Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
President rapped for not reaching out
Rep. Kim Han-gil, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, speaks at a rally at the National Assembly, Seoul, Tuesday, on the first anniversary of President Park Geun-hye’s inauguration. Kim said Park has showed no will to communicate with opposition parties and the public. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
The greatest weakness of the Park Geun-hye government over the past year has been her lack of communication, not only with the public, but also her political foes.
“President Park made a wide range of bold economy-boosting steps on the occasion of the first anniversary of her inauguration on Tuesday. However, she won’t be able to achieve those without cooperation from opposition parties,” said Bae Jong-chan, chief director at Research and Research, an opinion survey company.
“She definitely needs to talk with opposition parties to persuade them. But it would be hard for her to change her ‘my way’ leadership style.”
Park is reputed for making decisions only after careful consideration, rather than holding discussions with aides or persons concerned.
Rep. Kim Han-gil, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), cited one example of Park’s lack of communication, saying, “I asked Park to express her position about the party nomination system more than 10 times. But she, who promised the public that she would scrap the system during the 2012 presidential poll, has kept silent.”
Kim’s remark came as the ruling party decided to maintain the practice of parties nominating candidates for municipal mayors and councilors ahead of the June 4 local elections.
Members of the governing Saenuri Party also agreed with the need for increased communication.
“Communication is to respond to what the public says, not to go to the opposing side from the public’s wish,” said the five-term lawmaker Lee Jae-oh.
Lee made the comments in reference to Park’s opposition to lawmakers’ latest move to amend the Constitution to change the presidential term.
Critics say that Park’s lack of communication is also evidenced by the only press conference she held at Cheong Wa Dae throughout the first year of her presidency. Her single press conference, according to observers was far shorter than the 10 held by the late President Roh Moo-hyun and the three by Park’s predecessor Lee Myung-bak.
She has so far met the opposition leader Kim only once, when she conducted a three-way meeting with the chairmen of rival parties to mull ways of resolving a controversy over alleged intervention in the 2012 presidential election by the National Intelligence Service.
The meeting produced no results, causing an impasse in the National Assembly for a considerable time.
Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, Saenuri Party floor leader, said that Cheong Wa Dae should show its will to communicate with the opposition if it wants to develop the nation’s economic conditions and achieve national unity for the remaining four years of the administration.
“The most important task of the Park administration is to open the door for communication with the opposition parties,” he said.
He urged Park to reintroduce the ministerial post for political affairs.
“I believe that the minister could play a role as a communication channel between the presidential office and the opposition. This will help more effectively manage state affairs,” said Choi.
Political pundits also echoed his view.
Bae of Research and Research said, “Rep. Choi’s suggestion is understandable. Calls for appointing a person who can mediate between the President and opposition parties will grow as how well the administration communicates with the opposition will lead to how successful the state affairs are conducted for the remaining term of her administration.”