After 'Bae Hyunjin Attack,' Ruling and Opposition Parties Call to End 'Politics of Hatred'... Yet Partisan Strife Continues

Calls for Self-Reflection Echo Across Parties, but Political Strife Persists
Experts Warn: "Behavior of Political Class Provokes Public Anger"

Just 23 days after the knife attack on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyunjin became the victim of a terror attack involving indiscriminate violence with a stone. In response, voices within the political sphere have called for an end to 'politics of hatred.'

On January 26, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jinpyo issued a statement regarding the assault on Representative Bae the previous day, saying, "As Speaker of the National Assembly, I express my grave concern over the recent series of terror acts targeting politicians." He added, "We must swiftly break free from the politics of extreme hostility toward one another. All members of the political community must exercise heightened vigilance and work to revive a politics of dialogue and compromise."

Yoon Jaeok, floor leader of the People Power Party, warned, "As long as our politics continues to foster hatred of opponents and spread hatred among the public through inappropriate language, such unfortunate incidents are highly likely to recur." He further cautioned, "If the entire political community does not make a joint effort, democracy will be suffocated by rampant violence." Hong Ikpyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, also called for "extraordinary measures from the authorities" during the party's Supreme Council meeting that day. He stated, "The Democratic Party opposes all forms of violence and terror that threaten democracy. We will further expand our solidarity with the public who oppose hatred."

Bae Hyunjin, a member of the People Power Party. On the 25th, Representative Bae was attacked by an assailant, injured, and transferred to a hospital for treatment.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, while both parties expressed hopes for Representative Bae's swift recovery, sharp confrontations continued. Yoon Jaeok criticized the Democratic Party regarding the lack of bipartisan agreement on bills such as the two-year postponement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act for workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, which is set to take effect from the 27th. He argued, "The Democratic Party, for the strategic purpose of securing the support of the two major labor federations, has made a choice that puts the jobs and livelihoods of 8 million workers at risk." Jeong Cheongrae, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, countered, "The so-called 'staged fight' and 'prearranged Go-Stop game' rumors are being used to package the reconciliation show between President Yoon and People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Han Donghoon as if it has concluded, but the Dior bag war is not over yet." He added, "It's not over until it's over. Do you really think the Dior bag scandal will end with the absurd and shocking claim that 'returning a luxury bag constitutes embezzlement of state funds'? The Dior bag incident is not a war that can be ended with an apology."

Experts have diagnosed that the behavior of the political class, which drives political polarization, has provoked public anger.

Political commentator Kim Sangil told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "The morally insensitive behavior of social leaders, especially their immature tendency to demonize others and express hatred for personal gain, fails to set any kind of example for the public observing the political sphere." He called on politicians to reflect on their role in fostering 'politics of hatred.'

Choi Byeongcheon, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, said, "Fundamentally, the political community must engage in self-reflection and do better," but also pointed out, "The government and ruling party are clearly responsible for handling this incident in a partisan manner after the attack on Representative Lee." He added, "Terror and attacks against politicians are likely to intensify in the future. Measures such as public disclosure of perpetrators' identities and strict punishment are needed."

Some within the political community have also pointed out that political terror should not become material for partisan bickering. Park Wonseok, chief spokesperson for the Future Grand Alliance, emphasized in a briefing, "Attempts to use political terror as a tool for partisan strife or to exploit it for the general election must be avoided."

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