Noisy 12 months
President should compromise, not fight, in final year
Like most Koreans, we hoped to hear apologies and vows for change in President Lee Myung-bak’s annual news conference Wednesday. What we heard instead in the final New Year’s press meeting were excuses and pledges to push ahead with what he has been doing. It was far more disappointing than surprising.
The President began with thinly-veiled criticism of ``welfare populism,” saying, ``A lot of people are worried about pork-barrel politics not backed by fiscal resources.” This seemed to be a legitimate, responsible concern. But Lee should have first thought about why all parliamentary hopefuls, in both governing and opposition camps, are vowing to increase welfare spending amid extreme income polarization stemming from his ``(big) business-friendly” policy.
What Lee should do is not tell his economic team to exaggerate the already inflated figures in politicians’ promises but increase revenue by reducing undue tax and other benefits for the rich and create resources to implement feasible programs.
The President was probably most poignant when he attacked the main opposition party’s reversal of positions on such key issues as the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and naval base on Jeju Island. ``I will firmly stick to my principles on matters of national interests,” Lee said. We also have called for opposition politicians to explain the reasons for their shift from yes to no on these issues, and apologize to the people for earlier misjudgments.
Yet Lee should also realize national interests can change in time and are never the preserve of the sitting President and his party. A more reasonable, embracing leader would be improving the unbalanced free trade accord and faulty designs in the naval base instead of declaring a political war.
He fell short of offering a heartfelt apology for rampant corruption involving his relatives and confidants. ``I can hardly find the right words for the people,” he said. ``I couldn’t sleep at night, beating my breast.” Is this an apology or self-pity? One can generously interpret this as Lee’s way of expressing regret as Cheong Wa Dae says, but where are his vows for stern punishment and steps to never repeat them?
The chief executive’s self-justification reached its peak when he commented on his controversial personnel management. ``I have seldom taken school and hometown ties into account in picking talented individuals but now that many people seem to have feel that way, I will consider correcting it,” he said. If he is right, almost all Koreans who have laughed at Lee’s appointment of cronies and friends to nearly all key posts should feel sorry for the President for misunderstanding him.
It was only a few days ago that Lee named a controversial former culture minister to take charge of the nation’s biggest art hall.
Also stunning most Koreans was the President’s self-praise of his North Korean policy, stressing he rectified the ``wrong framework” in inter-Korean relations. He may think what he wants. But how should one interpret the highest tension and hostility in decades between the Koreas under a president who cites peace and stability is the cornerstone of South-North ties?
By most appearances, Koreans will have to see a most boisterous final year of an outgoing president. The only silver lining is they will realize how important it is to elect the right leader in December.