단상斷想

In Korean politics, there is a strange unwritten rule that 'progressives should be poor and conservatives can be rich.' This is a result of the collective unconscious formed by Korean society, which is inclined towards colonial historiography, being projected onto modern political culture. It can be said to be an expression of the class-based way of thinking that is engraved in the minds of Koreans, going beyond political ideological conflicts.

If we rewrite it to fit the current reality, it should be rewritten as, 'Conservatives should be poor, and pro-Japanese factions want to continue to be rich.' As times have changed, we demand corrections from various media and political circles in the sense that it is now desirable to engage in some normal brain activity.

The Joseon Dynasty's Sa-nong-gong-sang system was a fixed social structure that matched occupation with status. The Sa (士) were the ruling class who had to lead society based on scholarship and morality, and the Nong (農) were good people responsible for the foundation of production. The Gong (工) and Sang (商) were considered to be the lowest classes who were not productive. In particular, merchants were perceived as lowly beings who only pursued profits, and accumulating wealth itself was a morally suspicious act. This classification was applied as is even to the demise of Joseon, and it is believed that the country was ruined by only playing the role of moral gentlemen, and that ignorant merchants only chased money and thought they were cooperating with the Japanese when the world changed. And it is believed that only the poor and uneducated good people came forward as righteous armies and jumped into the anti-Japanese front, eventually perishing as a disorganized mob without a leader.

However, this is purely a manipulation by the Japanese. Japan's distortion of history means that we can only talk about historical distortion when we acknowledge the fact that they prepared a discourse of massive consciousness degradation that works even on the very bottom of such trivial and fundamental Korean consciousness, and that it has already taken root as a theory dominated in the unconscious. This consciousness structure is repeatedly learned in education and in the media, and is being reproduced in modern Korean politics with surprising similarity.

Progressive politicians are expected to play the role of ‘scholars (士)’ in the Joseon Dynasty. That is, they must pursue morality and ideals beyond material desires, and sacrifice for social causes rather than personal gain. On the other hand, the logic of ‘merchants (商)’ applies to conservative politicians. The accumulation of wealth and the pursuit of realistic interests are taken for granted, and rather, it is regarded as proof of social status and ability. The merchant (商) became a status that Japan boasts of with all sorts of rhetoric, such as merchant spirit and merchant temperament, with the word ‘Akindo (商人)’ in Japanese. It is a packaging of Japan's unique class law that transformed Western mercantilism. Naturally, these merchants did better during the enlightenment period, and from the bottom of modern colonial Japan, they formed merchant groups and took root in good locations in new cities such as Busan, Wonsan, and Jemulpo, surpassing Koreans. The Japanese merchants, who seized other people's goods and land, and the Japanese who returned home or the remaining Japanese who remained at the same time as the defeat, became fixtures in the political, economic, educational, and religious circles of Korea. Therefore, their wish is that the customs and practices between liberation and the 6.25 War are most beneficial to maintaining their business base, and they are the ones who constantly gaslight the opposition Democratic Party in order not to lose that hegemony.

Lee Chun-seok (4th term, Iksan-si Gap, North Jeolla Province), chairman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, quickly left the Democratic Party and resigned from his position as chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on August 5, when he publicly revealed allegations of stock trading under borrowed names. In the morning, he posted a message on Facebook, saying, "I sincerely apologize for making you angry and uncomfortable with the articles about me today. It is my fault without any excuse," and "I have decided that I can no longer burden the new party leadership and the party, so I am leaving the Democratic Party and submitting my resignation as chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee." As the floor leader and party leader had just changed and the new leaders quickly carried out self-sacrifice, I will watch to see if this leads to the dissolution of the insurrection party and the expulsion of the People Power Party's '45 traitors'.

At this point, the people cannot help but ask. Why is it that when the same mistake is made, some politicians are buried in an instant, while others are treated as heroes under the shield of the media? Why are the mistakes of the progressives magnified as essential, while the crimes of self-serving party disguised as conservatives are justified as strategies? While some evaluate the Democratic Party's new leadership's swift handling of this as 'refreshing,' the benefit is rather leading to an empty and irresponsible non-response within the People Power Party. Korean politics is still obsessed with a game of 300 seats. There is no justification or ideology, only self-politics and the next general election are important. Will politicians who cannot hide their desires take Lee Chun-seok's quick departure as an opportunity for reflection, or will they treat it as just another variable to be removed?

Obsessed with their own political gain, titles, and reputations over 300 seats, they don't even realize that Lee Chun-seok's quick expulsion will be their undoing. This lack of foresight and politics devoid of principle and trust applies to both the ruling and opposition parties. I urge Korean politicians to look in the mirror and see how uncivilized and pathetic they are. There isn't a politician whose fortune isn't tainted. It's not easy to hide one's inner desires and pretend to be a representative of the people. We can all become Lee Chun-seok. As long as we forget that, there is no future for Korean politics. Politics is a mirror. It is also a distorted reflection of the public consciousness. Now is the time to look at that mirror head-on. Politicians are a mirror of the people, so the people must lead by example.