[Editorial] Kim, Lee ignorant of public sentiment

Politics is now diverging too far from existing public sentiment. In the wake of the bipartisan summit between President Kim Dae-Jung and main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) president Lee Hoi-Chang on Thursday, the two political leaders are doggedly engaged in a childish verbal war, causing great disappointment and a sense of insecurity among the general public.

Following trading of angry accusations at the Cheong Wa Dae meeting, the so-called leaders of the nation are now mounting political offensives against each other in pursuit of their partisan interests, at the same time neglecting the dismal state of the nation and the people. It is a pity to see the rival party leaders passing the buck and backbiting one another on the heels of their fruitless summit. How dare they display such haughty attitudes toward the people? If the politic sphere remains at a standstill, how can an economic recovery take place? And how will they deal with deteriorating public sentiment?

Blame for the failed political summit must be shared equally between the two sides. From the beginning, the two leaders were not inclined to listen to each other, instead holding fast to their own beliefs. Consequently, their talks were doomed to fail.

President Kim's failure to accept the reality of public sentiment was evident once again. Case in point, his irrational reaction to the scandal over the ruling party's "lending" of three lawmakers to the United Liberal Democrats (ULD). Kim reportedly contended that this move was justifiable in light of the opposition party's refusal to cooperate with the ruling camp in passing legislation to revise the National Assembly Law. His statement suggested that he thinks Assembly members can be treated as goods and be borrowed and returned as the situation dictates.

Kim's remarks are a reflection of his governing style, which is marked by a reliance on the "politics of number" or "politics of force." As long as remains dedicated to these kinds of outdated ideas, there will be no bipartisan dialogue, compromise or productive politics.

On the other hand, GNP leader Lee's demand that the prosecution end its probe into suspicions that the nation's intelligence agency diverted funds into the former ruling party's election campaign cannot be justified. Lee's contention directly contravenes his long-cherished insistence on maintaining the prosecution's political neutrality. The government should not cover up the misappropriation of taxpayers' money to fund a specific political party. The opposition leader is also accountable for the fact that the GNP, the largest parliamentary force, drove the minority floor party into a corner.

In short, the recent Kim-Lee talks conformed to the usual practice of finding faults with the other side for their mistakes or wrongs. This practice must be done away with once and for all. Now that the two have said what they wanted to say, they are now called upon to humbly reflect on their own behavior, acknowledge their faults before the people and make a fresh start. The politics of expediency and trickery, as manifested in the "lending" of lawmakers, should be brought to an end in favor of a politics of principles, righteousness and rationality.