Park must restart with humble, honest self-reflection
Nearly two weeks after the sinking of the ferry Sewol, President Park Geun-hye apologized for the tragic accident and her administration's poor response to it.
''How should I apologize for the failure to prevent the accident and for the insufficient response to comfort the pain and suffering of victims and their relatives," Park said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. "I am sorry to the people and feel heavy-hearted for the loss of so many lives."
Park should have made the apology far earlier, and from her heart, not pushed by unfavorable public opinions.
Popular sentiment about the president was not bad when Park rushed to the scene right after the accident, and promised the government would do its best to rescue as many passengers as possible. As it became painfully clear her words could not become reality, however, the chief executive blamed many in and outside the government ― but not herself.
Koreans saw their leader as incompetent, irresponsible and less than sympathetic. President Park has expressed ''regrets" for her and her government's failure three times since she took office about 15 months ago ― for bungled personnel appointments, her spokesman's sexual harassment and state spies' election-meddling ― but not directly to the people, but in indirect ways like remarks in meetings with her aides.
In other words, Park has behaved like a queen who not just reigns but rules while taking little responsibility. That must change. In a presidential system of government, the chief executive should take ultimate responsibility for protecting people's safety and lives.
The ongoing catastrophe may go on record as the nation's worst disaster, not because of the scale of casualties but because there have been so many tragic, deplorable elements related to it: the world's 15th-largest economy, which fancies itself as one of the world's key players, failed to save more than 300 passengers, most of them teenagers, from a sinking ferry because of grown-ups' incompetence, inexperience, insensitivity, corruption and cowardice.
Sinking below the sea along with the ferry was the bad ship named Republic of Korea and its entire establishment. Some psychologists say it will take decades for Koreans to move past the posttraumatic stress disorder caused by the Sewol tragedy.
Park pledged to dissolve accumulated evils in the safety administration, and set up a Cabinet agency exclusively responsible for disaster control. Unfortunately, few Koreans show much interest in her proposed solution, knowing too well nothing will really change unless the entire officialdom changes, starting with the president ― who used to call only for economic growth, even at the expense of safety- and environment-related regulations. A recent survey showed 85 percent of Koreans think there could be another disaster like the ongoing one. Up to 70 percent said they don't trust even what major media outlets say about this accident, which mainly reflects government's positions.
This is not just the crisis of an administration, but of the entire system and the nation. Nothing less than an overhaul ― the president's own thinking, her government and the entire bureaucracy ― can put popular trust back in them. The remaining three years and 10 months is too long a time for Park to remain a premature lame duck.
Nearly two weeks after the sinking of the ferry Sewol, President Park Geun-hye apologized for the tragic accident and her administration's poor response to it.
''How should I apologize for the failure to prevent the accident and for the insufficient response to comfort the pain and suffering of victims and their relatives," Park said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. "I am sorry to the people and feel heavy-hearted for the loss of so many lives."
Park should have made the apology far earlier, and from her heart, not pushed by unfavorable public opinions.
Popular sentiment about the president was not bad when Park rushed to the scene right after the accident, and promised the government would do its best to rescue as many passengers as possible. As it became painfully clear her words could not become reality, however, the chief executive blamed many in and outside the government ― but not herself.
Koreans saw their leader as incompetent, irresponsible and less than sympathetic. President Park has expressed ''regrets" for her and her government's failure three times since she took office about 15 months ago ― for bungled personnel appointments, her spokesman's sexual harassment and state spies' election-meddling ― but not directly to the people, but in indirect ways like remarks in meetings with her aides.
In other words, Park has behaved like a queen who not just reigns but rules while taking little responsibility. That must change. In a presidential system of government, the chief executive should take ultimate responsibility for protecting people's safety and lives.
The ongoing catastrophe may go on record as the nation's worst disaster, not because of the scale of casualties but because there have been so many tragic, deplorable elements related to it: the world's 15th-largest economy, which fancies itself as one of the world's key players, failed to save more than 300 passengers, most of them teenagers, from a sinking ferry because of grown-ups' incompetence, inexperience, insensitivity, corruption and cowardice.
Sinking below the sea along with the ferry was the bad ship named Republic of Korea and its entire establishment. Some psychologists say it will take decades for Koreans to move past the posttraumatic stress disorder caused by the Sewol tragedy.
Park pledged to dissolve accumulated evils in the safety administration, and set up a Cabinet agency exclusively responsible for disaster control. Unfortunately, few Koreans show much interest in her proposed solution, knowing too well nothing will really change unless the entire officialdom changes, starting with the president ― who used to call only for economic growth, even at the expense of safety- and environment-related regulations. A recent survey showed 85 percent of Koreans think there could be another disaster like the ongoing one. Up to 70 percent said they don't trust even what major media outlets say about this accident, which mainly reflects government's positions.
This is not just the crisis of an administration, but of the entire system and the nation. Nothing less than an overhaul ― the president's own thinking, her government and the entire bureaucracy ― can put popular trust back in them. The remaining three years and 10 months is too long a time for Park to remain a premature lame duck.
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