ed New era of hope

Park must promote communication, listen to others

President Park Geun-hye began her five-year term Monday after taking the oath of office in her inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly plaza. She returned to Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential house that she left in tears more than 33 years ago after her father, former President Park Chung-hee, was assassinated by his spy agency chief.

In her inaugural speech, she pledged to live up to the will of the people by "achieving economic rejuvenation, the happiness of the people and the flourishing of our culture.’’ Specifically, she said the new administration will usher in a new era of hope whereby ``the happiness of each citizen becomes the bedrock of our nation’s strength which in turn is shared by and benefits all Koreans.’’

It is appropriate for Park to declare a "creative economy’’ as a driver for economic revitalization, given that the country’s economic growth based on traditional manufacturing has limitations. She made it clear that science and technology, and the IT industry lie at the heart of a creative economy, heightening hopes that the new mammoth science ministry will contribute a great deal to creating more jobs.

Hopefully, her pledge to embark on the making of a ``Second Miracle on the Han River’’ will be delivered without a hitch, particularly considering that the people’s expectations for Park, the daughter of a dictator who laid a solid foundation for the nation’s economic progress at the expense of democracy, remain high.

It’s also encouraging that the nation’s first female President renewed her resolve to "economic democratization,’’ a major departure from her silence on the potentially explosive issue last week when the transition team unveiled Park’s policy roadmap. Park pledged to put a high priority on restoring the middle class, supporting small- and medium-sized companies and preventing chaebol from abusing their power.

Park rightfully urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions without delay and embark on a path to peace and shared development. She was also right to leave the possibility open for the two Koreas to seek harmony through a "trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula.’’

As leader of Asia’s fourth-largest economy, Park faces tough challenges. In addition to mounting demand for welfare, she is tasked with achieving grand reconciliation and national unity by embracing the 48 percent who didn’t vote for her in the December presidential election. To do this, she needs to promote communication, listen carefully to her opponents as well as the voices of the general public and willingly reflect their opinions in state affairs with an open mind.

But what we see and hear is the opposite. On Sunday, Park pressed ahead with the appointment of Yoon Chang-jung as presidential spokesman despite rampant criticism about the former far-right political commentator. Park is destined to fail unless she changes her secretive and uncommunicative leadership style