There is a lot of interest in who will replace Deputy Prime Minister for Finance and Economy Lee Hun Jai, most of all because the choice could result in a change in the tone of economic policy. The job is that important. One would hope first and foremost that the replacement does not get tied up with ethical questions. Once the person in charge of the country's economic team has his ethical standing called in to question in various ways it is hard to have faith in the policies that are being implemented. Do not the instances of Lee Hun Jai and Lee Ki Jun speak of that? Cheong Wa Dae needs to reflect on what it has gotten wrong and be thorough about checking up on who it appoints this time around.
The new deputy prime minister will be required to be a reformist. The two deputy PM's for economy that have been appointed since the start of Roh Moo Hyun's government did not meet that expectation. Maybe the government will say that it urgently wanted to achieve a breakthrough in the economic stagnation and that the political climate had not been favorable towards reform, but that tone must not continue. The economy is showing hints of recovery and the political situation has changed for the better. Furthermore the "common growth" and "advanced economy" President Roh has been talking about these days make a reformist deputy PM essential. Achieving "common growth" requires the serious socio-economic disparity be resolved and the whole economic system will have to be changed if Korea is going to enjoy an "advanced economy." You cannot conceive of achieving those without reform. The president needs to consider the fact there remains only 2 years within which he can really get something accomplished.
You cannot forget the need for "expertise," too. But if that must not be overemphasized to the point that it becomes reason to limit the choices to known individuals such as former bureaucrats. Such people can easily be tainted by old habits and dated thinking. That is why we think that some of the people being discussed in the press as possible candidates will have a hard time gaining the country's' confidence. It would seem some are not without certain shortcomings. That would be why finding the right individual is a difficult task. Even so, the government needs remember the weight of the mission at hand and to do the best it can with the mindset that it needs to find hidden talent.
The Hankyoreh, 9 March 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Replacing Lee Hun Jai |
