Park still faces tough issues

By Kang Seung-woo

With her second year in office coming to an end, President Park Geun-hye is still struggling to reenergize her presidency as a pile of vexing issues continue to emerge.

Following her participation at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Italy last week, recent domestic issues ranging from a safety-related accident to a ceaseless North Korea have put the President in a quandary over government operation. The head of the ruling party also appeared to challenge her authority.

“President Park is faced with quite difficult issues that may prevent her from handling state affairs,“ said Prof. Chung Goon-gi of Hongik University.

On Friday, 16 people were killed and eleven others were injured after a ventilation grill they were standing on at an outdoor concert in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, collapsed.

The accident follows the deadly Sewol ferry disaster, and may be bigger than any other issue the Park administration has to deal with because the nation is still reeling from the April 16 tragedy that left more than 300 people dead or missing.

A political standoff from the aftermath of the accident prevented Park from stably managing state affairs, with no bills being passed by the National Assembly for four months ― although the President consistently stressed needs to revitalize the sluggish economy.

In addition, after the maritime accident, the government had to prioritize upgrading safety standards over promoting economic growth, and the grating collapse may also take attention away from reviving the economy.

The safety issue is not the only one awaiting Park.

Recently, inter-Korean relations showed signs of reconciliation when three top-ranking officials visited Incheon earlier this month, before going back into confrontation mode.

On Monday, Park stressed continuous dialogue and hinted at lifting South Korean economic sanctions on the North, while urging it to sincerely come forward for talks.

However, while the Kim Jong-un regime has yet to respond to Seoul’s proposal for a second round of senior-level talks on Oct. 30, it has carried out provocative actions to ramp up tensions on the Korean Peninsula again.

Along with exchanges of fire over the inter-Korean sea and land borders, South Korean border guards fired warning shots after about 10 North Korean soldiers approached the military demarcation line (MDL) inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), Saturday.

In addition, the North criticized Park for addressing its nuclear and human rights issues at the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting, putting the high-level talks on the line.

“The North Korea issue has become unpredictable,“ Chung said. “I expect it to be a mid- to long-term problem for the Park administration.“

Although they turned out to be short-lived, Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung’s remarks on a possible constitutional revision are still creating a buzz that may pose a threat to the president’s authority.

On Thursday, Kim said he expected calls for a revision of the Constitution when the National Assembly regular session ends in December, but withdrew his remarks less than 24 hours later and apologized to President Park.

Earlier this month, President Park expressed clear opposition to the idea of a constitutional amendment, citing it as a possible degradation of state capability. This followed her statement against a revision of the Constitution in her New Year press conference.

Since her inauguration in February last year, Park has been consistent on her position on the issue, so it is unlikely that she will reiterate her opposition to constitutional reform.

“I think there will not be any more talks on constitutional revision this year. However, from early next year, Park is expected to face the issue again as more than 200 lawmakers want a constitutional amendment,“ Chung said.