By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Some 200 Korean professors and scholars Sunday selected "旁岐曲逕" ― Chinese characters that refer to "side road, winding road" ― as the Idiom of the Year.
The selection was made by Kyosu Newspaper, a weekly paper for professors and scholars, through a survey of 216 members.
The paper said the idiom is used to describe a situation in which people take illegal or unjustifiable measures in pursuit of their personal interests.
It said that Yulgok, a renowned scholar of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) who took integrity as the best human value, used the idiom to criticize senior government officials for pursuing their personal goals through unjustifiable means.
To illustrate the relevance of the idiom, the paper pointed to politicians in the ruling and opposition parties, and bureaucrats for their failure to resolve a set of controversial issues this year in a harmonious way.
Among the issues the paper noted were the conflicts over the development of Sejong City in South Chungcheong Province, the project to refurbish the country's four major rivers and the amendment of media industry-related laws.
Prof. Ahn Dae-hee at Sungkyunkwan University said of the selection, "It was to criticize the government's attitude in implementing a series of controversial projects that carry nationwide impact without broad public consensus."
The Chinese characters can also be interpreted to represent our high expectation to see other issues resolved in a peaceful manner, the professor said.
The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party are showing no signs of narrowing their differences over the Sejong City development plan.
The plan, initiated by the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, has faced a hurdle this year after incumbent President Lee Myung-bak raised skepticism over its economic efficiency.
However, the four-river refurbishment project, initiated by President Lee, has also come under fire for the alleged negative impact it could have on the environment, and its high budget.
The administration's move to revamp the media industry, which some say was to favor pro-government outlets, also triggered public outcry earlier this year.
pss@koreatimes.co.kr
