[Editorial] Making a new Korea

South Korea has ushered in a new era by electing its first female president. The victory of Park Geun-hye, the candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, in the hard-fought election on Wednesday is in itself significant political progress in light of the deeply entrenched male dominance in Korean society.

Yet she was chosen not because she was a woman but because the electorate saw traits of a good president in her and trusted her track record as a leader who has weathered many crises.

Throughout the campaign period, Moon Jae-in, the defeated candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party, called for a change of government, defining this election as a referendum on the incumbent administration of President Lee Myung-bak.

But Park framed the election as a choice between a change of government and a “change of times.” She has vowed to bring in a new era based on her vision for a new Korea.

In a terse victory speech at Gwanghwamun on Wednesday night, Park reminded supporters of her most important campaign pledge ― that she would become a president who would prioritize the people’s livelihoods, keep her promises and strive to achieve national unity.

On the campaign trail, Park repeatedly pledged to put the people’s happiness at the top of her agenda. She said she would create a country where every citizen could dream of a better future and actually reach his or her dreams by working hard.

She has promised many things to help people attain their dreams. Among them are plans to provide citizens with a customized welfare service tailored to their life cycle; to cut college tuition by half; to reform the hiring system for college graduates; and to improve working conditions for women and non-regular workers.

Yet it would be impossible to carry out all these promises simultaneously without threatening the government’s fiscal health. Park is probably more acutely aware of this than anyone else. So she will have to set her priorities straight before taking office in February.

A more pressing task for the president-elect is to unite the nation. The election was fiercely fought as never before, as demonstrated by the small vote margin ― Park’s 51.6 percent versus Moon’s 48 percent. As a result, the nation is visibly divided along ideological, generational and regional lines.

Park declared “grand national unity” as key in her presidential campaign, along with economic democracy and welfare expansion. She pledged to put an end to generational and regional conflicts and create a history of reconciliation.

To achieve national unity, she should practice inclusive leadership. She needs to reach out to opposition leaders and embrace them as true partners in steering the nation and meeting the challenges facing it.

She disclosed her intention to break from politics as usual and run the government through dialogue with opposition parties. To establish a new framework for handling state affairs, she said she would set up a state governance reform commission under the Presidential Office.

To enlist cooperation from opposition parties, Park said she would fill one-third of the seats on the proposed commission with civic leaders and people recommended by opposition parties.

Whether the DUP would participate in the commission or not remains to be seen. But it should, given that it is also responsible for the deep polarization of Korean society. National unity cannot be achieved without the DUP’s cooperation.

In his concession speech, Moon said he hoped Park could unify the nation by exercising a politics of co-existence. He also asked the public to provide full support for the next government.

And he should also have expressed the DUP’s willingness to cooperate with the new government, if it really is ready to open its arms and regard the opposition party as a true political partner.

The next government will face daunting challenges in leading the country to prosperity and ensuring national security. Alone, it would have difficulty meeting the challenges. When Park turns to the DUP for help, it should not look the other way.

Now the immediate task facing the president-elect is to form a presidential transition committee. It is not an exaggeration to say that the success or failure of a government depends on how it forms the transition team.

Park should not repeat the mistake that President Lee made ― to draw upon his small pool of talent. She should search far and wide for qualified people and make appointments based solely on their competencies.