[New Word Dictionary] Dodeokchaek - A Strange Inquiry into the Eccentric Beyond Common Sense

Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is remembered as an eccentric politician who spent his tenure marked by bold remarks and actions that sparked both attention and controversy. Illustration by artist Oh Seong-su

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "A weirdo is a reformer. I am a weirdo as a politician." The nickname of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was 'Henjin (變人ㆍweirdo)'. He himself did not seem to dislike the nickname, calling himself a "weirdo as a politician" in official settings. Before being elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party, despite serving ten terms, he had no significant faction and held minor posts such as Minister of Health and Welfare and Minister of Posts and Telecommunications instead of key positions like Secretary-General or Foreign Minister. When he was first elected to the House of Representatives at age 27, standing before the cameras, he drew public attention by saying, "I was elected by doubling the halo of my grandfather and father." During his tenure as prime minister, he was known for speaking his mind without hesitation, once shouting "Spaghetti! Macaroni! Sophia Loren!" at Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during a G7 meeting, which earned him jeers from the press telling him to "know shame." To push through the privatization of the postal service, which he had advocated since his time as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, he swiftly cut off the 'Zenkoku Daisukai,' a powerful organization of former postal bureau chiefs that was a core vote-gathering group of the LDP during his premiership, stating, "The 100 million Japanese people are more important than the 260,000 civil servants under the Ministry of Posts." Even when awarded a commendation for 25 consecutive years of service in the House of Representatives, a political honor, he refused it, saying, "The first step in administrative reform is for politicians themselves to give up vested interests."

The term 'dodeokchaek' (도덕책) is used as a substitute for the adverb 'dodaeche' (도대체), which shares the same initial consonants. It is often used in various situations such as describing eccentric behavior outside common sense, praising outstanding achievements, or sarcastically responding to someone. For example, "You are a dodeokchaek." Koizumi's eccentricities, which were like a blend of positive and negative 'dodeokchaek,' were clearly evident even in family matters. Four years into his marriage, Koizumi suddenly declared divorce while his wife was pregnant with their third son. Twenty-two years later, when that son requested a meeting at the Prime Minister's residence saying, "I want to meet my father," Koizumi flatly refused, saying, "We are related by blood, but we are not father and son." His second son, Koizumi Shinjiro, who inherited his electoral district and rose as an idol in Japanese politics, caused a stir at the UN Climate Action Summit by saying, "We must tackle climate change in a fun, cool, and sexy way," which became a meme in both Japan and Korea. Truly, it is a strange hereditary pattern of a 'dodeokchaek'-like father and son.

Usage Example

A: Why are you staring so intently? Is there something interesting?
B: What else? It's our brilliant BTS article. It's been on the main album chart for five months straight.
A: Hey, our TOEIC scores are always in the same range... Staying there isn't necessarily good.
B: It's about overcoming the hardships and sorrows of real life through fandom, but you really are... a dodeokchaek. A dodeokchaek.
A: Yeah, I'm a dodeokchaek. Hey, close the article and let's hurry up and watch the RC class.

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