An image overlaid with a red line graph and a "manipulated" stamp, with power plant chimneys, solar panels, and wind turbines positioned above. This is a composite image symbolically representing allegations of statistical and public opinion manipulation and controversies surrounding the restructuring of public institutions in the context of energy transition. Hanmi Ilbo

On the 20th, Kim Yong-beom, Senior Secretary to the President for Policy, stated regarding the "Yellow Envelope Act" that "companies are unlikely to leave the country. If they do, the law can be amended." This is by no means a casual remark. The language of the Presidential Office's Senior Secretary for Policy reflects the administration's true intentions and attitude.

Interpreting his statement at face value, it appears the administration sought to appease its political base, the labor unions, while simultaneously leaving a backdoor open to the business community, saying, "We can amend the law if necessary." This starkly reveals the administration's "two-faced approach."

While downplaying the business community's concerns as exaggerated, the remark suggesting amendment if the situation arises indicates a lack of policy consistency and a tightrope walk between the administration's base and economic realities.

The situation is even more serious regarding real estate issues.

Regarding President Lee Jae-myung's statement as a presidential candidate that "we will not control housing prices with taxes," Senior Secretary Kim asserted, "It was not a promise that taxes would never be used under any circumstances. That is a misunderstanding." This is tantamount to admitting that the statement made to the public at the time was not a promise but mere wordplay.

While it could be seen positively in that it recognizes the seriousness of real estate market instability, the more fundamental issue is the destruction of public trust. The attitude of overturning a candidate's firm promise without even a single apology results in promises losing their weight and the public being deceived. At the very least, if the Senior Secretary for Policy is to revise past statements, the prerequisite is to bow down and apologize to the public. Without that, no matter how much pragmatism is packaged, it ultimately amounts to nothing more than "changing one's words."

The remarks concerning the restructuring of public institutions could have even greater repercussions.

Senior Secretary Kim explicitly revealed the President's intentions by saying, "We will likely create a separate TF chaired by the Chief of Staff." He specifically mentioned that state-run energy companies are unavoidable to undergo structural changes with the expansion of renewable energy share, and financial public institutions will also inevitably see their functions adjusted.

This signifies a major overhaul involving structural changes in energy transition and industrial policy, rather than a simple discussion of efficiency. If such a significant matter, which could shake national governance as a whole, is to be settled through TF discussions, it cannot escape criticism of being hasty and conducted behind closed doors.

Furthermore, the public has already experienced the Moon Jae-in administration's distortion of indicators through the replacement of the National Statistics Office chief and the manipulation of public opinion and data to justify the nuclear phase-out policy. The act of manipulating figures and public sentiment to secure policy legitimacy was ultimately a "regime's stratagem." If these discussions on public institution reform follow the same path, it will simply be another act of deception against the public.

The keyword that ties these three statements together is "regime's stratagem (詐術)." The dual attitude of appeasing both labor unions and the business community, the insincerity of breaking promises without apology, and the flippancy of attempting to lightly handle the national task of public institution reform with a mention of a TF. All of these lead to the erosion of public trust.

Policy should prioritize the lives of the people, not the interests of the administration. What is needed now is not stratagem, but an honest apology, a consistent policy philosophy, and cooperation with the public. History proves that power that shuns cooperation always collapses on its own.

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