PUBLIC BEEF PROMPTS KOREAN CABINET TO ACT

For South Koreans, the news that the Cabinet of President Lee Myung-bak has offered to resign en masse has not caused a stir. This is normal in the Korean political culture when you make a mistake or are perceived to have done so by the public. The only way out is to resign. Koreans have a very high sense of shame. In this case, the 100-day Cabinet felt that public outrage over US beef imports - after a five-year ban due to BSE, or mad cow disease - has caused intolerable discontent. The offer of collective resignation came after weeks of protests. Lee said he will reshuffle his Cabinet to take responsibility for the decision. Demonstrations continue, with people furious that the government would resume beef imports despite the threat of BSE. 

With excellent US-Korean relations and a good rapport between Lee and George W Bush, Seoul is under heavy pressure to import US beef. In a way, Korea has no choice but to resume imports, even though Koreans love to eat locally produced beef, which they believe is tastier. The problem is, the local beef is very expensive. Foreign beef is cheaper, but the bone of contention is the health issue. Korean consumers are very mindful of their health. Secondly, the demonstrators see the resumption of US beef imports as a symbol of their country's kow-towing to Washington. To allay fears, the Korean government dispatched a team of special envoys to the US to urge the Americans not to export beef from cattle aged over 30 months.

Three months ago, Lee was flying high after a landslide victory in the presidential election. He thought he had a full mandate to move on with reforms. But what he failed to remember is that the Korean public mood can change rapidly because of pressing domestic issues and the expectation of a high standard of living.

Now, Lee's reputation is at stake. Koreans, especially the young and radical, have yet to come to terms with the transition from the previous government under Roh Moon-hyun to the current leadership. Under Roh, South Korea was critical of US policy on the Korean peninsula. The outburst of anger over the beef issue and the mass candlelight vigils show that the Lee Cabinet cannot take the Korean public for granted. Large numbers of protesters can be mobilised at any time, especially through the Internet with its easy and wide access. The past weeks have been a wake up call for Lee to reassess his policy towards the US. His party has lost heavily in recent local elections. 

Of course, the behaviour and response of the Korean politicians has perplexed politicians in Thailand. When the economic crisis hit Thailand in July 1997, it became contagious and took down the Korean economy. But due to strong discipline and a culture of shame, Korean leaders were quick to remedy the financial ills. Thailand has taken much longer to recover from the quagmire.

So, when Thai politicians heard about the proposed mass resignation, they were flabbergasted. As we know, Thai politicians seldom resign as a result of their wrongdoing. They stand up and stay on despite criticism. They have thick skins indeed. Thai political culture is different from that of Korea, in that here there is a very high tolerance for wrongdoing and political idiocy. Just look at the key politicians of this current government. The bad guys stand out like sore thumbs. Nobody is perfect, so the Thai public seems to think, giving canny politicians extra room to manoeuvre and to find exit strategies and excuses. This is a serious political handicap for Thailand as it moves to solidify democracy. Our politicians should learn a few lessons from their Korean counterparts, especially when it comes to accountability and good governance.