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Staff Reporters
President Lee Myung-bak is in a big trouble. But the bigger question for the 67-year-old head of state and for the nation is whether the self-described CEO of Korea Inc. can turn the crisis around and make a ``fresh start'' as he vowed Wednesday morning.
``I am determined to make a fresh start,'' Lee told small business representatives at Cheong Wa Dae, adding that he had mixed feelings while watching on television the massive candlelit protest against his decision to renew U.S. beef imports.
However eagerly the head of an administration that is less than four months in office wants to start anew, there is a near consensus among Lee's detractors and supporters that his top priority should be to listen to what is generally said to be wrong with his government.
Although the biggest act of civil disobedience in 20 years, culminating in the candlelit protest Tuesday night, was triggered by Lee's decision to open up markets to U.S. beef, it was preceded by a string of moves that alienated friends and strengthened foes.
On the political front, Lee is under the long shadow of his elder brother and six-term lawmaker, Rep. Lee Sang-deuk of the governing Grand National Party, who is accused of acting as a regent behind the scenes by having his proteges appointed to key posts in the chain of command and clouding the President's judgment.
This triggered a backlash among President Lee's inner-circle members. Lately Rep. Chung Do-un, a close aide to Lee since he was Seoul mayor, openly claimed that the elder Lee ``remote-controlled'' state affairs through his subordinates. Chung said one of those who serve as the elder Lee's subordinates was Park Young-joon, who was nicknamed the ``king of presidential secretaries.'' Park was later fired, but others still remain.
Another big problem that disillusioned the public were the people President Lee selected for the Cheong Wa Dae secretariat and the Cabinet.
Many of the appointees were wealthy and knew President Lee through attendance at the same church. In addition, the appointments of two ministers were withdrawn due to questions related to improper real estate dealings.
Seoul Shallow in Understanding Trade Deal
Then came Lee's decision to resume U.S. beef imports.
Korea made a major concession to provide unprecedented domestic market access to U.S. beef in April. The deal came during Lee's visit to Washington, raising suspicions that Korean negotiators went out of their way to accommodate U.S. demands in order to smooth the first meeting between Lee and President George W. Bush.
Protests started on a small scale first and then became bigger. The Lee administration defended the deal, ignoring the public demand for renegotiations. Then it peaked Tuesday night.
On that night, frustrated Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun made a surprise appearance in front of protestors in downtown Seoul to make an apology but was booed and jeered at by the crowd.
Amid constant demand for renegotiating the deal, Cheong Wa Dae now seems to have turned to a strategy of seeking to induce voluntary restrictions from both countries on trading beef from animals 30 months or older.
A local lawyer said the action was inappropriate for a government, saying it shows Seoul's shallow understanding of trade negotiations.
``The whole agreement is about enforcing statutory order here,'' said Song Ki-ho, a member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society. ``It doesn't make any sense at all for the government to depend on self-regulation.''
Surveys showed Lee's support rate plummeting to below 20 percent at the fastest ground-losing pace in the country's modern history.
The failure is in line with the government's bureaucratic approach to the issue, which failed to make the public listen to arguments on the safety of U.S. beef as well as Lee's apology later.
Before the beef talks began on April 11, the government maintained the standpoint it would not accept beef from cattle older than 30 months without stricter U.S. restrictions on animal feed.
The fruitless weeklong talks, however, reached an agreement suddenly, just 11 hours before Lee arrived at Camp David to meet with Bush. Details of the agreement showed huge concessions from South Korea's initial demands, practically allowing full access to the Korean market.
Washington made a notification of its revised animal feed policy that allowed that made from brain or spinal cord from cattle younger than 30 months old was allowed to be used. Seoul, not only mistranslated that part, but announced it had accomplished having U.S. policy ``intensified.''
Some earlier remarks from the President fueled public anger rather than cooled it down.
Soon after the agreement, Lee enraged the general public by saying, ``those who don't like U.S. beef simply won't eat it.''
Even in his televised speech on May 22, Lee said it was regrettable the government was unable to pool public views sufficiently before striking the deal, but did not admit any defects in the deal process, only mentioning that he was ``embarrassed to see the groundless fears of mad cow disease spreading.''
foolsdie@koreatimes.co.kr
hckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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