Remove self-contradiction within ‘Geunhye-nomics’ first
It is clear what President Park Geun-hye’s economic policy, dubbed “Geunhye-nomics,” aims at _ better distribution through continuous growth. Far less certain is how to achieve that.
Park and her economic aides have wrapped up this simple goal in fluffy terms such as “economic democratization” and “creative economy.” These are slogans more rhetorical than real, and few seem to know exactly what they mean, let alone how to realize them.
It was small surprise then that Park’s economic team, which got together Monday for the first time since her administration took office a month ago, came up with few tangible programs. Officials say they will unveil major policy directions later this week, and specific action plans by early next month.
Voters have few choices but to wait and see. Yet we can hardly remain optimistic about the success of Geunhye-nomics as it is now.
Above all, there are too wide gaps between its goals and the circumstances surrounding the national economy. Park, for instance, wants to expand the welfare state, but the Korean economy has entered a low-growth phase, which many economists _ public and private, local and foreign _ say will continue for quite a long time. Still, both Park and her finance minister, Hyun Oh-seok, have ruled out any tax increase.
Hyun, who also serves as deputy prime minister for the economy, said he would carry out a stimulus package, including 10 trillion-won ($9 billion) of extra budget and monetary easing, to jolt the economy out of its prolonged slump. However, not only is it uncertain the additional spending will be sufficient to jumpstart the $1-trillion economy but also whether monetary authorities will cooperate with it, as Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong-soo reportedly is reluctant to lower interest rates.
Considering the fiscal stimulus, which represents 0.1 percent of Korea’s GDP, would be little more than pump-priming water, a major boost should come from the private sector, especially large businesses. Yet most family-controlled conglomerates, which together hoard more than 100 trillion won in cash alone, are lying low in part because of their complaints about Park’s chaebol-bashing policy and because of uncertainty of the new president’s economic policy.
Former President Lee Myung-bak, despite his controversial pro-business policy, failed to draw business investment from these industrial behemoths. It’s a catch-22 for the incumbent leader to induce chaebol investment while curbing their crooked business practices and heavy-handed dealing with small suppliers.
Equally self-contradictory is Park’s “creative economy.” It’s hard to know how the nation’s first female president will promote creativity while the leader herself is returning to an old government-led development era, as shown by the resurrection of the economic deputy premier after 15 years’ absence, and government officials busy jotting down her “extremely minute” instructions in any meetings chaired by the president.
There are too many, and wide, gulfs within “Geunhye-nomics” _ between its goals and reality, between objectives and methods, and between its philosophy and actual operating system.
We just hope Park is not unready in economic administration, too.
3월 27일 (수) The Korea Times 사설
1.The manager wouldn't listen to any
of his opinion. (한진)
① verification
② confirmation
③ disagreement
④ accord
2. The questions seem to the world to be scarcely worth asking,
answering.
① not to mention
② frankly speaking
③ in a word
④ taking care of
3. The regulations
anyone under the age of eighteen. (일반경찰)
① have room for
② exclude
③ govern
④ distinguish
4. The subjects became more sensitive to pain, and hallucinations occurred with more frequency when confinement was
.
① prolonged
② melodic
③ published
④ slow
5. U.S. voters went to the polls and chose
President Barack Obama as their next president on Nov.
① current
② former
③ popular
④ potent
[해설 및 정답]
1. 그 관리자는 자신의 의견에 대한 어떠한
도 경청하려 하지 않았다. [정답] ③
2.【해설】
: ~은 말할 것도 없이(not to mention, to say nothing of, not to speak of) / let alone의 경우는 형태균형(예. asking과 answering)이 반드시 이루어지기만 하면 사용가능하다. 제시한 내용의 나머지의 경우는 즉, 타동사 mention이나 전치사 of다음에는 (동)명사여야 한다.
【번역】그 질문들은 세상 사람들에게 답하는 것
물어볼 가치가 거의 없어 보인다. 【정답】①
3. 그 규제는 18세 이하면 누구든지
. [정답] ②
4. 그 실험대상자들은 고통에 더욱 민감해졌고, 갇혀 있는 시간이
수록 더 많은 빈도로 환각을 보았다. [정답] ①
5. 미국 유권자들이 11월 6일 투표소에 가서 현직 대통령 버락 오바마를 자신들의 차기 대통령으로 선출했다. [정답] ①