Park Yong-man: "Criticism of China Close to Hatred Is Not Justified"

Park Yong-man, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is delivering a greeting at the 2020 New Year's Meeting of the Business Community held at COEX in Seoul on the afternoon of the 3rd of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Park Yong-man, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out on the 4th, "Whether the target is China or anyone else, avoiding China with xenophobia-like fear or focusing on harsh verbal criticism is not reasonable."

On the 4th, Park said in a post on his Facebook, "There is a difference between unconditional fear and caution."

Xenophobia refers to the hatred of foreigners.

He stated, "Of course, I am afraid of the coronavirus too. We must be cautious in everything, and when the comfortable daily life we enjoyed without worries changes, it is natural to feel annoyed. However, everyone knows that being more informed and preparing more rationally and scientifically is a more efficient way to cope than simply being afraid."

He continued, "If it is possible to avoid it, we should avoid it, but when that is not realistic, minimizing the damage is the right way to respond. Everyone goes through this, and when everyone is in danger, focusing on criticism rather than joining forces to prepare ultimately results in increasing one's own risk," he pointed out.

Park said, "When I say this, some sarcastically say, 'If you like it so much, go live in China,' which is childish and petty. No one can deny that the huge economy of China next door has played a role in our economic growth."

He emphasized, "Looking back, the results that have come to both countries are the product of a process of cooperation as important partners to each other. The same applies to national disasters or crises."

He added, "As the closest neighbor with the most frequent exchanges, whether we like it or not, or regardless of the degree, the reality is that we are facing danger together in situations like these. Regarding this incident as well, we must respond with a rational and reasonable mindset, thinking of ourselves as a neighboring community, to overcome the danger together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.