Moon should accept advice on fixing policy missteps
President Moon Jae-in held a special meeting at Cheong Wa Dae Thursday to seek advice on the key challenges in his administration.
The participants of the meeting included those who formerly served in the government, in addition to some from academic and judicial circles. Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo, Lee Jong-chan, former chief of the National Intelligence Service and former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon were among those who were invited to speak on some of the most urgent issues facing Korean society.
The meeting comes at a critical point in Moon's five-year presidency. He took office in May 2017 after a snap election following the impeachment of his predecessor Park Geun-hye on the promise of building a new Korea, with a focus on eradicating the "old evils" of society. However, after two years in office, more people are losing confidence in Moon's leadership.
His plummeting approval rating shows that the Korean public is unhappy with the Moon administration, which has not proven to be that more competent than the previous administration on key issues related to people's livelihoods, such as creating more jobs and reviving the economy. He has also failed to make significant progress in getting rid of the so-called old evils of society as many outdated practices and social injustices are still ongoing in various sectors.
One of the biggest failures of Moon is that he has not lived up to his election pledge to become a president for everyone. This was one of the main topics during his meeting with the so-called 12 elders invited to Cheong Wa Dae to comment on his performance so far. They reportedly advised him to seek more dialogue with the opposition. The advice is particularly timely since the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) are clashing over a package of reform bills at the National Assembly.
The participants also addressed the shortcomings of his key economic policy goal known as the "income-led growth." Aside from his economic missteps, Moon's failing North Korea policy is another main factor that has seriously undermined the initial enthusiasm the people had for Moon at the beginning of his presidency. One year after his historic summit at the border village of Panmunjeom in April 2018, there have not been any fundamental changes in North Korea that may indicate it will fully commit to denuclearization. The U.S.-North Korea talks are also going nowhere after the collapse of their second summit earlier this year.
President Moon is expected to give a televised interview next week. During the rare occasion, Moon should properly address the mounting concerns of the people and provide a clear vision about how he will lead the country into prosperity and unity during the time he has left in office. He needs to remember that he is quickly running out of time to make much impact in people's lives and the country's future. He should no longer blame the previous administrations, but show a willingness to adjust the mistakes in his policies and provide effective solutions to the wide range of challenges that lie ahead for Korea.
President Moon Jae-in held a special meeting at Cheong Wa Dae Thursday to seek advice on the key challenges in his administration.
The participants of the meeting included those who formerly served in the government, in addition to some from academic and judicial circles. Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo, Lee Jong-chan, former chief of the National Intelligence Service and former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon were among those who were invited to speak on some of the most urgent issues facing Korean society.
The meeting comes at a critical point in Moon's five-year presidency. He took office in May 2017 after a snap election following the impeachment of his predecessor Park Geun-hye on the promise of building a new Korea, with a focus on eradicating the "old evils" of society. However, after two years in office, more people are losing confidence in Moon's leadership.
His plummeting approval rating shows that the Korean public is unhappy with the Moon administration, which has not proven to be that more competent than the previous administration on key issues related to people's livelihoods, such as creating more jobs and reviving the economy. He has also failed to make significant progress in getting rid of the so-called old evils of society as many outdated practices and social injustices are still ongoing in various sectors.
One of the biggest failures of Moon is that he has not lived up to his election pledge to become a president for everyone. This was one of the main topics during his meeting with the so-called 12 elders invited to Cheong Wa Dae to comment on his performance so far. They reportedly advised him to seek more dialogue with the opposition. The advice is particularly timely since the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) are clashing over a package of reform bills at the National Assembly.
The participants also addressed the shortcomings of his key economic policy goal known as the "income-led growth." Aside from his economic missteps, Moon's failing North Korea policy is another main factor that has seriously undermined the initial enthusiasm the people had for Moon at the beginning of his presidency. One year after his historic summit at the border village of Panmunjeom in April 2018, there have not been any fundamental changes in North Korea that may indicate it will fully commit to denuclearization. The U.S.-North Korea talks are also going nowhere after the collapse of their second summit earlier this year.
President Moon is expected to give a televised interview next week. During the rare occasion, Moon should properly address the mounting concerns of the people and provide a clear vision about how he will lead the country into prosperity and unity during the time he has left in office. He needs to remember that he is quickly running out of time to make much impact in people's lives and the country's future. He should no longer blame the previous administrations, but show a willingness to adjust the mistakes in his policies and provide effective solutions to the wide range of challenges that lie ahead for Korea.
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