[The Editors' Verdict] 'Ppaden' and the 21st National Assembly

[Asia Economy Jeong Wanju, Deputy Director and Political Chief] The word that has recently become a hot topic among Korean and American baseball fans is 'ppaden.' It refers to the showmanship of batters who throw the bat, derived from the Japanese pronunciation of bat, "bada." In American terms, it is called a 'bat flip.'

In Major League Baseball, when a batter who hits a home run attempts a bat flip, they must be prepared to face retaliatory pitches from the opposing team's pitcher in their next at-bat. Bench-clearing brawls among players are common. The reason is clear: it is seen as a lack of respect toward the opposing team's players.

On the other hand, in Korean professional baseball, it has established itself as a kind of 'showmanship' that openly expresses emotions. Fans even cheer for ppaden after ground balls or fly balls to the outfield. This aspect seems to have caught the attention of American baseball fans. It might be a reaction against the gentlemanly solemnity ingrained in American baseball culture or a craving for actions that are considered taboo.

However, the fundamental concern behind the interest in ppaden is the growing crisis of declining attendance in Major League Baseball, which symbolizes America. Particularly, the decrease in young spectators has led to attention being paid to Korea's ppaden. It is essentially a self-help measure to consider allowing the Korean-style ppaden culture as a device to bring young fans back.

What happens if this essence is excluded and the issue is simply turned into a debate over cultural differences between Korea and the U.S.? There is a high possibility that conflict and discord will only continue over a problem with no clear answer. In Yeouido-style terminology, this is a 'confrontation' between the ruling and opposition parties without alternatives.

Political strife is about debating policies. At first, opposing sides may confront and clash from completely opposite positions. But later, the political 'duty' is to each take a step back, make concessions, and compromise.

As we know, our National Assembly has been far from reasonable political strife. So much so that the 20th National Assembly was called the 'Animal National Assembly.' The ruling party abandoned cooperation, and the opposition party had no alternatives other than opposing for the sake of opposition. Ultimately, it was a self-portrait of the political world showing nothing but extreme confrontation and physical fights.

The reason the ruling party is cautious after a historic general election victory is in line with this. It is not because the ruling party did so well that they received a landslide vote. The first opposition party, which is considered almost collapsed, needs no further comment.

Cooperation is not a political act needed only in a 'minority ruling party' situation. It is even more required in the current political structure where a 'super ruling party' has emerged. Should we repeat the mistakes of the 'Open Democratic Party,' which failed by pushing through with force and being preoccupied with internal conflicts, each claiming superiority? Without sincerity and consideration toward the opposition, cooperation will be nothing but empty words.

The Future United Party must also boldly discard its old habits. Even though a great transformation of the 21st-century digital world is underway, if it remains trapped in past perspectives, it will be reduced to a regional party in the Yeongnam area. Old clothes dyed with authoritarian thinking, unchanged policies down to the last word, and a narrow-minded security perspective must be decisively discarded.

New floor leaders for both the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party have been elected. Both floor leaders are evaluated as politicians with reasonable policy sensibilities. We sincerely hope that the 21st National Assembly will start in an atmosphere of cooperation through dialogue. We expect the passage of the 'National Employment Support System' related laws in the Environment and Labor Committee to be the starting point. It was a rare scene where the ruling and opposition parties each made concessions and put their heads together to discuss necessary legislation for the people.

What solution can come from fighting over whether fan passion or respect for the opposing team comes first regarding ppaden? The essence of the problem in politics is the people's perspective. We must remember that political strife excluding this is no different from a second 'Animal National Assembly.'

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