Cardinal Chung Jin-seok’s appeal for respecting divergent views merits attention. The top Catholic leader warned society will be full of misfortune and unhappiness when only black and white logic prevails. He also urged people to embrace others with different views for a peaceful co-existing society.
The Catholic leader says the world is full of a wide variety of colors. It does not consist of only black and white. He says when people interpret the world only through a black and white spectrum, they will become unhappy and may invite misfortune.
The archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese says society becomes dangerous when people are unable to overcome the dogma that only their judgments are justice. He says everything in the world is relative, adding that 100 persons have 100 opinions.
He preaches people to be wise and intelligent so as to acknowledge plural opinions.
His New Year message reflects his lamentation over ideological clashes in South Korea and an indirect admonishment to both conservatives and liberals.
Conservatives brand liberals as sycophants of the Kim Jong-il regime. Proposals for inter-Korean dialogue are derided as the views of the followers of the Communist regime.
Liberals chide conservatives as warmongers and traitors. Over the North Korea policy, only black and white logic prevails. The all-time high tension in inter-Korean relations is partly attributable to the two-color ideological confrontation in the South. After a live-fire drill last Friday, many South Koreans were cheerful with thumbs-up as if the South beat the North in a soccer match. It was the most serious hair-trigger moment on the Korean Peninsula.
The message is also relevant to the National Assembly. A railroading of next year’s budget indicates the prevalence of the black and white argument. Efficiency takes precedence over procedural democracy and compromise.
President Lee has scored much for his cheerleading role for the economy. He must get due credit for upgrading the status and prestige of the country through a successful hosting of the G20 summit.
The achievements should not outshine the talk-of-the-town criticism over his efficiency-oriented corporate CEO-style management of state affairs. The invisible wall of the presidential office is rising higher and higher, forcing people to question whether the President is becoming out of touch with the on-the-street view.
The President has been talking much, listening less. Prioritizing human rights is outside his radar. He was also unable to convince environmentalists for his iconic four-river refurbishment project. Even the cardinal was at the center of the dispute over the project. The elder priests urged him to retire for backing the controversial project. In diplomacy, Seoul has yet to persuade China and Russia over North Korea.
Lee’s triumphant leadership would become a mirage unless he is patient enough to filter divergent views of the grassroots. The cardinal’s thoughtful message should be a Christmas gift for both ruling and opposition leaders.