By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Some 200 Korean professors and scholars Thursday selected "康衢煙月" ― a Chinese idiom that means "a ray of moon light brightening a prosperous village" to wish peace and prosperity for 2010, the Year of the Tiger.

The selection was made by the Kyosu Newspaper, a weekly paper for professors and scholars, through a survey of its 216 members.

The paper said the idiom is used in China to describe "a wealthy village where people live without concern."

"This reflects our wish that Korea will become a country where people live not with unnecessary social discord but only with a series of happy news in the coming year," said Prof. Yoon Min-joong of Choongnam National University. "We expect the country to tackle not only the economic downturn but also ensuing social problems such as unemployment among young people."

In early December, the paper selected "旁岐曲逕" meaning "side road, winding road" as the Idiom of 2009. It describes a situation in which people take illegal or unjustifiable measures in the pursuit of their personal interests.

It selected the idiom to criticize 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 restore the country's four major rivers and the amendment of media industry-related laws.

The Chinese characters can also be interpreted to represent our high expectations 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