[Editorial] Pact Between Chung and Park Is Matter of Action

Ruling Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young and opposition Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye yesterday made an agreement on a bipartisan pact for political reform and economic growth. They pledged to stimulate the economy, eradicate corruption and operate the National Assembly under this principle. This is quite a good sign. Simply seeing the two leaders make up with each other from the general election and promise to bring a new paradigm of co-existence into politics will surely encourage people.

What counts the most is taking action. There have been some similar talks in the past, but we’ve rarely seen them observed as well as they should be. With concerns about this, the two leaders unprecedentedly chose a stronger word: “pact,” instead of “agreement.” There is no short cut for action. Bearing the public opinion of the general election in mind every moment, the two parties are expected to figure out solutions to pending issues step by step in the sprit of mutual understanding and compromise.

No wonder they should start from the simple ones. Beginning with non-ideological and non-political issues will allow them to make progress and gradually build confidence. Regardless of their ardor, the two leaders should also listen to the comments that this pact contains way too much. It is forecasted that there are as much as tens of special committees or organizations in the National Assembly, according to the pact.

Top executives and lawmakers of the two parties should also be supportive of their leaders. Any personal interests, races for cabinet postings, and internal conflicts caused by the party’s management system reform should not be allowed to bother the two leaders’ decision. It is also important to try not to make the approval of a new prime minister a confronting issue in the first session of the new National Assembly.

What we need now is confidence and patience. Everyone should wait and see with patience whether the bipartisan talks can be a small but meaningful step towards confidence and co-existence. This may become a new and powerful opportunity to design a new paradigm after the “three-Kims” era in our political history.