[Political Reset] Becoming the "President for All" Through Restraint and Tolerance

Recently, I revisited the inaugural addresses of former presidents. They were filled with flowery rhetoric. Every one of them spoke of "unity." Former President Lee Myung-bak emphasized, "I will serve the people and bring peace to the nation. I will develop the economy and achieve social integration." Former President Park Geun-hye declared, "I will open a new era of hope in which all citizens can share in the nation's strength." Former President Moon Jae-in promised, "I will be a president for everyone. I will serve each and every citizen, even those who did not support me."

But what was the outcome? As we all know, unity was never achieved; instead, divisions deepened. The polarization between political camps became entrenched. On June 4, President Lee Jaemyung also stated in his inaugural address, "I will be a president for all, embracing and serving every citizen." Can we believe it this time?

I sincerely hope so. It is time to end our "league of our own." The people are exhausted, and the world is changing rapidly. The internal energy consumed by acting only among ourselves is simply too great. Only by fostering a culture of coexistence, compromise, and cooperative governance can Korea move toward the future. If we continue as in the past, we will only see endless cycles of political retaliation and a culture of curses where one side must perish for the other to survive. If someone is competent, appoint them, regardless of which camp they belong to. Break down the barriers of generation and gender to bring in talented individuals. Let us break the vicious cycle. To do so, something is needed.

That is restraint and tolerance. President Lee Jaemyung has begun his term with more power than any president before him. As of June 9, the ruling Democratic Party holds 169 seats. If you add the seats of allied parties?Innovation Party (12), Progressive Party (3), Basic Income Party (1), Social Democratic Party (1)?plus independents Kim Jongmin and National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik, the total comes to 188 seats. Has this ever happened in our political history? Moreover, in this presidential election, President Lee received 17,287,513 votes (49.42%), the highest number ever. Theoretically, until the 23rd general election in April 2028, he has the structure to do almost anything he wishes. The nature of parliamentary power is entirely different when held by the opposition versus when held by the ruling party. From now on, responsibility follows. Public sentiment may also change. That is why restraint is necessary.

There are numerous bills the Democratic Party is eager to pass, such as the amendment to the Court Organization Act, which centers on increasing the number of Supreme Court justices; the amendment to the Public Official Election Act, which deletes the "act" requirement from the definition of spreading false information; the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which would suspend ongoing criminal trials if the defendant is elected president; and the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act, known as the "Yellow Envelope Law." Instead of pushing these through unilaterally, it would be better to consult with the opposition as much as possible. The principle of majority rule in democracy is fundamentally based on consideration for the minority. Adjusting the level of force is also necessary. Power without restraint leads to runaway behavior, and there will always be consequences.

Those directly involved in the execution of martial law must be held strictly accountable. However, it is best to clearly define the scope. Rather than indiscriminately expanding it, punishment should focus on those with clear responsibility. Tolerance is needed. In this presidential election, People Power Party candidate Kim Moonsoo received 14,395,639 votes (41.15%). If you add the 2,917,523 votes (8.34%) received by Innovation Party candidate Lee Junseok, the total comes to 17,313,162 votes?25,649 more than President Lee Jaemyung received. While the Democratic Party overwhelmingly dominates the National Assembly, the voting results show that the progressive and conservative camps are nearly evenly matched. This is why relying solely on the number of seats and pushing policies through is dangerous, and why President Lee must pursue national unity through restraint and tolerance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.