Part I of the Special Series for Global Power and Leadership: a collaboration between WGI.WORLD (World Geostrategic Insights) and CGPS (Center for Global Peace and Security).
By Sunny Lee – Founder and President at CGPS (Center for Global Peace and Security), and Director at IKUPD (Institute for Korea-U.S. Political Development), Washington DC
There are formally 195 countries on the globe recognized by the UN in 2024. The member states of the UN comprise 193 sovereign states and 2 non-member observer states among a total of 248 countries. 195 countries with political substantiality follow up the UN’s goals to maintain international peace and prosperity, which leverage reciprocal cooperation to solve economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian challenges.
From a top major country to a tiny country, the global society shares the same goal to advance together.
Nonetheless, the international society has been motivated by each country’s national interests that hegemony struggles would be permanent as an intrinsic element of a sovereign country. An enemy can be switched over to an ally in a second or an ally willingly turns around as an enemy at any time. Every country belongs to this category which propels its national adventures. Such a peculiar mainstream has been explored by two major political ideologies while dividing the world in a drastic venture: democratism vs communism.
Since World War II, the Cold War has deteriorated ideological confrontation between the democratic world and communist bloc. However, the serial collapse of communist countries around the 1990s resulted in the victory of democratic ideology and values. As a leading country in communism, the Soviet Union was automatically dismantled and moreover, China willingly abandoned communist government system by reforming and opening its markets. At that moment, communism would be absolutely defeated and on the contrary, democratic values were considered for the perfect government system to lead the global society.
Ironically, such an overwhelming prediction has been revealed as a hilarious fantasy in a decade. Even though Russia and China discarded the typical communist system, dictatorship pushed up revival as a major power in nonstop speed. At this point, a political leader’s role is very crucial to decide a country’s destiny as a non-fungible token.
For example, Dèng Xiaoping announced economic reform in 1978 and brought out miracles as a top second country challenging the U.S. in the world economy as beginning the 21st century. Ronald Reagan was also a political hero in world history with remarkable achievements. He signed the INF treaty in 1987 which accelerated the end of the Cold War and stimulated reunification of Germany as encouraging democratic vision and its prospective future. As well, he constructed the solid cornerstone of the U.S. as the only superpower through successful economic policy while kicking out the Soviet Union.
National power surely comes from political leadership that a leader can leverage or dilapidated national competitiveness. In addition, successful global leadership guarantees the shortest way toward a great power. If all the political leaders in the world recognize such a prominent role and obligation, global peace and prosperity will subsequently follow up.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic values have been proved as the superior political ideology as it pursues general human dignity and communal happiness through equal rights. Such a successful achievement has been enhanced by prominent political leaders as the core part of democratic leadership. They propel the positive direction of world history by managing crises and giving the right answer in the era of chaos. World War II was the critical case to experience how political leadership impacts on saving the world so that democracy could be enhanced.
Eisenhower was a military as well as political hero who relieved the world from the massacre tragedy of World War II. He was a Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and General of the U.S. Army. His absolute military leadership resulted in winning the war through the consequential military campaigns: Operation Torch, the Invasion of Normandy, and Sicilia Landing Operation.
Churchill also showed remarkable leadership for world peace, who led a victory of the democratic world. He fought to protect democracy against Hitler’s Fascism in World War II and Stalin’s communism in the Cold War. If Eisenhower was an American hero, Churchill was the most respectable democratic leader in the 20th century. Eisenhower and Churchill protected the democratic world and succeeded in achieving historical advancement.
On the contrary, Hitler provoked World War II with massacre hallucination to clean up Jews and pushed his country into horrible war crimes and misery – If he had survived without committing suicide, he would have been assassinated just like Mussolini, whom enraged civilians severely damaged by mocking his fallacious fascism. As the worst leaders who provoked World War II, Hitler and Mussolini’s miserable final shows how malicious leadership went through their country like hell. Paradoxically, they resuscitated heroes to save the world and proved how prominent leadership with democratic power finally won the war.
Communist Dictatorship
Even today, almost half of the globe belongs to communist territory. Although there are only three major countries such as Russia, China and North Korea, their formidable power stands over global society, including with the threat of nuclear weapons.
It is the most cynical event in human ideologies because communism originally initiated to foster human dignity and construct utopia for laborers. As a result, bourgeoisies of the upper class were brutally demolished and deprived of their social position as well as possessions. Nonetheless, the social revolution ultimately failed because of a serious economic crisis.
What is the main reason to bring such a pervert dictator who even killed thousands of his own people like Stalin? The answer is very simple that the Soviet Union pursued its communist expansion through dictatorship. Communist leaders usually concentrated on reinforcing their dictatorship rather than laborers’ wealth or human rights. Government existed not for peoples but for dictators, which frantically trampled freedom and human dignity with their barbarous feet.
