ed Another fresh start

Voters can ill afford to remain as spectators

New Year’s Day forces people to look back on their past before moving on into the future. So it is crucial to correctly reflect on the previous record ― what went wrong and why ― to set the right direction ahead.

Most Koreans must have felt quite embarrassed ― or rather thought it was bizarre ― in this regard to see the government give unbelievably generous grades regarding its own conduct of state administration in 2014.

At a meeting chaired by President Park Geun-hye, Monday, the participants shared the view that the administration achieved substantial results in 38 major tasks by, for example, reforming the public sector, beefing up its defense posture, establishing the foundation for economic justice, and innovating safety systems, last year. Nothing could be further from what the general public thinks about each of these issues.

Koreans saw President Park continue to send her cronies to the top posts of state companies and public institutions; trust among the public in the military hit bottom amid rampant corruption and rights abuses in the rank-and-file; Park’s slogan for ``economic democratization” went up in smoke amid the criticism of breaching campaign pledges; and Korean society remains as unsafe as ever even after a deadly ferry accident.

It seems as if the officials in this administration were on another planet throughout the year, or they are regarding all Koreans as fools who can’t think or feel. When the diagnosis is so wide off the mark, it is hard to expect any remedy to be effective. And that may be why Koreans are greeting an otherwise joyous and hopeful New Year with more worries than expectations. Even the New Year’s message from Cheong Wa Dae is no exception.

As expected, President Park emphasized three things in her message ― stepping up efforts for national unification, reinvigorating the moribund economy, and making a safer and more trustful society. However, to do so, the government should be ready to concede to and compromise with North Korea instead of quarreling over details and being mired in petty one-upmanship; shift its focus of economic policy from employers to employees; and put emphasis on safety and welfare rather than profits and growth. If not, Park’s words will end up only as such ― yet again.

In August 2015, President Park’s tenure will be exactly halfway complete, meaning this is the final year when she can exercise strong leadership. It is not surprising, therefore, that the nation’s first female chief executive is pushing for four major reforms this year ― in the public sector, labor, finance and education ― during which there are no major elections, either. What Park needs most to hit her goals is popular support, which in turn is hard to expect without administrative transparency and good communication. Unfortunately, these are the two rarest elements in this administration.

On Monday, Park had a secret dinner with her seven loyalists ― the so-called "pro-Park” legislators ― in the ruling Saenuri Party, sidelining all ``non-Park” politicians, even the party chairman. Within Cheong Wa Dae, even the most senior secretaries advising the President in various policy areas reportedly cannot meet their boss without first winning permission from Park’s "three attendants.”

If the communication and unity within the core of power is like this, how can Koreans expect their leader and her key aides to open themselves up and freely discuss state affairs with political opposition, let alone the general public? All this shows that any renovation must start with the President and Cheong Wa Dae.

Koreans are finding hope in neither the arrogant, self-righteous ruling camp nor the fractious and incompetent opposition. This is why they ought to take actions to make their voices heard ― and turn 2015 into another 1987, the year of big social change.