[EDITORIALS]Confusion makes things worse

The Uri Party has established three special committees to come up with policies to turn the economy around. The special committees are on job creation, regulation reform and future strategy.
The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly agreed in May to establish the committees together with the Political Reform and Inter-Korean Affairs special committees. It seems that the Uri Party intends to demonstrate its will by establishing them in the party first.
But that is not enough. People still don’t know what the real intentions of the ruling party are. Shin Ki-nam, Uri Party chairman, said, “In essence, the party will concentrate on matters related to people’s livelihood.” But people also remember Mr. Shin’s press conference on May 19, during which he said, “I will concentrate the energy of the party on our effort to reform the press and the judiciary and to revise the law on revealing the truth related to pro-Japanese activities.” We have to ask what his true intentions are.
Chun Jung-bae, the floor leader of the Uri Party, is in the same position. He said, “The party will make the special session in August and the plenary session in September save the people’s livelihood and the economy.” But he also said recently, “It is necessary to re-investigate the explosion of Korean Air Flight 858.” People who remember his earlier remarks feel confused.
Mr. Chun emphasized the importance of “concentrating” the national strength on reviving the economy. If he really intends to do so, he must first explain his divisive remarks last month: “Objections to the government plan to move the capital have the intention of shaking up the administration and are regionally biased. They are trying to save the vested interests of the wealthy upper class living in the Seoul metropolitan area.”
Although the Uri Party has a majority of the seats in the Assembly, it must maintain consistency if the party wants to pursue a policy properly. In reality, the economy will not revive with only talk, as long as the Uri Party drives society to anxiety with press reforms, investigations into the past and reform of private education.
A few special committees will not revive the economy either. If the Uri Party is really interested in saving the economy, it must try to win the minds of the people. If people’s minds are at peace, the economy will improve naturally.