According to MOFAT, Minister Yu plans to tour several large supermarkets and traditional marketplaces in Seoul to talk with leaders and merchants, observe supply and demand conditions, and check on the prices of necessary goods. Minister Yu also plans to purchase some sundry daily necessities himself.

I asked the officer why it was the minister of MOFAT, not of an economy-related ministry, who is checking on these prices. “Please understand it is just a top-level decision,” he replied.

Who can it be at this top level? President Lee Myung-bak said at a cabinet meeting on Aug. 18 that ministers, deputy ministers and bureau directors should pay attention to prices at the major supermarkets and traditional marketplaces. Thus instructed, the prime minister and others from the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy and the Free Trade Commission made plans for marketplace tours, and the minister of MOFAT decided to catch up with the others.

I have no intention of discouraging ministers from working on the weekends. However, if they are neither experts on the economy nor regular customers of these businesses, asking a few questions will do little to help them fully grasp current market conditions or devise a brilliant plan to better manage skyrocketing prices. Even within the MOFAT, there are complaints that these efforts do nothing more than serve as propaganda.

If the minister of MOFAT resolved to dedicate weekends to serve the people, wouldn’t it be more helpful to the nation for him to spend this time on the millions of other pending issues, including the North Korean nuclear situation, foreign policies regarding Japan, and the summit meeting between Korea and Russia? Neither the people of this nation nor the president would blame the minister of MOFAT for not focusing on price controls for Chuseok.