Cheong Wa Dae’s major communication problem
Cheong Wa Dae’s weak communication skills have come under fire following a series of questionable responses to controversial issues, internationally and domestically.
From a global perspective, the presidential office’s shortcomings in communication are feared to hamper international trust in Korea and undermine its position in key security decisions concerning Northeast Asia.
This poor communication has caused trouble particularly on the diplomatic front. First, Tokyo has lashed out at Seoul for breaking “international law” by “going against” bilateral agreements. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and key officials continue to claim that Korea is in breach of the 1965 normalization treaty, following 2018 Supreme Court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to compensate Korean victims forced to work for them during wartime.
When looked at closely, Japan’s claim violates established rules in international diplomacy that state-to-state treaties cannot limit individuals’ rights to seek compensation for acts against humanity. However, Cheong Wa Dae has not been sufficiently efficient in silencing Tokyo’s inaccurate and one-sided claims once and for all.
Japan has also taken issue with the Moon administration’s follow-up actions to the 2015 deal to compensate Koreans forced into sex slavery during World War II.
The Moon administration’s ambiguous stance on the so-called comfort women deal fueled bilateral tension. One of the first things Moon did after taking office in May 2017 was to instruct the foreign ministry to set up a taskforce to review the deal. Based on its findings, the Moon administration eventually decided to close a foundation funded partially by Japan to help the victims, the main outcome of the deal.
Public sentiment vs. international promise
The Moon administration was responding to public sentiment when closing the foundation, but this still leaves the question of whether it was appropriate to prioritize public sentiment over an international promise. It should be noted that Seoul has yet to provide a plan on exactly what it intends to do with the deal from hereon in.
Some analysts have pointed out that this is unhelpful in easing the prolonged standoff between the two countries and hampers trust-building between Moon and Abe. “The government has virtually destroyed the deal, although it has not officially said so. This creates a very frustrating situation. And it has not requested renegotiations with Japan, either. But the foundation has been closed. So the government’s course of action is uncertain. The government should be clear about these things,” an expert in the history of Korea-Japan relations said.
Cheong Wa Dae’s abrupt decision to pull out of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) could also give the impression that the Moon administration is lacking prudent judgment on international agreements. The presidential office initially said the U.S. had shown understanding toward the decision. But given the level of disappointment expressed by Washington since, Cheong Wa Dae’s explanation lacks credibility, resulting in growing concerns among experts and the general Korean public about the health of the Korea-U.S. alliance under the Moon administration.
Undermining credibility
Poor communication can lead to unnecessary friction between the presidential office and government ministries, and damage the people’s confidence in the Moon administration in the process.
On the domestic front, the recent fiasco over the announcement to build a presidential library for President Moon is a case in point. The National Archive of Korea, affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, revealed a $14.4 million project earlier this month to build a separate presidential library for Moon, which gained heavy criticism from the opposition parties. When the plan caused a stir for possible waste of tax money, Cheong Wa Dae later explained that it is not Moon’s wish to see such a library built during his presidency.
Presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said that the President was “enraged” over the news, underlining that Cheong Wa Dae had never given instructions to the agency with regard to a separate presidential library. After Moon’s reaction, the ministry said it would not pursue the project and the controversy ended there. But such discord between the ministry and the presidential office gives the impression that the government is being imprudent in handling state affairs.
Recent surveys have highlighted a noticeable decline in public support for Moon, who took office in May 2017 with a promise to better communicate with the public, unlike his impeached and imprisoned predecessor Park Geun-hye.
A Gallup survey published Sept. 20 showed that his job approval rating had dropped to 40 percent, the lowest since he took office.
Even his support base, consisting of people in their 20s and residents in Seoul and the metropolitan area, is becoming increasingly discontented with the President, particularly after the controversial appointment of the scandal-ridden Cho Kuk as justice minister despite a huge public backlash. But Cheong Wa Dae has paid little attention to the glaring change in public support. “It is not appropriate to ask us to pinpoint the reason for the downturn,” Ko said during a briefing Sept. 20.