[Column] President should plant feet in reality

Upon hearing the news of President Kim Dae-Jung garnering the Nobel Peace Prize, I was reminded of the movie, Ben Hur.

Entrapped by the Roman people and Messala, he became a galley slave on a ship bound for sea battle. During the battle, he rescued the commanding admiral of the fleet and obtained his freedom. Then, entering into a chariot race against Messala, he became a hero to the oppressed Jewish people.

In my mind, President Kim is reflective of Ben Hur. As he had called for reconciliation with North Korea from very early on, he was labeled a procommunist and as anti-democratic to the establishment. As such, he faced two attempted assassinations and became an inmate at a prison.

Overcoming such great obstacles, he was elected to the president`s office and now has brought the Nobel Peace Prize to Korea, an occasion for much joy and even thrill.

However, less than a week after the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, what is the reason for such uproar and debate among the Korean people? There are many who have sincere congratulatory sentiment and feel a great deal of pride as Koreans concerning the Nobel prize.

However, there are some who are disinterested or even critical, saying: "It is fortunate he received the prize this year. If he had not gotten it this year, President Kim would be even more tenacious in garnering the prize next year, the Korean domestic situation would have taken a terrible beating."

Such cynicism can be heard at times on the streets. Why is it that some are cynical or disinterested? Is it because they always had been anti-Kim Dae-Jung, anti-reformist or pro-Cold War?

Looking back, the current administration has made many people from various sectors very uncomfortable in the name of reform. The less-than-well-prepared medical reform has made the doctors antagonistic toward the government even while begetting the grudge of the pharmacists and making the general public inconvenient.

The lowering of the retirement age of teachers led to a shortage of teachers in schools, which forced the school system to plead for the return of the teachers who already had received handsome retirement packages. It is not surprising that many criticize the government for implementing a reform without adequately examining the supply of teachers. Furthermore, the government looked the other way, while those in charge of the pension fund mismanaged the fund, then turned emotionally antagonistic when the pension fund of civil servants was jeopardized.

Financial reform also is very unconvincing even to a person in the general public. The statements by the formal financial policy makers and the current policy makers stand in contradiction, which only causes distrust of the government. Why are there so frequent injections of the public funds, which are the lifeblood taxed from the people? Public fund injections of tens of trillions of won seem all too common. To the average tax-paying Joe, it seems as though the tens of trillions of won of the people`s tax money are being dumped into a bottomless pit, while no one is found criminally responsible for having caused such a situation.

Is it acceptable for average people to become such pitiable victims, while the failed policies quietly head for a greener pasture. No matter how great a call for reform might be, if it fails to achieve its proposed goals, it deserves criticism.

Law and order has weakened. The economy has worsened. At Namdaemun Market many shout: "It seems the ¡®IMF` economic crisis is hitting us now. Business has never been this bad." Is this nothing more than standard exaggeration of merchants? At an industrial complex in Kyonggi Province, a string bankruptcies quietly has forced closures of many companies this fall. The stock price index, which can be considered the administration`s grade-mark for its economic policies, has fallen below the level of when President Kim took office. The Nobel Peace Prize has failed to provide any "medicinal" healing, as some had hoped.

As the situation has been worsening for the people, many have come to share the view that the South`s economic cooperation policy toward North Korea under the Cold War dissolution policy seems nothing more than a senseless give-all policy.

Fortunately, President Kim has pledged that he would give greater attention to the domestic situation and revive the economy. He asked the people to trust him. As his first measure following the Nobel Peace Prize announcement, he dissolved the special investigative police unit that had been highly criticized for abusing human rights. He also blocked a proposal to build a commemorative park for him at his hometown. Such actions have promoted our trust in the president.

While on a positive note, I propose to covey the message and hopes of the people in tamer words. As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, while it is advisable for the President to expand his international role for the promotion of international peace and diplomacy, he should remember to plant his feet solidly on the ground and not be up in the clouds. Rather than focusing on becoming a historic figure, international man, or the promoter of a race of people, he should look upon the domestic mountain of unfinished work and take special care for the economic and public welfare of the people.

I would like to remind everyone, after Ben Hur`s victory at the race, he headed for the village of the lepers in search of his lost mother and sister.