What We Hope for the 19th President: Conditions for Presidential Success as Told by Former Aides

Preface

On December 9, 2016, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea passed a motion to impeach the President. Facing strong public support for impeachment, not only the three opposition parties but also ruling party lawmakers cast affirmative votes in the impeachment vote, fulfilling their role as representatives of the electorate. It is reported that approximately ten million citizens have participated in the candlelight vigils held every weekend. Although it is unknown when or how the Constitutional Court will rule on the impeachment motion submitted by the National Assembly, the political clock has begun to tick towards an early presidential election.

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has been conducting policy research titled "Conditions for Presidential Success" in presidential election years since 2002, publishing the results in books. EAI has traditionally provided useful policy recommendations to the Presidential Transition Committee formed immediately after the election. However, this time, with the thought that the research should be utilized from the stage when election campaigns are formed, we moved the research schedule up by a year. The research group for "Conditions for Presidential Success in 2018" thus began in the spring of 2016, at a time when no one could have imagined the unprecedented situation of a presidential impeachment and a potential early election.

The "Conditions for Presidential Success" research team typically invites former aides who have experience assisting presidents to hear their recommendations for successful presidential performance. In 2016, such sessions were held over approximately four months, from March to June. This time, the participants included former high-ranking government officials, including a former Prime Minister, and a provincial governor. Seven of the nine individuals had direct experience assisting a president in the Blue House. They urged the president to have a vision and respond to the zeitgeist, focus on a few critical presidential agendas, inherit and develop good policies from previous administrations, possess intellectual capacity and a communicative attitude, actively utilize government ministries and empower ministers rather than being surrounded only by Blue House aides, and communicate and cooperate with the National Assembly. There was a unanimous sentiment that greater power is achieved through sharing and cooperation.

It remains uncertain whether constitutional amendment will truly occur this year, and if so, whether the presidential system will persist as South Korea's power structure. Current public opinion polls show that a four-year presidential term with the possibility of re-election receives more support, but as discussions on constitutional amendment progress, a cabinet system might gain prominence. In reality, regardless of the power structure, the recommendations gathered here will be useful for the head of the executive branch and those who assist them. Therefore, to ensure these recommendations are disseminated and shared promptly, we decided to first publish the key points discussed in the forums before the researchers' writings are compiled into a book. We sincerely hope that in the Year of the Rooster, 2017, a distinguished leader worthy of the people's aspirations will emerge.

Table of Contents and Presenters

A President Capable of Writing Speeches (Lee Kwang-jae, Former Director of the National Situation Room, Presidential Secretariat)

A President Facing Difficulties in Achieving Success: Focusing on Future Strategy and Green Growth (Kim Sang-hyup, Former Presidential Secretary for Green Growth Planning)

Prepared Agendas are the Key to Success (Park Hyeong-joon, Former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Presidential Office)

The Eye to Read the Times and the Heart to Cherish People (Byun Yang-kyun, Former Policy Chief, Presidential Secretariat)

Vision and Courage to Cope with New Paradigms (Park Jae-wan, Former Senior Secretary for National Policy Planning, Presidential Office)

Conditions for Presidential Success Learned from German Politics (Kim Hwang-sik, Former Prime Minister)

A Blue House that Communicates and Empathizes, a National Assembly that Cooperates (Kim Dong-yeon, Former Senior Secretary for National Policy Planning, Presidential Office)

Rebuilding the Republic of Korea: A Korean-Style Political Standard (Nam Kyung-pil, Governor of Gyeonggi Province)

A President Who Realizes Popular Sovereignty (Ahn Hee-jung, Former Political Team Leader, Presidential Campaign Staff of the Democratic Party)