Lee Should Forget Past Success to Start Anew
President Lee Myung-bak, breaking his ``no-holiday" pledge, will go on a five-day vacation this weekend: That was a good decision. Exactly five months have passed since Lee moved into Cheong Wa Dae, but many Koreans, including probably the President himself, are feeling as if it's been five years. More than anyone else, President Lee needs some time away from his daily routine and ponder what's gone so awfully wrong.
Nothing seems to be going right currently, whether it is the economy or politics, diplomacy or national security. Not many Koreans ― let alone the President ― could have imagined this situation 150 days ago, when Lee took office riding on an election victory of the widest margin.
A group of opposition politicians then, however, predicted the Lee administration would fall into trouble in six or even three months. The reason: Lee's dogmatic leadership style. Most people thought it as just the curse of disgruntled losers. Unfortunately ― maybe not for the political opposition but for the nation ― both the prophecy and the grounds appear to be proving right.
Political analysts say the current turmoil is due not so much to various circumstances facing the nation as to the top leader's character and personality, Lee's leadership style in other words. And they agree that what has made Lee what he is ― a successful corporate CEO ― would fail him in his presidency. The advantages of CEO leadership are quick decisions, ceaseless reform and efficiency, while its disadvantages are one-man play, emphasis on results in disregard of process and undemocratic decision-making.
Voters elected Lee with the expectation of him salvaging the troubled economy and improving their lives. But they didn't give him a blank check to do anything he wanted and in whatever way he pleased. The U.S. beef import turmoil carries significance much larger than just food safety, as the demonstrators sought a more consensual and democratic process to attain goals.
In short, the people wanted a better economy, but they also wanted more. They welcomed Lee's pledge for making Korea an advanced country, but not at the expense of democracy, which the Koreans attained through great hardship over the past two decades.
Moreover, Lee failed to effectively distribute duty and responsibility to Cabinet ministers, even to his prime minister, and instead tried to do everything by himself with the help of Cheong Wa Dae aides. This high-risk, high-return style of administration may fit corporate management, but turned out to be very risky in running a country. Its worst-case scenario will be the direct confrontation between the President and the people, as has seen in the two-month-long candlelight protests.
President Lee should forget his memory as a successful businessman and be reborn as a more humble and democratic national leader. If he still keeps trying to replace the heads of key state enterprises with people sharing similar school, regional and religious backgrounds as him, it will mean the President is still regarding the country as something he should govern from above.
Lee should remember his inaugural address, in which pledged to ``serve" the people, not reign over them.
Downtown Seoul has restored its calm after the suspension of the candlelit rallies. But the President should know that quiet dissatisfaction could be far more dangerous than a noisy one.
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