[Ask The Era]How to Become a Successful President

Concerns Over Loss of Balance in the Imperial Presidency
Beware of Reform Turning Into Political Retaliation
Lack of a Mid- to Long-Term National Vision on the 80th Anniversary of Liberation
Public Disappointment Over Controversial Political Pardons
Restoring Trust for Social Integration in a Divided Society

Regardless of whether he agreed or not, it is rare to see a president who started with conditions as favorable as President Lee Jaemyung, and who has also been accompanied by such good fortune. When the Yoon Sukyeol administration, long hampered by a National Assembly dominated by the opposition, made the misjudgment of declaring martial law and was forced to step down, everything was instantly reversed. The ruling party, now wielding two-thirds of the parliamentary seats, has seized complete control of the National Assembly. After the nomination process that eliminated dissenters, non-mainstream and opposition factions within the Democratic Party have already disappeared. At the slightest gesture or word from the president, lawmakers race to push through bills. As the party leader described, it is truly “perfectly coordinated, lightning fast.” This is the first administration where the government and the National Assembly have become one body?yet it is a dangerous “complete unity.”

Perhaps because the People Power Party has been ensnared by the label of “martial law and rebellion sympathizers,” it shows neither the will nor the strategy to overcome its numerical disadvantage, and it is poor at building public consensus. The party convention to elect a new leader fails to generate even the slightest “convention effect,” and cannot even retain its existing approval ratings. That is not all. Even though this is supposed to be the so-called “honeymoon period” after the inauguration, more media outlets and broadcasters are becoming wary of the new administration. Civic groups, once vocal, and labor unions that frequently took to the streets, have grown quiet. Not only the police, but even the prosecutors who hounded him under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, have quickly changed sides. The three special prosecutors, undeterred by human rights controversies, are now competing for results by targeting the former president and his wife. Even the judiciary, once the last bastion, has been shaken, and the balance has already tipped. The president also inherits, as an unearned benefit, the nation’s image, now greatly elevated by its top-10 global economic power and the worldwide popularity of K-pop.

He is also in the international spotlight. He presided over the 80th Liberation Day ceremony and has upcoming summits with Japan and the United States. The previous president’s inexplicable and clumsy declaration of martial law ultimately flung open the doors to the Lee Jaemyung era. In just six months, the country has undergone a dramatic transformation. Foreigners, laying the groundwork for their questions, ask, “Has Korea always been this dynamic?” The answer inevitably grows long.

With the domestic political landscape so overwhelmingly in his favor, it seems there is nothing the president cannot do if he sets his mind to it. Power always attracts flatterers and sycophants. Hardliners, disguised as loyalists, take the lead and seize the initiative, while moderates and pragmatists hide behind the curtain. Unless one is willing to risk their political life?or perhaps even more?open criticism or opposition is impossible. Yet paradoxically, this is precisely the time when the greatest caution is required. Leaders must always be vigilant to ensure that now is not that very moment.

The current Constitution grants the president such strong powers that the system is called an “imperial presidency.” The real problem will arise if the Lee Jaemyung administration begins to walk the path of an emperor. If the fundamental principle of democracy?separation of powers?becomes a mere formality and is rendered ineffective, then both “checks and balances” and the “rule of law” will disappear. Only “rule by law” will remain. This is the path of misfortune and tragedy that previous presidents could not resist. A wise president must not repeat these mistakes.

Past administrations have always shifted blame to their predecessors when things went wrong. But this time is different. In the previous administration’s situation, dominated by an opposition-majority parliament, blaming the former president is neither useful nor convincing. Shifting responsibility to someone who is now in prison could even provoke a backlash.

Global economic and trade conditions, as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, are also worrisome. The Moon Jaein administration, with its romantic view of security, lost trust in the international community and became isolated. This happened because it failed to uphold the basics in the harsh world of international politics. Securing talent to lead the AI era and ensuring a stable energy supply are also urgent issues. Ultra-low birth rates, rapid aging, and pension reform are pressing problems. The administration must quickly abandon the emotional agitation, divisiveness, and hypocrisy it routinely engaged in while in opposition, including nationalism and hate-mongering.

Now, with the political environment more favorable than ever, is the right time for reform. However, if reform devolves into purging individuals, it becomes political retaliation. Past administrations’ efforts to “eradicate deep-rooted evils” and “set history right” were ultimately buried, leaving only tears and resentment, and ended in regime change. They may have succeeded in removing political enemies, but public opinion and sentiment turned cold, and reform regressed. Retaliation only breeds further retaliation in a vicious cycle. This is why Korea needs a progressive administration for the 21st century, not the 19th.

The Liberation Day address marking the 80th anniversary showed no vision for the future. There was not even a blueprint looking 10 or 20 years ahead, let alone a “new 80 years.” In Korea, presidents change every five years, and long-term policies have disappeared. The country has lost its future. Civil servants are preoccupied with keeping their positions, and although the country has come this far thanks to the efforts of businesspeople, even they are now overly conscious of the administration’s mood. The government must remove anti-business sentiment and establish a long-term national vision so companies can focus on their work. Provide support, not interference! That is how the country will survive. That is true reform and genuine progress. Unscientific and irrational policies like “nuclear phase-out” will ruin the country.

Mutual growth and coexistence have been values championed by Lee Jaemyung since before he became president. Although he mentioned these in his Liberation Day address, he tarnished his “style” with a special pardon. The two figures pardoned, who became the subject of media controversy, were seen by the public as a political pardon that did not fit the spirit of Liberation Day and as favoritism toward his own circle. With a bit more caution, he could have avoided criticism that “his words and actions are inconsistent.”

Defending liberal democracy is the president’s foremost duty. Korea’s liberal democracy is an achievement built with the people’s blood, sweat, and tears, and is a sacred value. Nevertheless, it was surprising that the word “freedom” was omitted from this year’s address, with only “democracy” repeatedly mentioned. Democracy is an ambiguous and pleasing term, but we have seen countless dictatorships commit abuses in its name. Even North Korea calls itself the “Democratic People’s Republic.”

As the address emphasized, the new administration must become a “government of trust.” As the president said, “Trust is built through action.” This makes self-reflection all the more necessary. A leader lacking sincerity and morality cannot earn trust, no matter what actions they take. Have the people ever been so divided and consumed by hatred as they are now? The responsibility of politicians is immense. “Inclusion,” “harmony,” and “unity” are only possible on the foundation of trust. To properly teach the next generation who will lead the country’s future, leaders must set an example. The president must stand at the very front.

Kim Hyung-o, Former Speaker of the National Assembly