[Current & Culture]Who Is the Real Enemy in Politics?

Published 25 Nov.2022 11:20(KST)

Drawing a line. Rather than the dictionary meaning of making a corner sharp, this expression is mainly used when confronting someone fiercely. In music, punk rock fits this description. Among politicians, the person with the strongest image of drawing a line is the late President Roh Moo-hyun. However, unlike other presidents who allied with certain forces to solidify and subtly share power, he confronted those very groups.

He tried to face off without ranks against so-called vested interests, such as the prosecution, conglomerates, and people from Gangnam. That image was like a punk rocker clashing head-on with the established order of the older generation, making his presence known. Like a punk rocker who takes reckless risks and pulls off daring stunts, he often put his own position in jeopardy. The nickname "Fool Roh Moo-hyun" likely came from this context. Whether his politically naive fights were just or how much they helped the country is up to each citizen’s judgment, but at least his battles carried the cause or aspiration of reform.

Even nowadays, the president and the presidential office are drawing lines. This time, the target is the media? No. It is a specific media outlet called MBC. They refused to board the presidential plane citing the production of fake news harmful to national interests, and even staged an unsightly large-scale scene on the president’s way to work in front of a crowd of reporters, showing it to the entire nation. Is the reason for drawing this line media reform? The president and the presidential office might say so, but I find it hard to agree. I also did not agree with media reform under the previous administration. The very idea that the government or politicians can lead media reform, or dare to do so, is dangerous and arrogant. They are cowardly, unable or unwilling to touch pension or college entrance systems that truly need reform for fear of losing votes.

To add, there are already many ways to point out, correct, and discipline individual media outlets. There are institutions like the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Korea Press Arbitration Commission, and lawsuits are possible in serious cases. Moreover, every administration has media outlets it dislikes, but there are also friendly media outlets. The real victims helpless against media tyranny are often ordinary citizens without power. Therefore, the presidential office’s stance of drawing a line against a specific media outlet looks like an old-fashioned senior singer who cannot tolerate critical critics.

There is another camp fiercely drawing lines. The opposition party is confronting the prosecution, not the ruling party. Then what about the ruling party? The presidential office quietly stays behind the prosecution and only comments as a spectator. The party system only makes sense when the ruling and opposition parties fiercely confront each other. The ruling and opposition parties exist to protect the nation’s security and fight for a better life for the people. But now, the ruling and opposition parties are either fighting the wrong enemy or not even participating. During election seasons like presidential, general, and local elections, other discussions get swept into the whirlpool of competition. Right now is the best time for productive discourse. I use the polite term discourse, but it’s fine if the debate intensifies into a fight. If we fight fiercely to prepare for the inevitable future of a super-aged society, to create new systems to prevent recurring social disasters, or to revise tax or military service exemption laws, I want to cheer on those efforts.

I don’t know if anyone from the presidential office or ruling and opposition parties will read this, but readers including myself might want to reflect quietly. If I am drawing a line with someone, is the target appropriate? Is the reason valid? If life is peaceful without fights, thank you for today as well.