More than disappointing

Park reveals too wide a gap with popular sentiment 매우실망스러운회견

박대통령은여론과너무큰차이를보여주었다

A good news conference by top leaders can make people feel relieved by solving their concerns on national issues and administrative workings.

최고지도자들에의한좋은기자회견은국가적문제와국정운영에대한우려를해소함으로써국민들의마음을후련하게해줄수 있다.

The press event at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday, was a total failure in this regard, forcing most Koreans to feel far more exasperated than before.

월요일청와대회견은그런점에서완전한실패였는데대부분의국민들로하여금그전보다훨씬더답답하게느끼도록만들었기때문이다.

The chief cause, needless to say, was the chief executive, who showed a wide gulf with the people in the way she sees major problems.

말할필요도없이그주요원인은중요한 문제들을보는방식에서 국민들과커다란괴리를보인최고통치권자였다.

And nowhere else was this perception gap wider than in management of the presidential office.

그리고 이러한 인식의 차이가 가장컸던 분야는 대통령 집무실의 운영에대한것이었다.

This is a time when the nation has to wrestle with important issues such as inter-Korean reconciliation and economic recovery.

지금은온나라가남북화해와경제회복같은중요한문제들과씨름해야할때이다.

Yet what has gripped the people’s attention over the past few months were problems within Cheong Wa Dae, such as the alleged intervention into state affairs by a former aide to President Park Geun-hye, and a power struggle between him and Park’s younger brother.

그러나 지난 몇달동안 국민들의 관심을 사로잡아온 것은 청와대 내부의 문제들로서즉박 대통령의 전직 측근에 의한국정 개입과 그사람과 박 대통령의 남동생 간의권력투쟁설등이그것들이다.

President Park, however, brushed aside the scandal as a “fabrication by a few ill-intentioned people,” citing the prosecution’s investigation results, which less than a third of Koreans believe are true, and making fools of most Koreans.

그러나박대통령은이 추문을‘몇몇 나쁜의도를가진 사람들에 의한 조작’이라고 일축하면서 안되는국민들만사실이라고믿는검찰의수사결과를그이유로댐으로써대부분의국민들을바보로만들었다.

3분의 1도

Watching the nationally televised news conference, Koreans might have wondered for what Park apologized then.

전국적으로중계된회견을보면서국민들은그렇다면박대통령이무엇때문에사과한것인지의아해했을것이다.

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Also rejecting loud calls even from Park’s own party to replace chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, the President described him as a “rare, unselfish person.”

심지어여당까지가세한김기춘비서실장의경질요구역시거부하면서대통령은그를‘보기드문사심없는분’이라고말했다.

To the eyes of most Koreans, however, Kim should take the biggest responsibility for repeated failures in personnel appointments, the “memogate” scandal involving the controversial ex-confidant, and the “insubordination” by a top presidential aide, who defied Kim’s instructions to testify at the National Assembly and resigned last week.

그러나대부분국민들의눈에김실장은거듭된인사실패와말썽많은전직측근이연관된‘문건 추문’그리고 지난주국회에나가증언하라는김실장의지시를무시하고사

표를낸한수석비서관의‘항명’등에대해가장책임이큰사람이다.

Kim is widely known to “never say no” to his boss, and many have worried this absolute loyalty is what is ruining the President.

김실장은상관에게‘안된다고절대말하지않는’것으로널리알려져있는데많은사람들은이러한절대적충성이대통령을망치고있다고걱정한다.

In the same vein, President Park made it clear she would not dismiss her three controversial secretaries ― dubbed the “gang of three doormen,” saying they have been found to have committed no irregularities.

같은맥락에서박대통령은‘문고리3인방’으로불리는말썽많은3명의비서들을해고하지않을것임을분명히하면서그들이아무런비리도저지르지않은것으로밝혀졌다고말했다.

The President once described these personal secretaries as “errand men,” but doesn’t she know, one of them, Lee Jae-man, is attending meetings that select key government officials?

대통령은한때이개인비서관들을‘심부름꾼’이라고했지만그중의1명인이재만비서관이정부요직을뽑는회의에참석한다는사실을몰랐을까?

Or that a major construction firm was deceived into hiring and paying salaries for a year to a con-man who said he was a friend of Lee?

또국내유수의건설회사가이비서관의친구를사칭한사기꾼을고용하고그에게1년동안봉급을주었다는사실을몰랐을까?

대통령은다른문제들에서도변화를싫어한다는점을드러냈다.

President Park made clear her intention of sticking to the status quo in both the management of Cheong Wa Dae and key figures in it, no matter what the

media and general public say. 박대통령은언론과대중이뭐라고말하건간에청와대운영과그안에있는핵심인물들에있어서현상을고수할것임을분명히했다.

The President’s revealed aversion to change on other issues, too.

Park showed willingness to hold an inter-Korean summit “without preconditions,” but added North Korea should make progress in its nuclear issues.

박대통령은‘전제조건없이’남북정상회담을열의사를밝혔지만북한이핵문제에서진전을보여야한다고덧붙였다.

She also said a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is possible, but only if there is a change in Tokyo’s stance.

그녀는또아베신조일본총리와의정상회담이가능하고말했지만일본정부의태도에변화가있다는가정하에서그렇다고했다.

On the economy, too, Park emphasized only reinvigorated growth and deregulation for big businesses, instead of presenting steps to make working class families feel better off.

경제에서도 오로지 성장의 활성화와 대기업에 대한 규제완화만 강조했을 뿐 서민들의사정을낫게할조치들을제시하지는않았다.

This marks the third year in Park’s single five-year tenure, actually the final year the chief executive can push for her agenda without worrying about elections.

금년은박대통령의 단임임기중세번째해로최고통치권자가선거에대한걱정없이자신의계획을추진할실질적인마지막해이다.

5년

It’s more than regrettable to see the President waste political capital because of her self-righteous stubbornness, losing momentum to accomplish major tasks.

대통령이독선적인고집때문에정치적자본을탕진하고주요과제를달성할동력을잃는모습을보자니안타깝기짝이없다.

Another failed president is more of a national misfortune than a personal tragedy. President Park must clear up her house before it gets too late.

또하나의실패한대통령은개인의비극이기앞서나라의 불행이다. 박대통령은더늦기전에집안부터정리해야만한다.

1월13일 (화) The Korea Times 사설