Acting president Goh Kun and PM Hwang Kyo-ahn

“My friend, the father of these two brothers, definitely loves his younger son Kun more. He often favors Kun to the extent that someone next to them feels sorry for the eldest.” I read an essay of famous Korean essayist Lee Yang-ha again, which was titled "Kyung and Kun" and was listed in a middle school Korean textbook. It is well known that "Kun" in his essay refers to former Prime Minister Goh Kun (78). The passage indicating that his father, the late philosopher and Chonbuk National University President Goh Hyung-gon, favored the prime minister caught my eyes. Goh Kyung, his second brother "Kyung," passed away at an early age.

Former Prime Minister Koh still drinks much. When he passed the civil service examination in 1961, his father left three messages—“Do not take money from anyone,” “Do not stand in line,” and “Do not others know you drink much.” His father must have known that his son was a heavy drinker. Although he loved to drink, it did not affect much to his career. He became the South Jeolla Province Governor at the age of 37 during the Park Chung-hee administration. Since then, he was designated as the minister for three times, elected and selected as the Seoul City Mayor twice, and named as the Prime Minister twice during the years of seven administrations, not to mention the Chairman of Presidential Committee on Social Cohesion during the Lee Myung-bak administration. This record is still unbreakable.

The highlight of his civil service was when he was working as the acting president on behalf of the last president Roh Moo-hyun (March 12 to May 14, 2004). The BBC dubbed him Mr. Stability at that time. Likewise, he stably administrated state affairs in the absence of the president. He declared to run for president in 2007 as his approval rating exceeded 30 % in 2006. The late president Roh diminished his appointment as the acting president by saying that designating him was a failed move. He had to resign in the middle of his term. It was difficult to pass the limit as a bureaucratic origin. Experts said that he was a good presidential material but not a good candidate for the president.

The former prime minister published his memoirs titled “State Administration is All About Communication” in the early of the Park Geun-hye administration. He used to say that “communicating with someone is to listen, not to speak.” What would happen If President Park listened carefully to his saying with regard to the attitudes of a public official. If the impeachment bill passes the National Assembly as opposition parties hoped, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will be the acting president early next month. Mr. Hwang should thoroughly prepare for this in advance. He needs to learn from the experience of the former acting president Koh right after passing the impeachment bill.