If Yoon changes, the government can change

Chang Se-jeong
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Reactions in the political arena are drastically split over the final outcome of the April 10 parliamentary elections. One side cheers, saying that the angry people have handed down a judgment on the “prosecution-led government,” while the other side laments, “We have failed to prevent criminals from becoming National Assembly members.” As public sentiment is sharply divided, there are deep concerns that the next three years will be filled with political battles, and national unity will be impossible.

Some critics pointed out that the weird proportional representation system, left unchanged, allowed for the rise of the “parasitic” Rebuilding Korea Party led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. Others say that the failure to change the current winner-takes-all single-member district system to the multi-member constituency system resulted in a large number of wasted votes.

According to the National Election Commission, the total number of votes cast in 254 districts nationwide was 29,234,129. Among them, the majority Democratic Party (DP) won 14,758,083 votes (50.5%) and the governing People Power Party (PPP) scored 13,179,769 (45.1%). The difference between the two major parties’ votes was only 5.4 percentage points, but the difference between their numbers of district seats was 1.78 times greater, as the DP won 161 seats while the PPP grabbed only 90. Those who blame the electoral system have a point, but it is too late.

With 192 seats, the opposition parties will most likely attack President Yoon Suk Yeol like hyenas springing on a toothless lion. They are ready to put political pressure on the administration to conduct independent counsel investigations into corruption allegations surrounding the first lady and the former defense minister’s alleged pressure on a probe of the suspicious death of a Marine last year during a search and rescue operation. President Yoon could veto the bills, but it is politically difficult for him, a lame duck in his third year in office. It is also unlikely that newly elected PPP lawmakers will faithfully defend the president, since he has no nomination power and his political influences are waning.

Already, there are signs of decoupling between the president and PPP lawmakers. Ahn Cheol-soo, who won a seat in Bundang-A District, has declared that he would support an independent counsel probe into the death of the Marine if the voting were to take place.

“Various problems concerning Yoon’s wife have hindered the state’s affairs,” said Kim Jae-seop, a lawmaker-elect of a Seoul district. “If a few toxic clauses are removed, Yoon must take seriously of the people’s demand for an independent counsel investigation.”

Looking back at the past two years, including the latest general election, many problems can be traced back to President Yoon. He may feel it unfair, but this is a fate that comes under a presidential system with overly concentrated power. Yoon once said, “All responsibilities fall on me,” after placing a desk sign reading, “The Buck Stops Here.”

Yoon may be more frustrated by criticisms from conservative groups than by those from his rivals. He joined the conservative camp suffering from the presidential impeachment, bravely tackled the Moon Jae-in administration’s failures and dramatically won the presidential election. But now, even the conservative supporters have turned cold, and it may be difficult for him to accept reality. Winning the 2022 presidential election made Yoon a political creditor of the conservatives, but he has become a debtor after losing this legislative election. He should have not suffered such a crushing defeat.

The past is the past. What matters more is the next three years. Yoon must reshuffle to ensure a successful ending to his term. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo already announced his resignation, and the presidential office, including Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup, is expected to undergo a major shakeup. Speculation is high that Yoon will carry out a mid-size reshuffle of his Cabinet.

A reshuffle is a double-edged sword. When successful, you can win public support, but when you make the wrong appointments, you lose major points. For Yoon, who seems to have nowhere else to turn, a bold change is the last chance to alter the mood of state affairs after a disastrous election loss.

The key to success is stop appointing familiar people related to the president by blood, education, hometown and career ties and instead naming talented people who are competent. If the current vetting system continues to cause problems, Yoon must not hesitate to restore the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, which can help him thoroughly screen nominees.

There is a saying that changing thoughts changes behavior, changing behaviors changes habits, changing habits changes character and changing character changes fate. If the president changes his thoughts, the fate of this country may change for the better.