Evaluation of the 2002 Presidential Election and Tasks for the Roh Moo-hyun Administration

This book presents the results of an expert survey conducted among a sample of approximately 2,000 experts representing various fields of Korean society, including professors, Ph.D. holders, public officials, researchers, and corporate executives. It also includes concise commentaries of 100-300 characters from the participating experts. Through this, it analyzes the final evaluation of the Kim Dae-jung administration, the candidates and election results of the 2002 presidential election, and proposes tasks for the new administration. We hope that this book, which organizes the insights and perspectives of experts in a survey format, will be recorded as a successful administration for the Roh Moo-hyun government.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Congratulations on the Publication of This Book (Kim Se-won: Professor, Seoul National University)

Foreword to the Publication of This Book (Kim Byung-kook: Director, EAI)

Preface

Chapter 1: Purpose and Methodology of This Book

Why This Book is Published

How It Was Made: A Survey of Over 2,000 Experts

Structure of This Book

Chapter 2: Final Evaluation of the Kim Dae-jung Administration

Overall Evaluation: Comparison with Previous Administrations and Ideological Orientation

Areas of Success and Failure

Positive and Negative Factors in State Administration

Approval Rating Changes During the Term and Overall Assessment

Final Evaluation Commentaries on the Kim Dae-jung Administration by 12 Experts

Chapter 3: Evaluation of 2002 Presidential Candidates: Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Hoi-chang, and Kwon Young-gil

Qualities Required of a President

Overall and Credibility Assessment

Ideological Orientation

Key Campaign Pledges of the Presidential Candidates

Evaluation of Sectoral Pledges and Execution Capabilities

Comprehensive Evaluation by Sector

Overall Assessment of Presidential Candidate Pledges and Interpretation of the 2002 Election Results

Commentaries on Candidates by 37 Experts

Chapter 4: Analysis of the 2002 Election Results and Implications for the New Administration

Key Developments in the 2002 Presidential Election Campaign

Election Results

Analysis of the Phenomena of the Election Results

Analysis of Roh Moo-hyun's Winning Strategy and Causes

Characteristics and Significance of the 2002 Presidential Election

Summary and Implications for the New Administration

What 69 Experts Would Like to Say to the 2002 Presidential Candidates

Chapter 5: Tasks for the Roh Moo-hyun Administration: Overall Section

Priority Areas and Policy Tasks

State Administration and Reform Strategy

Variables Affecting Performance and Likelihood of Reform Success

Summary: "Leap Forward Through Integration"

Characterization and Naming of the New Administration by 63 Experts

Chapter 6: Evaluation of the Kim Dae-jung Administration and Tasks for the Roh Moo-hyun Administration by 9 Sectors

Politics and Administration Sector

Unification and Foreign Affairs Sector

Science and Technology Sector

Economy Sector

Labor Sector

Health, Welfare, and Environment Sector

Education Sector

Women's Sector

Culture Sector

Summary

What 253 Experts Wish for the New Administration in Each Sector

Appendix

Hankook Ilbo, January 17, 2003, Article "Asking Experts About the New Administration's Reform Tasks"

The new administration of President-elect Roh Moo-hyun should prioritize economic stabilization and improvement of inter-Korean relations, including unification and foreign policy, as its most crucial reform tasks. Furthermore, normalization of public education and eradication of corruption were identified as high-priority reform targets. To achieve these goals, the new administration must establish strong leadership and promote talent fairly to vigorously pursue reforms early in its term.

Author

Lee Na-young

Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University, Director of the EAI Center for Political and Social Surveys. Graduated from Korea University with a degree in Political Science and International Relations, holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and previously served as a research fellow at the Sejong Institute and a professor at Kyung Hee University's Graduate School of International Studies.

Works: World Order in an Era of Transformation and the Korean Peninsula, Generations and Political Ideology, A Comparative Study of Regionalism in East Asia and the Americas, etc.

Lee Geun

Currently a professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University and Director of the Center for Economic Catch-up and Corporate Strategy at EAI. He graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and previously served as a research fellow at the East-West Center, University of Hawaii, and as an assistant professor at the University of Aberdeen.

Publications include: Economics for Koreans, China's Corporations and Economy, and The Knowledge-Information Revolution and Korea's New Industries.

Jeong Won-chil

Research Fellow at EAI. Holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Chung-Ang University. He has participated in numerous research projects for organizations such as the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the Asan Nanum Foundation, and the Office of Research Affairs at Seoul National University, and previously worked as a reporter for the editorial department of Issue Today.

Publications include: An Empirical Study on the Measurement and Comparison of Government Image, An Empirical Study on the Possibility of Establishing New Human Archetypes through Virtual Space, and A Study on Improving Korea's National Merit System.