Pres. Park sticks to hardline stance despite political deadlock . MARCH 06, 2013 07:52. . President Park Geun-hye made no schedule for official activities Tuesday, the second time she did so since her inauguration. It is the first time in the nation’s constitutional history that no Cabinet meeting has been held for 10 days after a president has been sworn in. Under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, a Cabinet meeting was held every Tuesday.

Analysts say President Park scheduled nothing on the day apparently to pressure the opposition party to end the vacuum in national administration after making a public statement with a determined voice the previous day. She was reportedly debriefed on the negotiation process at the National Assembly Tuesday, while continuing work to nominate senior members of the presidential office and government.

In her opening statement to a meeting of senior presidential secretaries Monday, the president reportedly said, “If the bill to reshuffle government organization fails to pass the National Assembly by Tuesday, the new government will become an administration in a vegetative state,” pressuring the opposition party.

In a closed session of the meeting thereafter, however, she is known to have told top officials, “The presidential office should stand firm and thoroughly prepare for the administration of state affairs” to be ready for a delay in parliamentary approval of the bill.

After being debriefed on national agenda tasks by her senior secretaries, the president reportedly told her staff, “Set up a 100-day plan to implement state agenda items.” In the meeting, she added, “Set up the order of priorities for the 140 national agenda tasks for respective ministries, and thoroughly prepare plans to enact laws to be submitted to April’s National Assembly session, matters requiring revision to executive ordinances, and issues to be handled in the review of next year’s budget that will start in April."

Analysts say she apparently ordered her secretaries to set up a 100-day plan on national agenda tasks due to the fear that if state affairs are not handled until the appointment of Cabinet ministers, her plan to implement most of her national agenda tasks in this year’s first half could suffer a setback.

Checking overall price levels in a meeting of the presidential office, President Park reportedly said the working class is heavily suffering financially due to soaring rents.

A presidential office source said, “The president hurriedly announced the appointment of the chief of the Prime Minister’s Office because she intends to minimize the vacuum in administration with the prime minister serving as the focal point,” adding, “The presidential office and the prime minister will join forces with vice ministers to handle state affairs, and if necessary, ministers from the previous administration can also hold a Cabinet meeting and handle urgent matters.”

Presidential secretaries said that since the president no longer considers the proposed revision of the Government Organization Act as a matter of concession but as one of principle, there is little chance that she will present measures for further concessions. This effectively indicates that the tense political situation over the government reshuffle could drag on.

A presidential office source said, “To President Park, the Government Organization Act is no different from the rule on an open primary in the ruling party’s convention to nominate its presidential candidate.” When contenders of her party demanded the introduction of the open primary, the prevailing view was that the leading contender should make concessions, but she refused to back off even a single step.

The source said, “Back then, President Park followed principle despite criticism over her lack of willingness to communicate, in the belief that the primary rule was devised five years earlier as demanded by the pro-Lee Myung-bak faction of the party. She thought it would be out of the question to change the rule because the faction is in a disadvantageous position.”

"As for the Government Organization Act, President Park says the opposition party pledged to converge broadcasting and communications in its presidential election campaign, and it`s now trying to deny it. She firmly believes that this is meant for partisan interests, not for the people’s interests,” the source said. "She`s not trying to directly push ahead with the plan by pressuring the opposition party with the backing of public opinion, but is approaching the issue from the perspective of principle and trust that is unique to her.”