[Lee Jae Myung Administration 100 Days] "President Lee's Steps Toward Integration and Communication Commendable... Bipartisan Cooperation Still Lacking"

Integration and Pragmatism: Strengths and Shortcomings Reviewed
Positive Assessment for Social Stabilization After the 12·3 Martial Law
Calls for a Measured Approach to the Reform Drive

Editor's Note
The December 3 Martial Law, which shocked Korean society, led to the aftermath of an early presidential election. The Lee Jaemyung administration was launched with the historical responsibility of alleviating public anxiety and restoring the social system to normalcy. Without even a presidential transition committee, the new administration began its term on June 4, the day after the election, and will mark its 100th day on the 11th. The administration has yet to fully form its first cabinet, and has been running at a breakneck pace, handling urgent issues such as the South Korea-U.S. summit, even before establishing a complete team. In order to assess the Lee Jaemyung administration’s capacity for statecraft, Asia Economy attempted a broad diagnosis, focusing not on conventional sectoral evaluations such as politics, economy, and society, but rather on broader categories: ▲integration and communication ▲pragmatic diplomacy ▲growth strategy. By reviewing the achievements and shortcomings of the administration’s first 100 days, we aim to diagnose the direction the Lee Jaemyung government should take for the remainder of its term.

"Efforts on national integration and communication are commendable, but there are still no tangible results in terms of genuine cooperative governance..."

Political scientists and commentators unanimously agree that President Lee Jaemyung has devoted significant effort to integration and communication to ease social conflict. This is closely related to the reality of our society, which has been effectively split in two since December of last year. If the spread of hatred and antagonism is left unchecked, it will be difficult to expect a recovery of momentum in state affairs. While mired in the aftermath of the December 3 incident, the damaged economy could deteriorate further and enter a phase where recovery becomes even more challenging.

This is why the presidency, secured through the June 3 presidential election, must go beyond its own support base and strive to gain the understanding and consent of the broader public. The problem, however, is that national integration and communication have been the shared goal and unfinished task of all previous administrations. Even in normal times, it is difficult to untangle the knot of national division, and in a situation where wounds have been inflicted due to differing perceptions surrounding the December 3 Martial Law, the task of integration is inevitably even more challenging.

Another variable is the special prosecutor’s investigation extending to the main opposition party. The People Power Party is staging a sit-in protest at the National Assembly in resistance to the special prosecutor’s search and seizure attempts. In this context, some argue that expecting bipartisan cooperation is an unrealistic assumption. Nevertheless, sparks of change are emerging, such as President Lee meeting with the new leaders of both ruling and opposition parties on the 8th.

"Proposing dialogue with the opposition and meeting with disaster victims' families were positive steps"

Kim Cheolhyeon, a distinguished professor at Kyungil University, said, "President Lee’s efforts for communication and integration immediately after the launch of the new administration deserve high praise," adding, "A representative example is President Lee’s proposal to meet with the leadership of both parties, including Jang Donghyeok, leader of the People Power Party, after returning from his recent visits to the United States and Japan."

It is noteworthy that attempts at national integration are expanding beyond politics to society as a whole. Park Seongtae, head researcher at the Human and Society Research Institute, commented, "President Lee met with the families of victims from major social disasters such as the Sewol Ferry, Itaewon, Jeju Air passenger plane, and Osong underpass, and expressed his apologies and condolences." Park especially emphasized, "This demonstrated a normalization of politics rarely seen in previous administrations."

The normalization of state affairs and politics has been widely desired and anticipated. Jang Seungjin, professor of political science and international relations at Kookmin University, also cited the normalization of state administration, which had been dysfunctional for the past three years, as the greatest achievement. Professor Jang noted, "Regarding issues such as the Gangneung drought, President Lee visited the site to listen to local voices," analyzing, "As a former administrator, his professionalism and attention to detail are commendable."

The strong drive for reform also received high marks. Park Sangcheol, president of the American Constitutional Law Society and former director of the National Assembly Research Service, said, "Reforms such as prosecutorial reform should be carried out with lightning speed early in the administration," and praised, "The administration’s sense of urgency is a strong point." The administration’s emphasis on pragmatism, while not neglecting concern for the socially disadvantaged, was also positively evaluated. Park noted, "It is meaningful that while pursuing growth-oriented economic policies, the administration has maintained a policy stance considerate of the socially vulnerable." Choi Changryeol, professor at Yongin University, diagnosed, "By emphasizing a pragmatic market-oriented government, President Lee has dispelled concerns from the conservative side."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 9th Senior Secretary and Aide Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul on the 4th. 2025.9.4 Photo by Presidential Office Press Photographers Group Yonhap News

"No cooperative governance visible to the public yet"

When asked about the shortcomings of the Lee Jaemyung administration, the most common response was that the public has yet to feel any real change. However, considering that only 100 days have passed since the start of the term, there is general agreement that there is room for improvement. Professor Kim Cheolhyeon said, "Although President Lee is making efforts to cooperate with the opposition, which was a weakness of the Yoon Sukyeol administration, if these efforts do not lead to tangible results, it may end up as mere rhetoric." He added, "In this context, discord between the administration and the ruling party has become apparent, and in reality, there is virtually no cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties."

Jo Jinman, professor of political science and international relations at Duksung Women’s University, also stated, "Although President Lee continues to send messages of integration, there is still little visible cooperation or agreement from the party level or the opposition," emphasizing, "Since cooperative governance that the public can feel is essentially parliamentary cooperation, normalizing the National Assembly is the most urgent task."

With the new administration’s first regular session of the National Assembly underway, issues such as the state audit, budget deliberations, and contentious legislative bills are expected to further accelerate confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. Shin Yul, professor of political science and international relations at Myongji University, said, "For cooperative governance, President Lee needs to listen more to the opposition," adding, "It is contradictory to push through controversial bills like the Yellow Envelope Act and the amendment to the Commercial Act, which the opposition fiercely opposed, and then call for integration."

On July 3rd, citizens are watching President Lee Jae-myung's 30-day inauguration press conference in the waiting room of Seoul Station, Jung-gu, Seoul. 2025.7.3. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

"Anger is a trigger... but it cannot resolve issues"

Some suggest that a pause is needed for a smooth landing of the reform drive. Professor Jo advised, "Even if the direction of reform is correct, it is necessary to adjust the pace. In a democratic country, not everything can be pushed through unilaterally, and it is important to ensure the legitimacy of the process so that moderates do not perceive it as excessive."

Professor Jang said, "Although I personally agree with prosecutorial reform, there is a lot of noise in the process," advising, "It would be better to proceed more carefully and at a more measured pace." Park also cautioned, "While anger can serve as a trigger to move things forward, it should be remembered that anger alone cannot resolve issues."

There are also many who believe that fundamental change is necessary to resolve Korea’s accumulated challenges. In other words, bold steps are needed to secure the momentum for constitutional reform and to bring about a major transformation of the 1987 system. Chairman Park Sangcheol stated, "Political integration structurally requires debate and the ability to express differing opinions," adding, "True integration is difficult to achieve under a winner-takes-all system." Professor Choi emphasized, "Although President Lee has mentioned constitutional reform several times, he needs to take greater initiative himself to generate real momentum for reform," urging, "Stronger leadership is needed."