ed Aftermath of attack

Undue politicizing of violence on envoy could backfire

Fortunately, U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert is recovering rapidly from the wounds of a knife attack, and will likely leave hospital as early as Wednesday. It was also impressive that the U.S. mission chief has maintained a brave and honorable attitude since a radical nationalist assaulted him Thursday. Cheer up, Ambassador Lippert!

Whatever Kim Ki-jong, the assailant, might have wished to attain with his hideous act of violence, the result was contrary to what he had expected. Alarmed by the glaring attempt to hurt a diplomatic envoy and touched by the top diplomat’s contrasting show of fortitude, Koreans’ liking of the sociable ambassador ― and his country ― has only strengthened, leaving no room for any cracks in friendly ties.

The U.S. government also responded with calm, cold-headed manners, as soon as it recovered from the initial shock. U.S. officials and international experts agreed that the latest incident would enhance, not weaken, the long standing alliance between the two countries.

One can hardly call it a blessing in disguise but a Korean saying, "Ground packs after a rain,” seems to aptly describe the incident ― unless some officials and politicians here inflate it out of proportion.

``It was an act of terrorism on the Korea-U.S. alliance itself,” said President Park Geun-hye upon receiving a report during her Middle East tour. She then instructed officials to investigate who were behind Kim, hastily defining it as an organized crime rather than a totally unexpected incident by an aberrant individual, as the attacker himself has claimed and most observers believe as true. The President’s initial response has become, as always, the "guideline” in investigating this incident.

Now the police and prosecution, which formed their respective "special investigation team,” are trying to charge Kim under the National Security Law. Their next step: launching another witch-hunt for pro-North followers.

Law enforcement officials say Kim visited North Korea seven times, and they found some books that ``benefit or praise” the North. But Kim’s visits to Gaeseong, the site of the inter-Korean joint industrial complex, were approved by the unification ministry, and Kim says he has studied about the North to earn degrees. The extremist’s shouts for stopping the Korea-U.S. joint war games and turning the armistice into a peace treaty are the slogans of most nationalists here, even appearing in editorials of liberal newspapers.

Yet, few nationalists ― even radical ones ― attempt to propagandize their assertion in such an outrageous way like Kim, as they know all too well it would only backfire. Only a rare, extreme type who cannot make the right judgment in a blind rush of self-display can commit such a stupid act.

So it was rather rash for Lee Byung-kee, the new presidential chief of staff, to call for ``working out fundamental steps to cope with forces that deny constitutional value.” If the law enforcement authorities try to hunt for all the people who shout similar slogans to Kim’s, that would be a more glaring and unreasonable denial of the constitutional value, which puts freedom of speech ahead of all else.

Pyongyang showed, yet again, it is the most irrational, unscrupulous regime in the world by defending, and glorifying, Kim’s act as "ust punishment on the U.S. aggressors.” A regime that justifies violence on a diplomat, probably to move domestic audience because no other people would listen to such propaganda, has no place in this world.

Using the unfortunate incident for domestic politics might give the impression Seoul is not much different from its counterpart in the North.