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South Korea’s One-Term Trap
Predictably, Lee's opponents took advantage of every misstep. Netizens, civic groups and labor unions hit the streets to denounce him, and as their ranks swelled, his support within the conservative camp evaporated. In typical Korean fashion, rather than rally around their embattled leader, GNP lawmakers began taking shots at him on the logic that by doing so, they could avoid falling themselves. It was an expression of the immaturity of South Korea's party system, which is driven more by inspirational personalities than ideology or shared political vision, leaving leaders little to fall back on when the tide begins to turn.
Various schemes are now being floated to address the fact that "Korean presidents become lame ducks from day one," according to a political scientist in Seoul who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject. The most popular (and least intrusive) fix would be to institute a U.S.-style two-term presidency, though more radical proposals include scrapping the presidency altogether in favor of a Westminster parliamentary system. Either would make sense, since the original reason for the limit has faded. "Our democracy is too mature to [fear] dictatorship," says Park Jin, a lawmaker with the Grand National Party.
Last week the country's new National Assembly Speaker, Kim Hyong-oh, said he would form a special legislative committee to study possible constitutional revisions, which would require majority approval in a national referendum and two thirds support in the legislature. Professor Park Myong Ho at Seoul's Dongguk University forecasts that such a change could be completed within two years.
That probably won't be soon enough to help the Bulldozer regain full traction, however. Lee's trade deal is in tatters. His plans to privatize public companies and launch massive infrastructure projects are on hold. And his pledge to double per capita income to $40,000 within a decade is now widely seen as beyond his political reach. "He will try to do things step by step, while adjusting some of his ambitious goals to reflect the stark reality," says Park, the GNP lawmaker. Yet his real contribution could be what South Korean politics needs most: a more stable presidency freed from the limit of a single, make-or-break term.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: nanhyang9 @ 10/22/2008 12:40:41 PM
Comment: Comments posted below are preposterous. They are obssessed with the ghost of ideology-separating leftists from rightists. There is nothing wrong with those who want to eat healthy food, rejecting something that might be contaminated or posing a potential threat. It's a common sense, thus there is no underlying "political speculation" in demanding government to take measures to ensure the safety of food. People like below are the ones who try to exploit the situation for political purposes, and make the situation worse. Below two seem to have high level of education, but lack the ability to see the situation without bias, or try to deliver false messages on purpose. Shame on you guys!
Posted By: anns2002 @ 07/21/2008 10:27:57 PM
Comment: One commentator says that
-quote- "The judgement on politics comes from 2 sources: (1) they elected a new president (overwhelmingly) and yet as he took office it was impossible to find someone in support of him" -Unquote-
He is right. But I'd like to add one important thing.
We elected new president, and we support him, but power intended young lefts are tenacious, and do not lose any occasion to make propaganda to outside world while older people remain silent.
But it is worthwhile to think that our people remained 'silent majority' for ten years, and erupted to speak up in two important occasions: Presidential election last year and the election for the National Assenbly this april. The young lefts were not honest enough to admit that people gave verdicts to them.
They shouted more after that they lost elections especially to foreign journals with their powerful English which the old generation did not hesitate to impoverish themselves to educate them.
Posted By: DaProf @ 07/18/2008 7:47:31 PM
Comment: Korea is an interesting country with charming people -- but they seem clueless when it comes to politics and science.
The judgement on politics comes from 2 sources: (1) they elected a new president (overwhelmingly) and yet as he took office it was impossible to find someone in support of him, (2) they seem totally oblivious of the ulterior political and economic motives people might have in spreading false rumors about American beef.
The judgement on their science faculties is due to their allowing emotion to control them, versus reason, when it came to the mad cow furor. Meanwhile, they're perenially the worst or 2nd worst country in the world for traffic accident fatalities, so many of which are easily preventable, and yet they do virtually nothing to improve safety. No, we have to make up lies about American farmers and politicians who are trying to kill us (their customers)! If that made any sense to you, I feel sorry for you.
The mad cow furor is an easy target when the true enemy is Ee Myung Bak.