[Editorial] Let’s Learn Lesson from Kim Dae-jung Government

President-elect Roh Moo-hyun should engrave on his memory the image of President Kim Dae-jung retiring to his private house in Donggyo-dong, Seoul, for the next five years. Above all, he should make sure that the first to do is to remove the Kim Dae-jung government’s shadow. Then he should get to a start determined to take all the mistakes of the predecessor. It is a call given to the leader of a country, who have unlimited liability.

Mr. Roh should not let political or private love and hate ruin judgment. In addition, he should get rid of a sense of responsibility for President Kim or those that contributed a lot to his election. Likewise, he should shake off all regrets over ruling party members that did not support him, and the rival opposition parties. He should keep in mind that Kim Dae-jung government’s failure in the management of the vassalage and relationship with the opposition parties has hampered Kim’s government throughout his term of office and gave causes of discord within the ruling camp.

When it comes to the continuous criticism about President Kim’s self-righteousness, Mr. Roh should remember the saying, "Let another’s shipwreck be your sea-mark." A case in point is the so-called sunshine policy of engaging the North, which resulted in hostility between the conservative and the reform-minded and eventually made Mr. Kim leave Cheong Wa Dae amid allegations of behind-the-scenes deals with North Korea. He gave too much value to a goal and his excessive self-assurance spoiled reasonable judgment. Mr. Roh should remember that Mr. Kim’s attachment to performance and achievement made his retirement all the more dismal. A complaint that you just try to find faults, not praising what deserves praises cannot apply to the leader of a nation. Nobody is born "emperor-like president." Everyone can be one when blind to power.

After all, all sorts of problems boil down to personnel matters. It is very dangerous for same-minded figures to surround a president. Ceaseless controversy regarding favoritism and concentration in a certain region in appointments, so called gate scandals and the arrest of Mr. Kim’s two sons all resulted from this. The lesson that Mr. Roh should learn from his predecessor is that he should keep his ears wide and not get together just with same-mined people.