Reformers in Brown

In Seoul last week, the latest fashion was a drab corduroy suit, and the new word was austerity. Corduroy-clad legislators abandoned their official cars, tramped to work on foot, carrying their lunch in paper bags. Despite the cold, they wore no overcoats. All were exponents of South Korea's "Fresh Tide" society, dedicated to austerity and reform.

In the heady days after President Syngman Rhee's regime was overthrown, hopes had been high that stability and prosperity lay just ahead under the Democratic Party leadership of Dr. John Chang. But reform-minded young Koreans were soon disillusioned. Inheriting a virtually empty treasury, Chang has barely been able to avert his country's economic collapse. Production is lagging badly, and unemployment is growing. Official corruption seems as rampant as ever; influence peddling by officials on behalf of their rich friends is hardly concealed. In the National Assembly, high-living Deputies stalled off wage increases for civil servants, but did not hesitate to vote themselves a handsome pay boost (to $700 monthly).

Cue Takers. Three weeks ago, a group of young opposition delegates decided something had to be done. They formed the "Fresh Tide" society, declaring a crusade to save the nation from corruption, indolence and luxury. Besides adopting cheap corduroy suits as a uniform and renouncing the use of official cars, they foreswore geisha houses and expensive restaurants, costly imported coffee and cigarettes.

Soon, 18 other members of parliament as well as prominent members of the government had joined the movement; President Posun Yun loyally donned corduroy, and Foreign Minister Chyung Yil Hyung posted a notice on the bulletin board offering to pay half the cost of a corduroy suit for any of his employees who cared to make the switch; taking a cue from the boss, 80% did.

Purifying Daddy. Fired with the Fresh Tide spirit, even Premier Chang took to eating at his desk, handed down an order that government officials bar visitors from their offices in the mornings so they could get their paper work done. For good measure, he directed Cabinet ministers to fire all officials who maintain concubines. "How," asked Chang righteously, "can we entrust people with national affairs when they are not good husbands and fathers at home?"

By last week tens of thousands more had joined the morality binge. "New Life" clubs sprang up in the universities. Not to be outdone by the opposition's Fresh Tide, young pro-government Deputies organized a "New Wind" group with emphasis on spiritual values. So far, no one could point to any concrete results from all the frenetic reforming, but the price of corduroy suits had risen from $11.50 to $15.40 in the clothing stores.

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