Roh Struggles in First 100 Days of Presidency

The New York Times reported on May 30 that President Roh Moo-Hyun is struggling with his political life after only three months since his inauguration.

Despite the President Roh`s ‘unprecedented request’ to “not waste our national strength in consumptive arguments” during an emergency press conference held to explain scandals regarding real estate and business, the newspaper analyzed that there is very little possibility in seeing an end to the dispute.

The New York Times reported that “the disaster faced by President Roh is something which could make any other politician stumble.” Also, quoting from statements by political analysts, the newspaper analyzed that “even when the corruption scandals were not clarified, it would have been very fatal to any other politician who has been known as a protector of the righteous and a representative of commoners, like how President Roh is.”

Moreover, his statement of “I think it`s so hard to be in the presidential position,” has put many Koreans at unease and even those who had voted for President Roh during the presidential election are confused, conveyed the New York Times.

The newspaper added that even though President Roh was able to earn his fame as a foreign policy promoter and skilled politician through his visit to the U.S., which bore unexpected results, he received numerous criticism from leftist students due to his visit. This apparently came in conflict with his presidential campaign of an ‘independent foreign policy’, and thus led to the recent political dispute. Moreover, the New York Times conveyed that President Roh is under suspicion for investing in real estate using his older brother`s name as well as exercising his political power in a spring water company in order to increase his own profit.

The New York Times cited from a review of analysts who looked into politics, that society and the environment in Korea are reasons of this heightened criticism of the President. “President Roh is the fourth president elected under democratic rule but Koreans no longer fear the President and feel that they are free to speak out without feeling any pressures,” stated Michael Brinn, an expert on Korea who has written a biography on former president, Kim Dae Jung.

“Democratization is rapidly moving in Korea much faster than Koreans are aware, thus criticism from every angle has been directed at the President,” said Ben Lim, former foreign policy advisor for President Roh`s camp during the presidential campaign. “No matter how ready one is, the presidential post is a new project for any politician.”

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