When will Yoon’s one-way approach end?

Lee Sang-ryeol
The author is a senior editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

From a spectator’s point of view, the winner of the first bilateral meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and majority Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday is Lee. He kept the reporters from leaving and spoke for 15 minutes. He proposed 250,000 won ($182) in cash handouts to each citizen to help ease their deepening economic pain, and demanded that the president accept a special act to launch an investigation into the mysterious death of a Marine on a rescue mission last year and another act on the Itaewon disaster. The DP leader also requested that the president express regret over his frequent vetoes of DP-proposed bills, not to mention underscoring the need for Yoon to clear up suspicions surrounding his wife and aides.

In a weird turn of events, the DP leader unexpectedly read a prepared note before the meeting. But the move was effective. The video of his remarks quickly spread on the internet, and his supporters are raving over him.

The problem lies with the president. He did not speak his thoughts to the media. In the closed-door meeting, the president reportedly spoke 85 percent of the time, while Lee did 15 percent. A very small portion of the president’s comments were made known through other attendees to the meeting.

The first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Yoon’s inauguration in May 2022 is meaningful by itself, but the effectiveness of conveying their ideas on state affairs to the public cannot be ignored. Lee maximized the opportunity, but Yoon failed to take full advantage of the chance.

For instance, it was a precious opportunity for the president to explain why doling out cash to all citizens could actually be toxic to their livelihoods. Since the national debt-to-GDP ratio exceeded 50 percent, the country’s liabilities are ballooning fast. In addition to deepening concerns about inflation, giving out cash does not necessarily revive the economy, nor can the government afford it. But Yoon didn’t give sufficient explanations. Instead, he said, “There were talks of bigger assistance, but I cut it off at once over fiscal and inflation woes.” It looks like the president mercilessly rejected the request from the opposition leader worrying about the difficult livelihoods of the people.

The controversy over the suspicious death of the Marine and the allegations against the first lady were not discussed in the main meeting. But these are the issues the president should have clarified his positions on. The DP is determined to pass those special bills. In fact, the PPP’s crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary election reflected the voters' rage over the Yoon administration’s series of discrepancies with common sense and its failure to provide any convincing explanations. The notable examples are the president’s appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia even while he was a suspect in the case of the Marine’s death, not to mention the first lady’s acceptance of a luxury handbag from a suspicious pastor. Once again, the public’s doubts and questions have not been cleared.

Discussions on national pension reform are particularly regrettable. Lee asked Yoon to endorse a proposal by the National Assembly’s special committee on national pension reform for a 50 percent income replacement rate and 13 percent premium. It is a proposal some experts find worse — despite the merit of enhanced income protection — due to the exponential burden on future generations. Under the proposal, the government’s cumulative deficit will increase by 702 trillion by 2093. The Ministry of Health and Welfare also expressed concerns over the plan’s sustainability. Given sharp disagreements over the proposal, the meeting should have served as a venue to strike a compromise. But nobody says that the president persuaded the opposition leader to revise the proposal toward lessening the burden on the future generation. The clock is ticking, but the president blew off a precious chance.

President Yoon faces a rough path from now. The reality of the 22nd National Assembly with a massive opposition camp of 192 seats, including the DP’s 175, will frustrate many of the president’s plans. Fortunately, there is a way out. Whether the governing party is big or small, a president’s control over state affairs comes from the support of the people. Sincerely communicating with them is the starting point. But unfortunately, the government is not ready.