A Blueprint for a Successful Presidency

The failure of a president is the failure of the nation and its people. To elevate the quality of Korean democracy, solidify the foundation for unification, and pave the way for sustained economic growth, the next president must succeed. There are three conditions for success.

• A leader worthy of the presidency must become president. While establishing a political system where authority and responsibility are balanced may reduce problems stemming from presidential failure, it cannot guarantee a successful presidency. A successful presidency is only possible when a leader with democratic virtues and qualifications befitting a president assumes the office. Success is achievable only when one knows which roles are not theirs to take and which roles they must fulfill. The next president must focus on a few presidential projects under the principle of selection and concentration, thereby avoiding overload.
• The state governance system itself must change. The roles of the president, prime minister, ministers, and senior secretaries must transform, and those in positions of authority must bear commensurate responsibility. Furthermore, communication must flow unimpeded among policymakers. This is only possible when innovative changes in state management methods are added to systemic reforms in terms of organizational restructuring. Organizational restructuring alone is insufficient. The original purpose of organizational restructuring can only be achieved when individuals who respect team members, enjoy discourse, and are adept at strategic thinking gather to operate the state governance system. If the state management methods do not change, systemic reforms at the organizational level will never yield the intended results. The president must establish and uphold a new state governance system in both organizational and operational dimensions simultaneously.
• The National Assembly, the media, and the public must also change. As long as the National Assembly is preoccupied with political disputes, the media indulges in sensationalism, and the public is uninterested in policy discussions, even a leader with genuine democratic virtues is unlikely to succeed. If the National Assembly does not become a cradle of policy, the media does not support reform, and the public cannot manage its emotions, then neither government organizational reform nor innovation in operational methods can achieve its intended objectives. It is not only the president and their team who must reconsider their roles, authorities, and responsibilities from scratch. The National Assembly, the media, and the public must also transform themselves.

For the next president to meet these three conditions for success, they must present a 10-point pledge.

• The president finds their role in persuading the public about policies.
• Power institutions are moved beyond the president's control.
• Functions that can or should be entrusted to the market and civil society are separated from the president's control and returned to the market and civil society.
• A Chief Domestic Policy Officer is appointed to coordinate disagreements among government ministries regarding domestic administration and to manage conflicts between central and local governments.
• The next president themselves focuses on pursuing a limited number of presidential projects under the principle of "selection" and "concentration."
• A Policy Planning Office is established within the Blue House to significantly enhance the president's planning, coordination, and monitoring capabilities related to the limited number of presidential projects.
• A Human Resources Management-focused Senior Secretary's Office is newly established within the Blue House, separating the processes of talent scouting and vetting for political and high-level positions to cultivate the ability to place the right talent in the right place at the right time.
• The next president becomes a policy salesperson. To achieve this, the Senior Secretary for Public Relations must act as an "honest mediator" of information, the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs must gauge public sentiment and gather opinions from civic groups as their name suggests, and the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs must function as a genuine channel of dialogue with the National Assembly.
• To become a successful president, the policy capabilities of the National Assembly are enhanced.
• An advisor for foreign affairs and national security is appointed as an "honest mediator."

- The full text is in the attached file.

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