ASIA	MARCH 9, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 9
	Kim's Turn In a solemn ceremony befitting austere times, Korea's President is sworn into office--and finds himself embroiled in his first political crisis By DONALD MACINTYRE /SEOUL t was an "IMF" inauguration, just the way South Korea's new President wanted it. The acronym has become shorthand for penny-pinching since the International Monetary Fund rescued South Korea from bankruptcy three months ago. "IMF lunch specials" have cropped up on menus around Seoul, and shop windows announce "IMF sales." Under orders to keep a tight lid on costs, Kim Dae Jung's transition team started close to home: aides dragged old chairs and sofas out of a basement storage room in a government building instead of buying new furniture for their offices. Then they killed plans to use a laser to light a giant torch on the eve of the inauguration. A technician flicked a switch instead, saving $45,000. Kim's budget-conscious staff even axed state television's inaugural concert and canceled a couple of receptions. Says transition team leader Lee Jong Chan: "D.J. gave all of us special instructions. He said we must save money and make this inauguration ceremony more frugal." In the end, Wednesday's no-frills ceremony set just the right tone for a President who has pledged to end the high-living and money politics that helped land Korea in its current mess. A sense of history in the making lent an air of solemn dignity to the event, which kicked off with a colorful pageant of dancing and songs (including, appropriately, Paul Simon's Bridge Over Troubled Water) in place of the military parades of the past. Jailed, beaten and threatened with death under previous governments, Kim swore the oath of office under a clear blue sky in Korea's first peaceful transfer of power to the opposition in 50 years. He used the occasion to remind his countrymen that the pain isn't over: "All of us are being asked to shed sweat and tears now." And in a powerful moment of political theater, he shook hands with two of his former persecutors, ex-presidents Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, before wading into the crowd of 40,000. Among them was Chung Bong Rim, who has worked in factories and restaurant kitchens since moving to Seoul 20 years ago from southern Cholla province, Kim's stronghold. "The new President promised he will help working-class people like me," Chung said. "I am so overwhelmed I was trembling throughout the whole ceremony." Fans in the VIP stands--including ambassadors and officials from the U.S., which twice helped save Kim's life during his years as a dissident--also had to pinch themselves. "I am just totally thrilled to be here to celebrate a moment I have to confess I never thought would take place," gushed former U.S. Congressman Stephen Solarz. George Soros, who met Kim for the first time in January, said he was impressed with the President's down-to-earth style. The billionaire financier and philanthropist has offered Kim advice on how to attract foreign investors and rebuild the economy. One unusual entrepreneur offered material help: a Korean development company announced that performer Michael Jackson would invest at least $100 million to build a theme park. Adding a spritz of glamour to the event in his trademark red jacket and black fedora, the Gloved One clearly counted himself among the President's admirers. "Kim Dae Jung is my friend," he whispered to a reporter, "and I believe in him." Kim will need all the help he can get. In his inaugural speech, the President pleaded with the opposition Grand National Party to give a him a year of squabble-free politics to get the economy back on its feet. They evidently weren't listening: within hours the GNP used its parliamentary majority to block Kim's choice of Prime Minister, Kim Jong Pil. The move angered many Koreans, who fear government paralysis will prolong the crisis. With a public approval rating of more than 90% in a recent poll, the President may have to use his enormous popularity to extend the momentum of his inauguration.
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