GNP Says Roh Government Invited Leadership Crisis

Six Months into President Roh Moo-hyun`s term of office, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) leveled criticism at his new government on Sunday.

In a statement, Park Jin, a GNP spokesman, said that Mr.Roh`s leadership already disappeared and his approval rating plummeted. He pointed out that the new government itself invited the current leadership crisis.

He also said that unless the president regains the leadership, the Korean people`s complaints, mistrust and anxiety would not clear away and that from now he should run the nation following laws and principles.

In a report that lists cases in which the Roh government invited leadership crisis, the GNP spokesmen`s office grouped the cases as follows: the President`s remarks to acknowledge his lack of leadership and his inappropriate, untimely remarks; the ruling camp`s criticism against the president; the president`s failure to understand the reality; conflicting views among different ministries on the same issue; and the president`s spurious reform plan.

For the president`s remarks to acknowledge his lack of leadership, the GNP cited "I cannot work as president," "Nowadays, it is too difficult" and "Sometimes I regret becoming president." His inappropriate and untimely remarks are his emphasis on getting rid of political weeds in his letter on Parents` Day, toasting with the Japanese emperor on Memorial Day, and remarks on how to respond to false media reports at a debate session with 130 people including ministers and vice ministers attending.

His reckless behaviors based on the failure to understand the reality included his golf outing with the first lady on the day marking the 3rd anniversary of the historic inter-Korean summit meeting and his remarks to allow communist party activities. A case for mixed views among ministries and government agencies was a conspiracy theory within the ruling camp.

Min-Hyuk Park mhpark@donga.com