Business Leader Assails Politicians
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Rep. Chung Mong-joon of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) traded barbs with a business leader - who is an in-law of President Lee Myung-bak - over the role of politicians in overcoming the economic slump, Thursday.
Chung was bothered by a negative characterization of politicians made by Cho Suck-rai, chairman of Hyosung Group and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI).
The bickering started after Cho labeled politicians as "troublemakers, not trouble-shooters" in a speech at a FKI summer forum for business leaders on Jeju Island, Wednesday.
"I would like to ask politicians if they truly believe they are helpful to business leaders. My candid opinion is that they have caused troubles, rather than fixing problems," Cho complained.
Cho is an uncle of Cho Hyun-beom, President Lee's son-in-law.
His comments came as the GNP and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) were locking horns over the validity of disputed media bills that were passed in the National Assembly last week and then approved in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
Claiming voting fraud over a procedural flaw, the DP brought the case to the Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, the GNP filed a lawsuit against four DP lawmakers for their blocking of ruling party lawmakers trying to cast their ballots during voting on July 22.
In June, the two sides failed to reach an agreement on job safety measures for temporary workers, leading to layoffs in July.
Employers called for business-friendly measures that would create more flexibility in the labor market. They supported the GNP's initiative to extend the ceiling of temporary work contracts from the current two years to four, believing the proposal would serve their business interests.
Cho complained that politicians had demanded that business leaders contribute to overcoming the slump, but were not helpful in putting a business-friendly climate in place.
He also assailed militant labor unions for launching strikes and creating confrontations with employers, saying hostile labor-management relations were not helpful in attracting investment.
CEOs have argued that inter-party political strife and militant labor activities have eroded the foundations for reviving the economy.
Rep. Chung, a member of the GNP's decision-making Supreme Council, was uneasy about Cho's direct comments about politicians.
Chung, a CEO-turned lawmaker and son of the late Hyundai Group founder, Chung Ju-yung, claimed Cho's portrayal of politicians made his fellow lawmakers even more disgraceful, noting their images were already tarnished due to the confrontations and chaos in the legislature.
"I admit that we politicians deserve criticism and therefore we should take his bittersweet advice. What he said is not simply his own view - it actually reflects what most people feel about us," he said.
The lawmaker warned that those who criticize politicians need to be very careful not to blame the general public, who voted them in to begin with. The criticism could reflect on the people who chose the representatives, Chung said.