Mr. President must roll up his sleeves again

Chang Se-jeong

The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has been working tirelessly since he took office, is spending a seven-day summer vacation at the presidential villa in Jeo Island, Geoje, South Gyeongsang. The timing coincides with the World Scout Jamboree, which kicked off on Aug. 1 in Saemangeum, North Jeolla and has been marred by a scorching heat wave and criticism over its poor preparation.

Ahead of the planned discharge of contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific at the end of August or early September, Yoon visited a local market in Geoje and listened to the opinions of the fishermen and other industry insiders. He only moved his location from Seoul to the island, but is still working during his vacation.

If the first year of his presidency was frantically busy due to his lack of political experience, now is the time to have some self-confidence and gain momentum after grasping state affairs. How about putting everything aside during the remainder of his vacation and taking a deep breath to think about his historical mission as the 20th president and refine his thoughts? As written in the novel “A name written by water” by Bok Koh-ill, which depicted the late President Syngman Rhee and his era, the second year of his presidency will determine if Yoon’s name can be written into history or engraved on bronze.

Looking back on the past year, Yoon’s handling of domestic affairs was full of confusion and conflict, while noticeable progress was made on foreign affairs. He received an evaluation that his government has achieved considerable accomplishments such as restoring trust in the Korea-U.S. alliance, normalizing Korea-Japan relations and strengthening security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan. Riding on this trend, the Korea-Japan-U.S. summit, scheduled for Aug. 18 at Camp David, is expected to be a climax.

While keeping the positive developments in diplomacy and national security, Yoon must change the mood and push reforms forward in internal affairs as his presidency is already in its second year. Although the heavy rainfalls were sudden, the responses by public servants in North Chungcheong, Cheongju City, North Chungcheong Police Agency and the National Agency for Administrative City Construction were extremely disappointing, dealing a fatal blow to the bureaucracy.

Looking back at the copycat crimes that are fast spreading through social media after the deadly stabbing sprees in Sillim-dong, Seoul and Bundang, Gyeonggi, we can see that the pathological phenomenon in the Korean society has crossed a critical point. Politicians received money when they elected their party chair, while construction companies omitted steel reinforcements when they built apartment buildings. In addition to this lack of morality, discipline has collapsed in all areas whether in officialdom or civic society. To set the country right, two things must be done first.

First, a strong anti-corruption campaign is necessary. Among the 91 apartment complexes commissioned by the state-owned Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), steel reinforcements were omitted at 15 places, shocking the entire nation. Concerns grow that there could be more cases. Some called the LH a construction mafia, arguing that the cartel of profits and vested interests must be broken in the industry. But critics show a cynical response as they believe that the legal circles — arguably the largest and the most deeply-rooted interest cartel — is remaining untouched while the government targets smaller problems.

The arrest of former independent counsel Park Young-soo, who played a key role in putting former President Park Geun-hye in prison, revealed the true nature of the legal cartel behind the suspicious Daejang-dong scandal. Yoon, a former prosecutor general, must order Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon to launch extensive investigations into everyone without exception, regardless of the president’s personal connections from the past.

Second, reforming the judiciary is most urgently needed. Nonsense is prevalent not only in the public sector but throughout our society, and injustice and illegality are not properly punished. Since the Cho Kuk scandal in 2019, punishments have varied depending on political merits and demerits. Some judges even delay trials indefinitely, fueling plaintiffs’ dissatisfaction.

There may be many reasons, but the responsibility of the system of Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su is not light. After former President Moon Jae-in named Kim to the post in 2017, criticisms continued that under Kim’s leadership, members of the progressive judges’ group were appointed to key posts, and trials proceeded politically. As Kim’s tenure ends on Sept. 24, a new wind of change should be blown into the legal community.

Kim’s successor is expected to be announced around Aug. 20. The nominee for chief justice must be a legal professional who can be respected by everyone for morality, competence and national vision. Even if the executive and legislative branches are shaken, the judiciary must hold the center firmly. Perhaps the country’s fate and social discipline depend on the president’s choice of the next Supreme Court chief justice.

When Yoon returns to the presidential office on Aug. 9, the people will wonder what he planned during his vacation. We want to see concrete changes soon.