As a successor to Stalin, who killed millions of people to strengthen his communist dictatorship, Putin has also conducted war crimes in Ukraine. He also oppresses people who oppose such a reckless and inhumane attack and employs deceptive nationalism as a tool to extend his dictatorship. He does not care about the pitiful pain or brutal death of Ukrainians and continuously sends reluctant soldiers to kill countless innocent people in Ukraine. Russian soldiers are largely killed in desolate battlefields as well. Putin will definitely lose the war and his political leadership will end. Although he has succeeded in his fifth presidential term and Russia’s economic recovery is proceeding apace despite international sanctions, these may be symptoms of a temporary bubble. His dictatorship will be destroyed if he continues the war in the long run.
Xi Jinping started the 3rd term in 2022 after reforming constitutional law, which has strengthened the lifetime communist dictatorship. He often emphasizes his domestic and international leadership through the “Chinese Dream” and “One Road, One Belt.” However, Covid-19 has tarnished his leadership by highlighting a serious national crisis.
Population reduction, youth unemployment rate, housing market collapse, increasing local debit, and foreign investment’s departure repeatedly agitate China’s economic position. Moreover, U.S President Biden has suffocated China with variable trade regulations related to the semiconductor industry and ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is revealing as a failed project.
Xi Jinping announced in the 2024 new year speech that China may attack Taiwan if necessary to unify, but this scenario comes from a coarse policy to evade the crisis of leadership and to remove Chinese people’s complaints. China’s economy already broke its bubbles, unable to recover and Xi Jinping’s dictatorship may be dismissed sooner or later.
Kim Jong-il has been the worst dictator compared to Putin and Xi Jinping, a troublesome leader who has deteriorated regional security with nuclear weapons. His dictatorship based on persecution leads the North Korean people to an inhumane and miserable life. Even though around 3 million people in North Korea starved to death in the 1990s, Kim Jong-il developed nuclear weapons to strengthen his dictatorship.
His son Kim Jong Un also frequently launches missiles and conducts nuclear tests despite international economic sanctions and United Nations resolutions. North Korean human rights will be increasingly endangered if Kim Jong Un maintains the communist system of government and strengthens his dictatorship. The UN 2023 report by FAO and WFP shows that North Korea is suffering the worst level of food consumption as a result of a prolonged economic crisis, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3 million people could die without food and then, the rest of the angry people will overthrow Kim Jung Un’s regime to wipe out his dictatorship.
Political Leadership and Global Power
The world becomes extremely enthralled when BTS and BlackPink strike people’s hearts. Beyond K-cultural shock, Korea’s potential in variable fields suddenly flourished to lead the global society. There was a Korean president, Moon Jaein who succeeded in countering Covid-19 and such a prominent political leader leveraged Korea as a new global power.
K-pop (Korean popular music), shortly turned around as a worldwide syndrome and furthermore, Korea’s economy in the 10th and military capacity in the 5th beat up the top rank. Korea entered the level of the developed country as UNCTAD unanimously passed the agreement in 2021. Moon Jaein opened 2021 P4G in Seoul and welcomed to participate in G7, willing to extend G8 to include Korea. By his miraculous achievement, Korea was recognized as a major power that many countries take a democratic role model and worldwide people want to visit and experience.
Moon Jaein ranked the 7th among 199 countries as the most handsome and attractive political leader by Hottest Heads of State right after inauguration in 2017. One year later, Time magazine listed him in the 100 most influential people and moreover, he ranked the 4th among the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine. His remarkable leadership was proved through the reconciled relationship between South and North Korea as well as South-North Korea-the U.S. Summits. He decorated the cover page of Time magazine in 2021 as a key player for North Korea’s denuclearization for global security.
Angela Merkel, the 34th Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 is the top first political leader at the present time and is often described as the leader of the free world. Forbes selected her as the most influential woman in the world from 2006 to 2015 except 2010. She was also selected as ‘Time Person of the Year 2015’ calling her ‘Chancellor of the Free World.’ The New York Times commented on her as the last trusted political leader in the world in 2016.
Angela Merkel dominated not only the political landscape of Germany but also overall Europe, who was evaluated as the most successful leader by overcoming Europe’s economic crisis. She was a pragmatic, visionary and articulate leader and steered the affairs of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) for two decades. Due to contributions largely devoted to her country and Europe, Angela Merkel was frequently regarded as one of the most powerful and respectable leaders in the world.
Her exceptional leadership to manage the economic crisis saved not only Germany but also Europe in the time of world economic recession initiated from the U.S. in 2008. In addition, she explored her political leadership to resolve refugees’ dilemmas from Syria in 2010 and Covid-19 in 2020. Her prominent leadership hit the top first as a worldwide leader when she relieved the Eurozone crisis started from Greece’s default declaration in 2015. Merkel immediately overwhelmed Eurozone countries to conduct strong economic reform and austerity policy so that such a desperate crisis could be overcome.
