ed Detached from reality

President can neither avoid nor delay tackling challenges

This is a politically difficult time for President Park Geun-hye. The first anniversary on Thursday of the ferry Sewol’s sinking, the nation’s worst peacetime disaster that took 304, mostly teenage, lives, reemphasized the government’s incompetency and irresponsibility. And the recent suicide of a politicized tycoon who left a bribery list has put the Park administration’s moral ― and electoral ― legitimacy into a serious question.

It seemed to be no coincidence that President Park left on a lengthy tour last week of four South American nations on the other side of the planet. It might of course be difficult to rearrange her tour schedule long agreed on with foreign governments, but questions still remain how she could think of leaving the country on a day of national commemoration.

During her brief visit to the southwestern port near where the tragedy took place, Park moved a little closer toward salvaging the ill-fated ship, and revising a decree for a more effective investigation into the disaster ― but stopped short of making these accomplished facts, as wanted by the victims’ relatives.

One can’t help but wonder what kept Park from saying she would have the vessel refloated no matter what, improve the administrative decree to allow for a thorough probe, and ensure no similar accidents occur.

The President also said that upon returning home next Monday, she could appoint an independent counsel to investigate the corruption scandal, in which eight officials in the ruling camp received from between 30 million won ($27,000) to 200 million won each from the dead CEO. But she left Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, one of the suspected bribe takers, and subject for prosecutorial investigations, on the job, saying she would decided on Lee’s fate after the South American tour.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. However, people are finding it embarrassing to see a prime minister under prosecutors’ watch.

President Park should have suspended Lee’s conduct of state affairs for 12 days while she is abroad, and named a proxy. It might also have been far better had the chief executive encouraged the special investigation team to leave no sanctuaries in shattering the shady network of corruption, including her closest aides. It was only natural for Park to vow not to tolerate anyone involved in the bribery scandal. What baffled most Koreans, however, was the President never offered a word of regret for the widespread corruption allegations.

Especially so, because the alleged bribe takers included her former and present chiefs of staff and campaign managers, meaning the money could have been used for electioneering. Still Park seems to feel no need to express regrets, because she did not receive any money ``directly.” When it became obvious earlier the state spy agency meddled in presidential election, Park also said she neither knew of it nor benefited from the intervention. At a time when the legitimacy of Park and her administration are receiving a double whammy, can the President say she is free from responsibility?

If so, President Park is thinking herself not an elected leader but a monarch of sorts ― free from both mistakes and blame. But Both the Sewol tragedy and the ongoing bribery scandal showed how unprepared and incapable the current leader and her government are in dealing with a crisis.

Pitied are Koreans who have to live with an administration that lacks in legitimacy and even competency for nearly three more years.