[Public Opinion Briefing 30-2] Urgent Need for Trust Recovery in Power Institutions

[Public Opinion Briefing 30] 2008 Survey on Trust and Influence of Powerful Institutions

[1] Summary of the 4th Survey on Trust and Influence of Powerful Institutions - Shin Chang-woon, Jeong Han-ul

[2] Changes in the Influence and Trust Base of Powerful Institutions and Policy Implications - Kang Won-taek

[3] Decline in Trust is at a Concerning Level / High Influence, Low Trust Persists - Lee Hyun-woo

Changes in the Influence and Trust Base of Powerful Institutions and Policy Implications

Kang Won-taek (Department of Political Science and International Relations, Soongsil University)

The survey on the trust and influence of powerful institutions, conducted for the fourth time since 2005, clearly reflects the public's changed perceptions in the political landscape altered by the launch of the Lee Myung-bak administration. It offers policy implications that the Lee Myung-bak administration, which must overcome the public discontent evident since its early days and manage state affairs, should consider.

For the policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration, which emphasizes the restoration of law and order, to be successfully implemented, the recovery of trust in the power institutions that wield authority must precede all else. In this survey, the perceived influence of power institutions, including the Grand National Party, now the ruling party, as well as the Blue House, the prosecution, the police, the National Tax Service, and the National Intelligence Service, has increased compared to previous surveys. However, the issue is that while the influence of these power institutions is assessed to have grown, their trustworthiness has paradoxically declined. In a situation where distrust in governing institutions and laws has significantly increased, merely emphasizing legal discipline and the authority of public power is likely to provoke public backlash. The recent candlelight vigils, which began with dissatisfaction over the beef import negotiations, are escalating into a 'disobedience' movement due to the government's hardline response, and this is fundamentally attributable to the same reason.

A more balanced and integrated national leadership needs to be exercised. Rather than consistently adhering to a purely conservative policy in state management, the government must always consider the considerable public opinion that seeks to check the current administration. Many experts focused on the expansion of conservatism when explaining the victory of President Lee and the Grand National Party in the last presidential and general elections and predicting subsequent political developments. However, this survey shows a significant decline in the trustworthiness of conservative groups, while the trustworthiness of progressive groups has relatively increased. The fact that the trustworthiness of progressive groups, which have become critical of the Lee Myung-bak administration since its inauguration, has grown appears to reflect the public's desire for political balance.

Finally, there is a need to broaden the base of government policies. In this survey, large corporations occupied the top four positions in both influence and trustworthiness. However, the trustworthiness of Samsung and Hyundai Motor among these has declined compared to last year's survey. While the trustworthiness of large corporations has decreased, the perceived influence and trustworthiness of labor organizations, such as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and other labor unions, have increased compared to last year. This can be interpreted as the public's skepticism towards large corporations, stemming from scandals like the slush fund investigations, translating into expectations for labor unions. Therefore, the increase in the influence and trustworthiness of labor organizations is a point to watch in the future concerning the economic policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration, which emphasizes 'business friendliness.' While pro-business policies cannot be faulted, the situation changes if they lead to an 'anti-labor' stance or the exclusion of labor. This raises the necessity of expanding the base and scope of government policy considerations.