Senior leaders call on rival parties for shared responsibility

The Republic of Korea has entered an uncharted route in the wake of Friday’s passing of the impeachment bill against President Park Geun-hye. Retired national leaders unanimously said that now is the best time to recreate the Republic of Korea. However, they added they feel a significant sense of fear given that if the country fails to overcome the conventional national operation system it could plunge into an abyss. Therefore, the senior leaders said that the Republic of Korea is at the crossroads of whether it will achieve a "bloodless revolution" or be forced to destructive chaos. The Dong-A Ilbo met Sunday with Kim Jin-hyeon (80), chairman of the World Peace Forum; Heo Yeong (80), chair professor at Kyung Hee University; Kim Hyeong-oh (69), former National Assembly Speaker; and Kim Hwang-shik (68), former prime minister, and sought to find Korea’s post-impeachment course of actions.

“After the passing of the impeachment bill, I expected political leaders would urge the public to return to ordinary livelihoods and leave the legal process on the Constitutional Court," Prof. Heo said. “However, those politicians continued to stage protest rallies with people by taking to the street. If the National Assembly, which passed the impeachment bill on the ground that the president violated representational democracy, takes the lead in instigating the public, it is also a cause for impeachment of its own.”

“Public sentiment revealed through candlelight vigils includes anger against the privileged, going beyond manipulation of state affairs by President Park,” Chairman Kim said. “What sacrifice and dedication the privileged class will display to the public is important. The political circle should first engage in politics that overcome candlelight vigils, rather than relying on candlelight.”

“The fact the Park Geun-hye administration, which spawned social conflict by failing to form social unity, has resulted in public sentiment revealed in candlelight vigils,” former Prime Minister Kim said. “What the political circle should be doing at this moment is to display sense of solidarity so that our society can work hand in hand and advance together.”

“It was a big mistake that the political circle only pushed for the impeachment bill but failed to form a transitional cabinet. It was not President Park but the opposition parties that have retained the acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn administration. Therefore, the opposition parties should cooperate with the administration and should be ready to jointly take responsibility," former National Assembly Speaker Kim said. “Under the current Constitution, whoever is the president he or she will be a doomed president. Candidates for the next president should adopt constitutional amendment as their No. 1 election pledge.”

“In order to prevent the president from monopolizing power, a measure should be included in the Constitution to allow the National Assembly to hold the right to appoint the prime minister or elect a prime minister as the running mate (with the president) before the upcoming presidential election,” former Prime Minister Kim said.

“The National Assembly should include at least a by-law in the current Constitution, which enables next president to devise a conditional amendment bill and put to a national referendum within one year after his or her inauguration,” Prof. Heo said.

Jae-Myoung Lee egija@donga.com · Chan-Wuk Song song@donga.com