I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Park's 'idea factories' in spotlight
President-elect Park Geun-hye, center, smiles as she takes part in voluntary service providing free meals for poor people who live on government subsidies in Nanhyangdong, Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap
By Kang Hyun-kyung
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Two groups of experts have emerged as influential idea factories since Park Geun-hye became the nation’s first female president-elect.
One is the Institute of Nation’s Future led by Sogang University professor Kim Kwang-doo, and the other is Forum Oh-rae (an acronym standing for today and tomorrow in Korean) headed by lawyer Hahm Seung-hee.
The two groups are public policy research and advocacy organizations dedicated to helping Park succeed in her presidential bid.
Nearly 80 people, mostly academics, politicians, and former government officials, joined the future institute as founding members.
Launched in December, 2010 as a private research group for Park, the members have actively studied major policies to produce recommendations. Their policy suggestions formed the backbone of Park’s campaign vision for foreign policy, economy and social policy.
Most of the professors affiliated with the institute are either from Seoul National University or Sogang University, Park’s alma mater.
Many of the scholars and lawmakers who, according to media reports, are on the list of potential candidates for the presidential transition team or Cabinet members of Park’s first year in presidency, are affiliated with the future institute.
Reps. Kang Seog-hoon and An Chong-bum of the ruling Saenuri Party are former economists having taught students at universities while Yun Byung-se, former senior presidential chief of staff to the former Roh Moo-hyun government, is now an active member of the think tank. It has experts from 14 different policy areas, including finance, welfare, trade and foreign affairs.
Over the past two years or so, President-elect Park met with these experts on a regular basis to deepen her understanding of policy issues.
Compared with the future institute, Forum Oh-rae was less spotlighted but is a key group that has played a role in shaping Park’s major vision.
Hahm, a former lawmaker, has led the group as its chairman since 2007. Three founding members of the forum are Park, Hahm and economist Kim Jong-in who served as a campaign manager of the Park camp.
It is often compared with Ahnkook Forum, an idea factory for Lee Myung-bak when he ran in the 2007 presidential election.
In an interview, Hahm said he was called upon to join Park’s private study group in 2007 when she prepared for the primary to select a presidential candidate of the then Grand National Party (GNP).
Initially, the forum was a secret entity where only three of them met. In 2008, it opened its membership to outside experts and 30 people joined the group to develop national agendas in politics and economy.
President-elect Park is likely to select some of them to work with the forthcoming presidential transition team. Earlier, Ruling party officials said the lineup of the team could be unveiled shortly after the Christmas holiday.
But they said the announcement could be delayed as Park reportedly read all resumes she got carefully to handpick the right people for the crucial posts.
Rumors and speculation abound over who will lead the transition team. But her aides remain tight-lipped regarding those mostly likely to assume the key post, claiming they have no idea because Park has done the job by herself.