&#91EDITORIALS&#93Overstated boasts

The administration has admitted to confusion in its policies while it was organizing itself. It also noted that it was necessary to establish stricter law and order to tackle the growing social discord. We feel relieved that the government’s reflections were accurate. By admitting to responsibility for the recurring chaos in national governance for the past six months, the administration gives us hope that it would not repeat the same mistakes again in the coming four and a half years.
Yet the Office of the Prime Minister tried to paint the ordinary administrative work of the Roh administration for the past six months as achievements. Its comments failed to reflect the failures and to devise plans for improvement. That sparked our skepticism about the introspection; perhaps it was only lip service.
The recent social discord and confused governance were caused by failures to study issues and make proper preparations; it hurried policies into place with the aim of pleasing President Roh Moo-hyun. But the administration pointed the finger at others for its failures: “The policies were only drafts,” they said, or “The people involved did not understand the policy.”
The administration said it had resolved successfully the conflict in the educational community, but the teachers’ union is still objecting to the new education information system. The government claimed that it has bolstered Korea’s alliance with the United States, but it seemed to forget that it also caused the problems that caused the rifts. It said it made breakthroughs to resolve social discord, but problems with truckers, a nuclear waste dump and the Saemangeum reclamation project are getting worse.
The Prime Minister’s Office boasted that government jobs are now handed out transparently. We agree ― partly. It should listen to complaints about appointments of young Roh supporters, political aides and cronies.
There is no need to force-feed us with boasts of accomplishment. The administration should look back on the last six months calmly and see what went wrong. Then it can expect accurate, good evaluations.