Even Trump Left a Letter for Biden
Dialogue Is Needed to Break the Cycle of Distrust
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The direct clash between President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Seok-youl raises concerns on multiple fronts. As if mocking the unstable transition of power, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and the number of COVID-19 deaths reached its highest the previous day. Amid these crisis signals erupting everywhere, conflicts between the old and new powers have been confirmed even at the highest levels.
It has been half a month since the presidential election ended, yet President Moon and President-elect Yoon have not even had a customary meeting. Several efforts to arrange meetings were made, but only discord was confirmed. The term "old-new conflict" has become a common phrase summarizing the clash between the two. The conflict between the incumbent president and the president-elect is dividing the public into two camps. Some interpret it as the incumbent president throwing a tantrum against the next administration’s governance, while others worry about the tragic history that Korean presidents have faced after leaving office. This is far from the "unity" that has been repeatedly called for.
In a constitutional presidential system with a fixed term, a transition of power occurs periodically. How smoothly this period is carried out essentially determines the quality of democracy in that country. In the case of U.S. presidents, it is customary for the outgoing president to leave a handwritten letter for the incoming president. Even former U.S. President Donald Trump, who contested the election results claiming fraud, reportedly left a "kind letter" for his successor, President Joe Biden.
Amid sharp disputes involving the incumbent president’s "overreach" of legitimate rights and "entrenchment" tactics against the next administration, a stable transition of power is hard to promise. The conflict between old and new powers is not merely a problem of the transition period but also jeopardizes the stable governance of the next administration. It opens the door to extreme political confrontation. Tasks such as cabinet appointments and the government organization act remain piled up for the new government. The starting point is the effort to break the vicious cycle of distrust through dialogue.
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