Laid to Rest
Late Leader's Democratic Ideals Should Be Kept Alive
Deceased former President Roh Moo-hyun was committed to the earth Friday in a ceremony attended by more than 30,000 people.
Conspicuous by their complete absence at the burial service near the late leader's private residence were governing camp officials. ``We have already expressed condolences on a party level around the funeral. So there were no discussions about attending the burial," said a spokesman of the Grand National Party.
Such lack of minimal courtesy, as well as the failure of President Lee Myung-bak to voice some regret ― let alone an apology ― about the prosecuting process that drove his predecessor to suicide, shows how hollow the ruling camp's calls for unity and harmony are.
Even more worrisome is the possibility that President Lee and his party might also want to bury the democratic ideals pursued by the previous administration ― greater decentralization of power and better communication with voters ― along with the late Roh's remains. Ominous signs are everywhere the governing camp has already resumed their efforts to erase the legacy of what they call ``the lost decade."
The Lee administration and the governing party, temporarily taken aback in the face of nationwide ``Roh syndrome'' longing for more humble, people-friendly leadership, is rapidly returning to business as usual, pushing ahead with policies that alienate the weak and poor in favor of the rich and powerful, such as big businesses and large media outlets.
A case that best illustrates this administration's cold-hearted policy and governance is its handling of the five victims who were killed during the police crackdown on squatters in Yongsan redevelopment district, for whom a joint funeral is yet to be held 175 days after their death. All the bereaved families want is ― again ― the ``minimal courtesy'' of disclosing the truths about the brutal quelling, and an apology from responsible officials, a demand the government has been flatly rejecting.
President Lee has recently vowed to move toward political centrism and a pro-working class administration. Why should a government trying to portray itself as a friend to social underdogs kill the squatters and not even say sorry for it? Why would a government allegedly working for the good of working people try to perpetuate the plight of temporary workers under the pretext of protecting them from unemployment? And what people-friendly government would move to increase taxes on the average wage earners to make up for a revenue vacuum caused by hefty tax cuts for the large enterprises and wealthy property holders? A president and government should be judged by actions and policies, not by words or gestures.
Not much freer from responsibility for the current social and political chaos are the opposition parties, which attack President Lee as a dictator and pledge to oust his administration as if by means ``other than voting.'' The incumbent President may be far less democratic than his predecessors or even authoritarian, but calling democratically-elected Lee a dictator and treating him as such is neither proper nor wise for the opposition.
Academics or civic activists may resort to the democracy-vs. -dictatorship tactic but politicians cannot. They need to workout viable alternatives ― policies and other concrete measures ― and provide voters with realistic options.
This notwithstanding, the main responsibility for calming the confusion and bringing the nation back to stability lies with the governing camp, and President Lee in particular. Now is the time for the chief executive to take a longer-term perspective and practice genuine centrism based on more magnanimous policies and attitudes.
When the public increasingly begins to miss a President who is no longer, that means the President who is here is in big trouble.