Most of the countries in the world have strived to become a democratic country. But such a long way always requires bloody sacrifice and dreadful horror by dictators’ oppression. Nonetheless, people never give up democratic protest because there is a political leader as their hero. Aung San Suu Kyi is a role model fighting for democracy and leading democratic revolution in non-democratized countries, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She is a Burmese politician, diplomat, and author who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2021. She passionately played a vital role in Myanmar‘s transition from military dictatorship to democracy in 2010s, who continues to represent national vision and people’s hope toward a democratic country.
Myanmar has been governed by a military dictatorship from 1962-2011, resulting in an economic crisis as the worst poverty country. In 1988, democratic protests exploded and Suu Kyi’s NLD won 392 out of 492 seats in 1990. However, the military government detained her for house arrest for around 20 years. Nonetheless, her unformidable stance against military dictatorship turned her into a symbol of nonviolent struggle for democracy and her party won a landslide victory, taking 86% of the seats in the 2015 election.
After serving the role of supreme minister for 5 years, Suu Kyi’s party overwhelmingly won the 2020 Myanmar general election but she was arrested by a military coup d’état in 2021 which crucially sparked protests across the country. Her final sentence was 33 years in prison and 78 years old Suu Kyi was moved to house arrest as a health measure in 2024.
The UN, European countries, and the U.S. have severely condemned the arrests, trials, and sentences and willing to relieve her. The world also respects and admires her brave ventures with excellent democratic achievement. Suu Kyi’s arrest initiated a civil war which will continue until Myanma becomes a democratic country toward global power. Even though Suu Kyi dies, she will lead her country’s people as a permanent democratic hero like her father Aung San.
New Vision of Global Leadership
Prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew from 1959 to 1990 was often called as Asia’s Churchill. Henry Kissinger admired him as if he was born in a Western country, he might be a superior leader better than Churchill. After retiring, he continued to serve as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor until 2011, thus becoming called as Singapore’s Great Father.
Lee Kwan Yew suggests four inevitable principles of leadership to determine a country’s destiny: first-excellent capability to conduct country’s affairs, second-management ability related to national crisis, third-potential to show people country’s vision, and fourth-Kharisma that people can trust and respect. If a leader has all these qualifications, he will be the greatest leader going through history. Lee Kwan Yew already proved such a prominent leadership that even a tiny country in Asia could be turned into an advanced economic country on the democratic background. Singapore’s GDP per capita was $517 in 1965 but $91,100 in 2024, ranked 5th higher than the U.S. by IMF’s standard. As well, Moody’s national credit rating shows Singapore as the highest quality with Aaa, which becomes a financial hub in Asia by kicking out Hong Kong and attracting international investors. Without Lee Kwan Yew’s great leadership for 31 years, all these miracles wouldn’t happen at all.
Covid-19 certainly changed the political leadership map as international society struggled through national crises.
For example, Boris Johnson showed the worst leadership to push the UK into a serious crisis. During the pandemic, he was often criticized because of lack of crisis management and even ashamed of variable dirty scandals. He eventually resigned in disgrace in 2022, as much as his impotent leadership was denounced.
Total infected patients in the UK were over 19 million people among 68 million population and 162,000 people died of Covid-19. Compared to other countries with much larger populations, this number is top first in the world as the worst public health failure and the worst economic damage in England’s history. Initially, Boris Johnson failed to counter Covid-19 and it brought serial Delta transit as the first country of Omicron pandemic in 2021.
On the contrary, Moon Jaein in Korea showed successful leadership to counter Covid-19. Without shutting down, Korea went through Covid-19 which sent extra masks overseas and shared health manuals to defeat viruses with other countries. In addition, Korea’s exports continually renewed the top record of around $700 billion with 6.1% increase in 2021 and leveled up to the 8th in world trade ranking in 2022.
The new vision of leadership counts on not only domestic political leadership but also global leadership to overcome worldwide crises. Angela Merkel relieved not only Germany but also Europe and her excellent leadership turned to the best model in the world as a global leader. There are countless dilemmas and crises in global society to go through together such as food shortage, climate change, economic recession, nuclear war, and so on.
Therefore, global leaders should recognize first how such communal crises impact on general human life and explore prominent leadership to remove all the obstacles against global peace and prosperity. Perhaps, while beating up the U.S.-China trade war that Trump initiated, the superhero with global leadership might come up in excitement sooner or later.
Sunny Lee – Founder and President at CGPS (Center for Global Peace and Security), and Director at IKUPD (Institute for Korea-U.S. Political Development), Washington DC. Sunny Lee is the author of 115 academic books in politics (original English and in German, French, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese). She is a bestseller writer not only in politics but also in literature on Amazon. Her recent book is titled: “The Influence on Humankind’s Peace through Korean Reunification: Creating new paradigm in social science by interdisciplinary research.”
(The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).