Avoiding lame duck status

President Lee Myung-bak has dropped his plan to build a retirement residence in Seoul`s Naegok-dong neighborhood and decided to return to his home in the city`s southern Nonhyeon-dong area. This is a step in the right direction since the decision reduces controversy and corrects the mistake from the ground up. Kim In-ho, chief of the President Security Service, resigned over the residence debacle but this does not resolve all issues related to the residence.

The key point in the controversy is why President Lee’s son was the buyer of the property and how public funds were used to buy his son’s property. The presidential office claims that it scrapped the plan to build the residence not because of corruption but because of a mistake or misunderstanding in the course of purchasing the property. The majority of Koreans have a different take, however. Something looks fishy. Hopefully, the incumbent president, who donated most of his wealth to society, and his family did nothing wrong to gain a small advantage. Even if it was a mistake or misunderstanding, the president should have known. The chief executive must explain what happened and express regret to the people.

President Lee dislikes the term “lame duck.” He often says, “There is no gate and no lame duck during my term,” or, “There is no lame duck for a person who works until the end of his term.” This is apparently a self-resolution that he will not become a lame duck president and will keep working hard until the end of his term. His resolution was offset by a series of scandalous events including corruption involving his confidants and suspicion over the dubious purchase of his new residence. If something that questions the president’s morality is repeated, the people will distrust him and he will end up as a lame duck.

President Lee has worked hard over the past 44 months and can boast a lot of achievements in diplomacy and economy. If a leader cannot make things transparent around him or her, however, his or her achievements are often offset by corruption. The residence controversy resulted from the blurred line between public and private space. The presidential office has proven its incompetence again. If the president really dislikes the lame duck phenomenon, he should discipline himself and the people around him more strictly and be careful about raising public suspicions over fairness.