[Editorial] Advice against Too Fast Progress Is Also Part of Reform

President-elect Roh’s camp should take the words of Lee Man-seop, former chairman of the National Assembly, as worth its weight in gold. The former National Assembly speaker said, "To worry about and give a warning to the presidential transition team against going too far from enthusiasm, favoritism and populism is also part of reform." He also warned against exclusionism in reform. In other words, he warned the incoming government not to monopolize reform.

When Mr. Roh described that reform is like flowing water, the Korean people were relieved. However, considering the current moves the transition team seems to "pour water." The transition committee is neither a decision-making organization for policy nor a policy enforcing one. It is only a temporary set up for transfer of power. However, the temporary set up is seen as an organization with supreme power, which enacts laws and enforces them. The committee is opening floodgates to reform measures running all the gamut of national administration, including reform on personnel affairs and reform of chaebol and the prosecution. Even Mr. Roh might be confused.

At this point he and his aides should meditate over the words of the former speaker. They should think whether their excessive enthusiasm in reform is abuse of authority, there is any sign of favoritism in composing the transition team, and they have inclined to populism in the name of participatory politics.

They should exactly read the will of the people who chose him in the recent presidential election. The public waned change, not "exclusive reform." They should pursue "stable reform" in order to include almost half of voters against him in his camp.

This paper sees that the former speaker is speaking for the public. It is Mr. Roh’s turn to respond to people’s worry with his action. First of all, the presidential transition team should draw the line in its authority. Reform cannot be achieved at a stroke.