Holiday present to the people?

When announcing that he was running for the December presidential election, Ahn Cheol-soo suggested a meeting with the three frontrunners, namely Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party, Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party and himself, to wage their election campaigns focused on policies. In another comment Friday, Ahn called the talks "a present for the nation" if held before the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holidays next week. Park said she was willing to talk to him if circumstances allow, while Moon also positively responded to the meeting.

Showing the will of presidential candidates to hold a fair and policy-focused political campaign in front of the nation will have no harm. Ahn, however, apparently wants to give the people the impression that he is one of the major candidates and is taking the lead in a policy-focused political campaign. He entered the race late after considering it for a year. Holding such a ceremonial meeting on political campaigns without specific policies is hardly a quality present for the nation before such a big holiday.

Koreans spend Chuseok with their families and relatives, talking about politics and the economy. So the holidays are politically important to the extent that they are considered the first big match in the presidential election. In 2006, Lee Myung-bak widened the gap between him and Park over the Chuseok period to a double-digit difference. As a result, he won the then Grand National Party’s presidential nomination in 2007. Political experts say all of this year`s runners must garner support over the Chuseok season because this year’s election is expected to be tight. This means anyone who creates more positive buzz will secure better chances. Koreans have three candidates as their leader for the next five years but lack sufficient information to make such a big decision.

Moral standards, qualifications and the ability to govern are the most important values to consider in choosing a head of state. With whom will a president lead is also important as well as the chief executive`s vision and policies. The Korean people have at the very least a rough picture on these matters when it comes to Park and Moon based on their parties. Ahn, however, is different. He needs to provide the nation with a very basic picture of his ideas.

If these candidates truly want to offer a present to the nation before Chuseok, they should present what they have by this weekend. If they do this, they should also let the people know with whom and how they are going to carry out their plans. Holding grand events or listening to the less privileged are never enough to touch the core of a presidential election.