South Korea's 'bulldozer' stalls due to plunge in popularity ratings
(From The Japan Times June 7 issue)

韓国大統領支持率急落で問われる手腕

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak must be wondering whatever happened to his honeymoon. His first 100 days in office were marked by the sharpest plunge in popularity ratings of any democratically elected Korean leader. The fault is not Mr. Lee's alone, but the majority of the blame is his. Only he can stop the downward spiral, however. We will now see if Mr. Lee is truly a "bulldozer."

Even before taking office, Mr. Lee's team looked confused. Mixed signals were sent about the fate of the Ministry of Reunification — there were suggestions it would be abolished — and then several Cabinet choices were involved in scandals. He was elected on a pledge to re-energize the South Korean economy and return to 7 percent growth, but rising energy prices and a global slowdown make those heady targets look unreachable.

Critics charge those goals were ambitious for a developed economy like that of South Korea, no matter what the external conditions. But Mr. Lee has contributed to his own woes. On the eve of his first trip to the United States, he promised to reopen the Korean market to U.S. beef exports, a move that was designed to surmount a key obstacle to the realization of the proposed Korea-U.S. free-trade agreement (KORUS). Unfortunately, his decision was not appreciated by the U.S. — all free-trade agreements are now caught up in U.S. domestic politics — and Mr. Lee underestimated the depth of South Korean concern about the safety of those imports.

That deal triggered nightly protests by South Koreans and contributed to the plunge in the president's approval ratings. When he took office, he had a 52 percent approval rating: Today it is under 20 percent. Last month, the Seoul government asked the U.S. to renegotiate that agreement to delay the resumption of exports of beef from older cattle to mollify South Korean consumers. If the president follows through on his pro-business agenda, he is sure to stir up yet more opposition. North Korea is sure to challenge his harder line on inter-Korean relations.

In a break with South Korean politics, Mr. Lee should reach out to his opponents and ensure that their concerns are met. He should articulate a national strategy that allows him to retake the political initiative. It is a tall order, even for a bulldozer.

政権発足から100日たった韓国の李明博大統領は、支持率が20％まで急落、難問を一気に解決する「ブルドーザー」としての手腕が問われる。

米韓FTA批准を狙って米産牛肉輸入全面解禁を妥結したものの、国民の猛烈な反発を呼び、連日デモが続いた。韓国政府は米政府に再交渉を要請したが、李大統領がビジネス優先の政策をとる限り、非難は続くだろう。

李大統領は反対派を説得し、国家戦略を明確にして政治主導権を取り戻さなくてはならない。