[Editorial] His Chance on the Assessment Ransomed the National Administration

It is shocking that President Roh Moo-hyun has asked for an assessment of the public’s confidence in him in regards to the accumulated mistrust of the people, recently amplified by the alleged receipt of black money from SK by Choi Do-sul, one of the president’s closest aides. Whether it is right or wrong, it is such a regrettable occurrence that the President had to ask for the public’s assessment only seven months after his inauguration for the first time in the national history since the establishment of the constitution.

President Roh has said that he would decide the timing and the method of this assessment through public discussion, but we are afraid and concerned how the political strife and conflicts caused during the discussion would affect the national administration. The overseas credibility is at stake. If the political situation goes astray, foreign investment is first to leave. What about the pending question of sending troops to Iraq? Even without this, the people are suffering enough already from a worsening economy and many social conflicts.

President Roh might think that the public confidence in his morality is what matters the most, but I question whether it can replace the importance of a stable national administration. It is enough for him to let the person is punished for what he has done and to apologize to the people about it. It is hardly understandable that he said that he needed to bring up the ultimate measure such as an assessment because “Whatever the result of investigation would be, it is certain that the people will distrust me.” The reason why some comment that there might be more than just Choi’s corruption to this issue is probably because of this.

The decision making is also questionable. He came back from the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) + Korea, China, and Japan summit meeting held in Bali on October 9 and stated his opinion on the assessment the next morning. He could have pondered over it from Bali, but he was said to have decided quickly overnight despite his advisors’ suggestion not to. If he ever made such a critical decision out of ‘impulse’, this cannot be more irresponsible. An old saying goes, ‘Words of a ruler are like drops of sweat.” It means that the words of a supreme authority in the national administration cannot be restored just as the drops of sweat cannot be put back in.

Some say that President Roh is throwing a chance in political game-playing. If it is ‘an act to bring about critical mentality to assemble his supporters in order to front-attack the current situation’ according to some opinion, it is inadmissible. Who in the world would ransom the people and the national administration as president in order to evade a crisis?

We do not know to which direction the results of the assessment of the public confidence in the president will lead us. Some in the opposition party are already discussing the specific process of the assessment, but some say that the president has to withdraw the decision completely. Whatever their conclusion would be, we are afraid because this whole refutation will affect the stability of national administration negatively. I am worried about the people rather than about the president now.