will no longer be a weapon for the strong but a shield for the weak.
For the economy, I would appoint Kim Man-deok (a female CEO from the Joseon Dynasty known for charity) as the Minister of Economy and Finance to practice sharing and coexistence. For diplomacy, Yun Bong-gil, with his explosive resolve, would become the Minister of Foreign Affairs to represent national interests. The Ministry of Education would be led by the poet Yun Dong-ju, teaching reflection instead of competition with his pure soul, and the Ministry of Science and ICT would be led by Jang Yeong-sil, the genius who transcended class barriers.
This may be the useless fantasy of an old man in San Francisco. However, this imagination resonates because our reality is desperately starving for “true adults” and “true leaders.”
There is a saying that the dead save the living. I want to break through this stifling reality, even if I have to borrow the spirits of our ancestors. That is the heart of every ordinary person worrying about the future of our children. Although the world is full of novel-like villains, I look forward to Korea once again because of the power of its people and the wisdom of its history, which are stronger than any villain.
The Republic of Korea “Dream Team” Cabinet: The Avengers
- President: King Sejong the Great
- Symbolizes the love for the people, endless communication, and the innovative leadership of creating Hangul. The icon of integration we need most right now.
- Prime Minister: Jeong Yak-yong (Dasan)
- A master of administration armed with the spirit of Silhak (Practical Learning). There is no one more suitable to reform systems and care for the people’s livelihood.
- Minister of National Defense: Admiral Yi Sun-sin
- Needs no explanation. The epitome of crisis management and dedication. The only figure who can provide complete peace of mind as the nation’s shield.
- Minister of Justice: Kim Gu (Baekbeom)
- If the man who loved “the power of high culture,” human dignity, and peace sets the standard for the rule of law, the law will serve the people, not power.
- Minister of Economy and Finance: Kim Man-deok
- The female CEO of Jeju who gave her entire fortune to save starving people. She would realize a “warm economy that saves people,” not just a game of numbers.
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: Yun Bong-gil (Maeheon)
- Short but intense resolve. The right person for dignified diplomacy, announcing Korea’s will for independence to the international community.
- Minister of Education: Yun Dong-ju (Poet)
- A pure soul who knew shame. We dream of an education that teaches reflection rather than competition, and wisdom rather than mere knowledge.
- President of the Constitutional Court: Ahn Jung-geun / Chief Justice: Ahn Chang-ho
- They would rebuild the collapsed trust in the judiciary with unyielding spirit against injustice and honest integrity.
The Extended Avengers:
- Audit and Inspection: Shin Chae-ho (Strict critical spirit to establish discipline)
- Science & Tech: Jang Yeong-sil (Radical innovation transcending status)
- Culture, Sports & Tourism: Shin Saimdang (Dignity encompassing art and education)
- Interior & Safety: Jang Bogo (Global sense and organizational management)
- Health & Welfare: Heo Jun (Benevolence soothing the people’s pain)
- Environment: Ji Seok-yeong (Wisdom looking ahead to the future)