[사설] Let’s show the will to rule together as a harmonious person between the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister.

President Yoon Seok-yeol is searching for candidates for the Chief of Staff and Prime Minister in order to reform state affairs by reflecting the public sentiment revealed in the April 10 general election. It is said that he will personally reveal his position regarding the defeat in the general election this week. In a situation where, for the first time in constitutional history, the President faces a situation where the ruling party is divided over the entire five years of his term, reorganization of the President’s Office, including the Chief of Staff, and the Cabinet are inevitable.

Immediately after the general election, President Yoon said, “I will reform state affairs by humbly honoring the will of the people revealed in the election results.” However, it is extremely disappointing because the people mentioned as candidates for Chief of Staff and Prime Minister are all pro-Yoon (Pro-Yun Seok-yeol). Former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong claimed to be a lecturer during the ‘Yangpyeong Expressway’ controversy, and Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min is a junior at President Yoon’s high school and bears considerable moral responsibility for the Itaewon disaster that took the lives of about 150 people. Former lawmaker Jang Je-won and lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok are also representative pro-Yoon figures. Candidates for prime minister include Rep. Joo Ho-young, former Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, former Rep. Kim Han-gil, and former Rep. Park Joo-seon, but they are all criticized as insufficient candidates for reforming state affairs.

If President Yoon wins among them, it is certain that there will be strong criticism questioning whether he is properly reading the public opinion in the general election. The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, immediately pointed out that this was a ‘revolving door appointment’. The 22nd National Assembly is a political terrain in which the president cannot properly resolve any of the pending national issues without the cooperation of the pan-opposition party, which has 192 seats, which is an overwhelming number of seats. In this situation, the Chief of Staff must be someone who can speak openly with the President and have dialogue with the opposition party without hesitating to criticize them. As the Prime Minister has an important responsibility that requires direct cooperation with the opposition party, it goes without saying that he must be a harmonious person who can facilitate communication with the opposition party without having to choose between ‘my side or your side’.

Immediately after his crushing defeat in the Gangseo-gu District Office by-election in Seoul last October, President Yoon said, “The people are always right unconditionally,” but went against public sentiment and accepted the report card of a crushing defeat in the general election six months later. If they insist on appointing personnel from ‘our side’ while ignoring the public’s expectations this time, public sentiment against them will inevitably grow stronger. The selection of the Chief of Staff and Prime Minister will be a test for President Yoon to shed the image of lack of communication and clearly demonstrate his will to govern together. Apart from judicial processing, we must also pursue a meeting with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung as a collaborator in state affairs. The president’s message will only gain public sympathy if he shows deep reflection on the administration of state affairs and a sincere will to reform. Doesn’t President Yoon have a huge responsibility to lead the government for three more years?

[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]