[Editorial] A Wise and Skillful Prime Minister

You actually thought for a moment that you would be able to see the current session of the National Assembly end relatively quietly, but on the final day of questions for the government you again had to see an ugly emotional and vulgar exchange between the prime minister and members of the main opposition party.

This time around the ugliness began when Grand National Party (GNP) Assembly member Hong Joon Pyo persistently tried to pin down prime minister Lee Hae Chan on his relationship with the "legal community broker" Yoon Sang Lim. When Hong went on and on without ever bringing up anything new, Lee responded by reminding Hong that he had once lost his Assembly seat for violating election laws. The exchange continued with cynicism and yelling, with Hong saying he "at least didn't party with a 'broker,''' and Lee telling him to not make personal attacks. From elsewhere on the main floor you heard more vulgarity. They didn't grab at each other's necks, but otherwise it was like a fight among street thugs.

An Assembly member who tries to bully the prime minister to put him in his place and a prime minister who is consistently predictable are both a problem, but we think the prime minister has more responsibility to bear. He is the man responsible for overseeing everything about affairs of state for the president. If the National Assembly is sent into a state of commotion because of his attitude instead of what he may actually have to say, that in itself makes running the government more difficult. Did not his coarse and aggressive answers to questions during 2004 lead to the Assembly's virtual incapacitation for a full two weeks?

A wise and skillful prime minister does not fight back tit for tat when a member of the opposition goes on the attack. He might feel some gratifying relief at the time, but it does not comfort the people. The people give him more confidence when he displays the kind of maturity that knows how to take a step back and use refined language even in response to rough and belligerent questions. Opposition Assembly members, for their part, need to stop treating the prime minister and other members of the cabinet as if they were their subordinates.

The Hankyoreh, 2 March 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]