Opposition should directly negotiate with Pres. Park

The opposition camp’s responses to President Park Geun-hye’s statement to the public on Friday were all negative, and indicated that the opposition parties will not accept the nomination of Kim Byung-joon as the next prime minister. “The statement was merely a letter of apology that was lacking sincerity,” main opposition Minjoo Party Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae told reporters, urging the president to accept special independent council probe and parliamentary interpellation, withdraw unilateral nomination of the prime minister candidate, and accept the appointment of a prime minister recommended by the National Assembly. The opposition leader warned that unless those demands are met, her party will launch a campaign to oust the administration. The People’s Party said in its comment, “We warn that if the president continues to avoid assuming even a minimum responsibility and stubbornly seeks to keep her presidency and deny her own involvement in and responsibility for the scandal, the party has no choice but to force her to step down or take impeach motion.”

In summary, the two opposition parties are demanding that Park accept special independent council probe and parliamentary interpellation, withdrawal of her nomination of Kim Byung-joon as prime minister, appointment of someone recommended by the National Assembly as the next prime minister, and her defection from the ruling Saenuri Party. When meeting with new presidential chief of staff Han Kwang-ok on Friday, Saenuri floor leader Chung Jin-seok said, “If political neutrality is guaranteed, we are ready to accept a special independent council probe demanded by opposition parties.” There is no reason Saenuri will reject the opposition’s demand for parliamentary interpellation. However, opposition parties and the Park administration are still in intense conflict over the scope of the next prime minister’s authorities and how to appoint the next prime minister. If the two sides fail to narrow differences and this situation continues, the purported appointment of Kim Byung-joon as prime minister would inevitably be dumped.

The political conflict is intensifying in part because lack of leadership at opposition parties. The Minjoo Party and the People’s Party, including their leading presidential candidates and effective owners Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo, initially demanded the formation of an all-nation Cabinet as a measure to regain order in state administration. When Saenuri said it would accept the demand, and proposed it to President Park, opposition parties backtracked by saying that finding the truth is a bigger priority than the formation of an all-nation Cabinet. The three largest opposition parties got together and suggested a number of fresh demands. It is uncertain whether prime minister recommended by the opposition camp would be tasked only with home administration or shall take over roles in diplomacy and national security from the president. The opposition parties have often changed their words, and added a string of random new demands, making it difficult for the public to trust them.

President Park said in her statement to the public on Friday, “I will solemnly embrace demands by the people and the National Assembly, while frequently holding dialogue with leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.” Then, it is time that the president and heads of the ruling and opposition parties gather and hold frank and sincere dialogue to discuss measures to overcome the pending crisis, ways to administer state affairs going forward, and role allocation between the president and the prime minister. If opposition parties are responsible political parties seeking to retake power, they should not be obsessed with the political plot of prolonging the current crisis and thereby creating an environment favorable to them for next year’s presidential election. The opposition parties should meet with President Park, put forward reasonable measures to address the crisis that can be accepted by the public, and hold direct negotiations with the president. The public is keeping a close watch on the opposition parties as to whether they are behaving responsibly in the wake of a national crisis.

이진녕 jinnyong@donga.com