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The first regular session of the 18th National Assembly begins on Sept. 1. Grand National Party chairman Park Hee-tae said Thursday the public would no longer be forgiving toward parliamentarians and that the GNP would have nothing to say if it continues to be criticized by the public although it won a majority of the vote in the general election. It was difficult to implement policies from President Lee Myung-bak¡¯s inauguration to the April general election; the public was able to understand that to a certain extent. But after the general election, the U.S. beef furor shook everything up and delayed the formation of National Assembly committees, making it look as though nothing had been done over the six months since the launch of the administration.
GNP floor leader Hong Joon-pyo vowed to fix left-leaning, anti-business and anti-market sentiment in society. Democratic Party leader Chung Se-kyun strongly protested against the reference to ¡°left-leaning¡± and threatened to block the passage of laws that signify a return to old practices. If that happens, the regular session of the National Assembly could turn into a dispute over ideology.
Nobody can deny the fact that our country stands at a crossroads, where it may either become an advanced country or collapse right there. And at this crossroads, the global economy is slowing down, while law and order are being threatened. These are serious obstacles.
At this point, we must not fight over what is leftwing or rightwing but apply the standard of what is good or bad for Korea and use the upcoming session of the National Assembly as a chance to revamp the way the country is run. Pro-industrialization forces led Korea for around 30 years, and the next 10 years were led by pro-democracy forces. There were laws and regulations formed during that time that do not make sense. Some 400 laws apparently pose obstacles to corporate investment. One of the reasons why law and order break down is because there are flaws in our legislation. It will be difficult for Korea to become an advanced country unless such laws are changed.
During its five-year term, the Lee Myung-bak administration has around three years when it can truly get things done, if you exclude the beginning and final stages. And any progress that it makes over this three-year period depends on how successful it is in revamping the way the country is run. This administration has already wasted half of that valuable year. It has no choice but to get serious about the task.
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