Manager Kim Sung-keun`s lecture at the presidential office

Professional baseball club Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Sung-keun delivered a special lecture at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae under the title of "What kind of leader grows an organization strong." Manager Kim said, “You can be a true leader when you withstand all finger-pointing of the world. If you try not to be blamed by others, you are not qualified to become a leader. A genuine leader must create an environment where people under his leadership can perform their duties without difficulties, even though the leader might be harshly blamed by others.” Some 250 staff of the presidential office including senior presidential secretary for state affairs planning, attended the special lecture. The Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Ki-choon also participated the lecture after returning from an outside event just five minutes before the end of lecture.

Kim’s lecture seems to deliver a message that the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae can reap a fruitful result when it pursues what it believes right despite criticism of the public. Manager Kim has been a figure in the baseball arena who never made a compromise with other players or baseball clubs. Kim emphasized in his lecture, “Explaining to criticism itself is a waste of time. Leader must walk on his own way. A leader on top must not think about ‘how others would see me with this occasion.’”

The chief presidential secretary, who invited the manager as a lecturer, came to know each other when the former served as chairman of the Korea Baseball Organization during the Kim Young-sam administration. The chief presidential secretary said in greetings after the lecture, “Cheong Wa Dae has been struggling to achieve a new era of hope. We must overcome as Manager Kim said.” In general, Kim’s lecture was interesting. However, baseball games are different from politics. Modern politics is the public opinion politics. Although the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae claims that it usually conducts a lot of surveys of public opinions, it seems that Cheong Wa Dae does not listen to criticism of the public. Politics does not mean blind pursuit of the public opinion. The public opinion must not be ignored, while it must not be followed recklessly.

A political leader has duties to perform even though the leader is blamed. Unlike baseball games, in the politics, a leader must make efforts to persuade the public in such occasions. The reason why the presidential office is criticized for the lack of communication is because it fails to persuade the public to a sufficient extent. The lecture of Kim must not be interpreted wrongly by the presidential office that it should push ahead and ignore criticism from the public.