[Press Release] Press Release on the Conditions for a Successful Presidency

Why was this the case? The reason why President Kim Dae-jung, who enjoyed a national approval rating close to 80%, became the target of public criticism... Mid-career scholars have raised questions and offered their own answers regarding the tragic reality that no past president has been respected.

The 2002 presidential election highlighted various issues, and discussions about the role of the president were also active. Although each candidate presented different specific policy alternatives such as a responsible prime minister system or a decentralized presidential system, they all spoke with one voice about overcoming the 'imperial presidency' and becoming a 'successful president.' This reflected the frustration felt by the public after experiencing the chaos of state administration and the IMF crisis, which have been repeated since democratization. With heightened interest in the president-elect's vision for the next administration than ever before, a book has been published that offers concrete alternatives for a 'successful president.'

The EAI Presidential Reform Research Team's <Conditions for a Successful Presidency I: Role, Authority, and Responsibility> and <Conditions for a Successful Presidency II: Retrospectives and Proposals>, which contain the results of their research over the past year, present the conditions for a president's success through specific policy alternatives and advice from former prime ministers and senior ministers. The core of the conditions for a president's success presented in this book is the democratic decentralization of power and the strengthening of the president's policy planning, coordination, and monitoring capabilities. Volume I analyzes the president's own virtues and role establishment, and also offers proposals for the organizational reform and operation of the Presidential Secretariat, and discusses key national issues such as foreign affairs and national security, central administrative functions, and regulatory reform. It also systematically presents the conditions for a successful presidency, both inside and outside the Blue House, by suggesting how to build relationships with the National Assembly, political parties, and civil society outside the executive branch. Each chapter includes a concise summary of policy proposals, helping policymakers, the primary target audience of this book, to develop concrete action plans.

Volume II, 'Retrospectives and Proposals,' contains the proceedings of invitational seminars with key figures from past administrations and ministers from major government ministries, conducted by the EAI Presidential Reform Research Team in the early stages of their research. It offers sharp advice derived from the vivid experiences of former officials, including criticism of the 'imperial presidency,' institutional proposals for power and responsibility sharing between the president and the prime minister, and critical assessments and reform plans for the past and present of the Presidential Secretariat.

This book will offer significant implications not only for those involved in state administration but also for general readers who are curious about the role the president should play in the development of democracy in Korean society.



- The full press release is in the attached file.