[Opinion] Good Politics Means the People Are Comfortable

Recently, a former member of the People Power Party I met lamented, "There is no strategy, and no attention to detail." This was an evaluation of President Yoon Suk-yeol's governance. Although there are many statements about what he intends to do, it does not seem like these are presented after systematic and in-depth consideration. He diagnosed, "Because things are thrown out first, the subsequent processes are not smooth, causing various problems." It was a concern that the government does not operate like clockwork, perhaps due to a lack of political experience. It was also a criticism that there is insufficient communication with various stakeholders who may be involved in the implementation process and a lack of consideration for foreseeable situations.

Listening to this, I recalled something I had heard before from an acquaintance who worked with President Yoon at the prosecution office. When asked about President Yoon's investigation style during his time as a prosecutor, he replied, "He basically sweeps everything up first." This meant that instead of precisely targeting and excising the problematic parts in advance, his style was to broadly scan first. It made me think that President Yoon's current governance style is similar to his investigative approach as a prosecutor. Looking back, the process of relocating the presidential office or pushing forward medical reform were examples of this.

In Conditions for Presidential Success (co-edited by Lee Suk-jong and Kang Won-taek, EAI), three conditions for a president to successfully carry out governance were identified: a vision for national development, a systematic national agenda based on that vision, and the ability to concretize the agenda into policies through policy execution. The role and leadership of the presidency depend on how harmoniously these three factors?national vision, policy priorities, and execution strategy?are pursued. How does President Yoon measure up in this regard?

On April 16, after the crushing defeat in the general election, President Yoon presided over his first Cabinet meeting and said, "I humbly accept the public sentiment expressed through the general election. I will communicate more with a lower posture and flexible attitude, and I will listen to the public first." He also said, "No matter how right the direction of governance is or how many good policies are pursued, if the people do not actually feel the change, the government has not fulfilled its role." Because the defeat was so significant, many media outlets predicted that there would be groundbreaking changes in the president's message, personnel, and governance. However, that was as far as it went. Since the general election, nothing has happened that the public can feel as a change in governance. Nothing has changed.

It is hard to feel impressed by personnel appointments. Rather, the word "regression" is being used. The relationship with the leaders of both parties?Han Dong-hoon of the People Power Party and Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party?is ambiguous. They have met, but there are no tangible results. Nothing is resolved, and conflicts persist. The momentum to realize policies has diminished. Meanwhile, the livelihood of the people is difficult, and the future of the Korean economy is not optimistic. The real estate market is stirring, and voices worrying about a medical crisis are growing louder. In short, the public's mind is uneasy. There is discomfort, anxiety, and dissatisfaction somewhere. Good politics requires the people to feel at ease.

President Yoon will brief the public on governance tomorrow. It is commendable for the highest authority to communicate with the people, explain, and seek understanding. I hope he will have ample Q&A with reporters as well. However, that alone is not enough. Many are worried about the country's future. The president must win the hearts of the people. To do so, a drastic change must come first. Whether conservative or progressive, if there is no change, it is reactionary. He must have sincere and substantive dialogue with the leaders of both parties. I hope to see a president who listens more than speaks, solves problems, and produces results during the governance briefing. In three months, the term will reach its halfway point.