[Editorial] Time to Join Hands to Make Things Right

During a special news conference yesterday, President Lee Myung-bak offered his second apology to the nation in less than a month, saying, “I feel deep regret for having failed to take care of the nation and live up to public expectations.” He added, “The administration will make its every effort to secure a firm U.S. government guarantee to prohibit American beef from cattle older than 30 months from entering the Korean market.” His remarks can be construed that he showed his strong will to respect public opinion.

In the same vein, the president said that he would abandon his election pledge to build an inland waterway spanning the Korean Peninsula if the project is opposed by the people. Lee also stressed that he would carry out a series of streamlining measures such as management reforms, integration and privatization, using a more neutral term of “advancement” rather than “privatization,” indicating he was fully aware of the ungrounded rumors circulating around the government’s imminent attempt to privatize state-run corporations. He pledged that the upcoming reshuffle of the top presidential aides and the Cabinet will reflect the popular will via consulting the opinion of the people. In other words, he promised to accept public sentiment that has recently been unveiled.

It is not quite happy to see the president once again bow his head down in apology after just his first 100 days in office. Nonetheless, there has been no alternative option at the moment for him, except to make a fresh departure. The government should bear in mind that it should not bungle this golden opportunity with unnecessary mistakes, and should get the state affairs on the right track as soon as possible through taking a resolute step toward forming a new Cabinet lineup.

It is needless to say that the president should follow a national consensus. If he is wise, however, he should understand that he must be able to draw cooperation and support from every rank and file of the nation in order to carry out things as planned. The true leadership lies in this simple fact, which can only be possible through communication with the public. If he could make a breakthrough from the current impasse and turn around the sagging economy to advance the nation, the disgrace he faces today will be pale in comparison with the glory he may achieve.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticized Lee’s apology and determination to restart as “empty political rhetoric.” The People’s Council for Countermeasures against Mad Cow Disease also announced, “The public will continue its resistance as long as the government refuses to renegotiate terms over U.S. beef imports.” Their responses are regrettable. We cannot but ask them, “How much more political disruption and leadership vacuum should the nation suffer?” We believe this is not what the public really wants. Now is the time for the people and the political circles alike to return to their ordinary lives to do their best and at the same time keep a watchful eye on the government whether it fulfills its promise, if they really think about the nation’s future.