[Editorial] Presidential initiative

President Park Geun-hye has remained unenthusiastic about a proposal made by the main opposition party leader Saturday to hold talks on a parliamentary probe into the state spy agency’s alleged interference in last December’s presidential election.

The offer came two days after the Democratic Party launched a street protest against what it called the ruling Saenuri Party’s attempt to sabotage the inquiry into allegations that the National Intelligence Service ran an online operation to turn public sentiment against Park’s opposition contender ahead of the election. In parallel with the outdoor campaign, the opposition ramped up pressure on the president, demanding she reveal her position on the spy agency scandal and respond to calls to overhaul the NIS.

In a meeting with party executives Sunday, DP chairman Kim Han-gil said only the president held the key to resolving the political stalemate. Saenuri leader Hwang Woo-yea also came forward Monday to propose he and Kim meet with Park.

But the president and her aides appear to have another idea. An unidentified official at the presidential office was recently quoted by local media as saying no response would be made to the opposition’s proposal, suggesting the issue should be settled between the rival parties. His remarks apparently reflect the view held by Park, who has denied any link to the spy agency’s alleged wrongdoing.

The DP’s attempt to dent Park’s image by questioning the legitimacy of her election as president may prove a high-risk strategy, though not a suicidal act, as some ruling party lawmakers have said. It has become increasingly hard for the opposition to fight against a president who is far more popular with the public than the main political parties. In recent opinion polls, her approval ratings exceeded 60 percent, dwarfing those for the ruling and main opposition parties, which remained below 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

In this atmosphere, it is understandable for the president to have distanced herself from the partisan wrangling. But it is undesirable for Park to continue to remain politically aloof, as cooperation with the parties will be essential to carrying through her key policy agenda. If bills related to people’s livelihoods fail to be passed into law amid protracted political confrontation, it might be her administration that is hit the hardest. In this situation, it could not be guaranteed that her popularity, mainly attributed to the way she has handled North Korea and her successful summit diplomacy with the U.S. and China, will remain high. The prolonged internal discord might also weaken the impetus to push her policies to ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

Park needs to come forward now with some bold initiatives to resolve the political stalemate. A proper compromise with the opposition could prove useful for the eventual success of her five-year presidency.