[Inside Chodong] The 'Sense of Efficacy' Created by the President Two Weeks After Taking Office

Full Throttle on Livelihoods and the Economy
Early Achievements Marked by a Sense of Efficacy
Attention Turns to Whether Results Will Be Sustainable

It has been two weeks since President Lee Jaemyung took office. With the slogan "A nation where the people are the owners, a nation where the people are happy," President Lee has been pushing the administration for people's livelihoods and the economy at full throttle from the moment he received his certificate of election the day after the presidential election. He may have had no choice, as he needed to fill the six-month administrative vacuum caused by the impeachment and removal of President Yoon Suk-yeol, and build new government policies without a preparation period. The pace has reportedly accelerated even further after he appointed Kim Yongbeom, who was renowned for his drive during his time as an economic official, as his chief policy aide. In fact, since Kim joined, there has been an increase in visits by officials from economic ministries to the presidential office, and the number of undisclosed meetings has also grown.

The president’s main official engagements have also focused on people's livelihoods and the economy. There have been over 20 publicly disclosed events, including two meetings of the Emergency Economic Task Force, which President Lee convened as his first executive order, held five days apart. Both cabinet meetings centered on key issues related to livelihoods and the economy, and the meeting with leaders of the five major conglomerates was held unusually quickly, just nine days after his inauguration. While visiting a front-line military unit, he also added stops at traditional markets and regions where the basic income system is being implemented, in order to hear directly from merchants and residents.

What were these meetings like? The cabinet, still composed of officials from the previous administration, held three- to four-hour meetings over a simple lunch of a single gimbap roll, as if they were working-level discussions. What could have been a perfunctory meeting became an open discussion of questions, opinions, understanding, and persuasion, thanks to the president’s remark, “It feels a bit awkward, doesn’t it? Let’s smile as we work.” The process of handling the highly sensitive political issue of the "three special prosecutor bills" was reportedly much the same. The first Emergency Economic Task Force meeting, which began on his first day in office, continued until 10 p.m. At the two task force meetings, the supplementary budget and inflation issues were on the table, and as the meetings progressed, questions were described as "short but specific, and the answers were detailed and lengthy."

At the same time, he has consistently delivered messages of "unity" and "pragmatism." His first luncheon with the Speaker of the National Assembly and the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties featured bibimbap, and whether at external or internal events, he wore neckties that combined red and blue, the symbolic colors of conservatives and progressives. In meetings with civil servants, he emphasized in his opening remarks that "everyone is an agent of the people, working for the nation." This was a warning against allowing the new government’s policies to be swept up in unnecessary political strife and fail to function as intended.

Yonhap News Agency

"It finally feels like the government is working." If President Lee’s breathless first two weeks could be summed up in one word, it would be "efficacy." Efficacy refers to the belief or expectation that one can solve problems by taking appropriate action in a given situation. Although there were some who dismissed it as "populism" or a "base effect," more people inside and outside the presidential office spoke of efficacy during interviews. The sense of efficacy seems to stem from the belief that the administration can correct the extreme division caused by the declaration of martial law and rescue the economy, which is on the brink.

However, there is one thing to keep in mind. "Speed" may be an effective strategy for a time, but it does not guarantee sustainability on its own. If the initial sense of efficacy does not translate into tangible results, it may become nothing more than a fleeting "political mirage." Now, it is up to the new cabinet to carefully implement President Lee’s commitment to people’s livelihoods, the economy, unity, and pragmatism. So that "efficacy" may become "pride"…