If the president appears that disinterested to a member of the ruling party, then it’s probably worse when it comes to opposition party lawmakers. United Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Hak-jin, who served as a state affairs secretary under former President Roh Moo-hyun, said he had never heard of any instances when Cheong Wa Dae officials came to meet opposition members, and that he had yet to receive a single phone call from the presidential office. UDP lawmaker Lee Kang-rae, who also has experience as a presidential secretary for state affairs, said Cheong Wa Dae officials used to exchange information with opposition members through unofficial channels even if they were fighting at the time, but unfortunately this is not happening anymore. Another prominent lawmaker said he tried recently to get in touch by phone with the state affairs secretary to the president, but couldn’t get through. “He must be very busy,” the lawmaker said.

During a national prayer service on Thursday, President Lee said, “I will reflect whether I have been arrogant before the people and history and make efforts to serve and communicate with the people more humbly.” For the third-consecutive day, he was reflecting on his failure to communicate properly with the public.

Public sentiment is not that difficult to gauge. The easiest way for the president to listen to the opinions different from his own is to listen to opposition lawmakers. They may differ on principles, but they need to know what the other side is thinking about. That is the way to minimize clashes if problems arise so that government can work. And by watching this type of interaction, the public learns to trust the government and feels safe. This is the “communication” that the president is talking about.

Communication requires acknowledging and respecting the other side. They say an interpreter is needed when the president and former GNP leader Park Geun-hye talk to each other since one seems to have come from Mars and the other from Venus. No communication can be possible under these conditions. The primary reason why the two cannot communicate is because the president does not acknowledge and respect Park. Unless this basic condition is met, there will be no communication.

Officials under UDP chief Sohn Hak-kyu said Cheong Wa Dae never explained its position to them or sought their understanding regarding the latest issues including the beef agreement with Washington. They said if that is the way Cheong Wa Dae treats the head of the main opposition party, then the minor opposition parties must be completely cut off from any form of communication with the presidential office. Sohn was the first to voice his support for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. If the president has yet to have a basic conversation with someone like Sohn, then the leader can have no desire to acknowledge and respect the opposition.

The president did not invite Liberty Forward Party leader Lee Hoi-chang to an event where he explained the results of his state visits to the U.S. and Japan. The reason was that the LFP does not have faction strength in the National Assembly. But the LFP leader captured 15 percent of votes during the presidential election, and his party practically swept the Daejeon and Chungcheong regions during the general election. If the president still harbors bitter feelings from the presidential election and refuses to acknowledge such a political figure, then he will be unable to communicate with anyone.

It is questionable whether the Cheong Wa Dae staff is capable of assisting and counseling the president in this regard. Judging by what Cheong Wa Dae has done until now, it seems their political capabilities are the worst in Korean history. Nowhere in the presidential office can one find a single official who seems to have even the slightest idea of what politics and communication are about. The chief of the presidential office must stop editing the president’s speeches.

The president said he would first change himself rather than telling others to change. If he keeps this promise, then he will encounter a whole new set of conditions.