I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Politicians under fire for abusing social media
Twitter becomes tool to make personal attacks
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Some politicians have come under fire for abusing Twitter and other social media as tools to make personal attacks on their opponents by raising suspicions or making scathing remarks.
Analysts describe their abuse of social media as political suicide, urging them to refrain from doing so. The warning comes as some lawmakers have gone too far.
On Wednesday, Rep. Koh Seung-duk of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) accused his fellow lawmaker Chung Doo-un, of taking issue with his previous Twitter message.
“I believe Rep. Lee Sang-deuk, brother of President Lee Myung-bak, is one of your chief supporters. Mine was former National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o,” Koh said in his tweet.
“I make this clear because you intentionally didn’t clarify who my political mentor is. In your tweet, you called me ‘a step-son of Mr. Somebody,’ making people believe that the person you mentioned is President Lee’s brother, which is not true.”
Koh is a whistle-blower, who disclosed the cash-for-votes scandal involving incumbent National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae.
The lawyer-turned-lawmaker claimed Rep. Park offered him 3 million won in 2008 when was competing for the party’s chairmanship. Koh said he refused the “vote-buying” attempt by returning the money to Park’s aide immediately.
Rep. Chung and other GNP lawmakers are suspicious of Koh’s motives, saying his revelation dealt a serious blow to the already-embattled ruling party.
Some of them alleged he was attempting to curry favor with Rep. Park Geun-hye for job security as Park is in charge of coming up with a method to select candidates to run in the general election on April 11.
Koh’s Twitter message came a day after Rep. Chung made sarcastic tweets about Koh regarding his whistle-blowing act.
“Alas, I had never thought that Rep. Koh, who was once called the step son of Mr. Somebody, would turn out to be a terminator destroying the GNP,” Chung said in his post. “No matter what his motive is behind the whistle-blowing, I believe Koh has no idea of what he has done.”
Jang Hoon, professor of political science at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, lamented the politicians’ childish use of social media as a vehicle to accuse their colleagues.
He said this displays typical abuse of social media.
Jang said it is obvious that Reps. Koh and Chung crossed the line when tweeting and retweeting.
“They are immature, and there seems to be no doubt their image as politicians will be negatively affected,” he said.
Feuds caused by social networking services sometimes escalate into offline legal fights.
This was illustrated well when Rep. Kang Yong-seok took legal action against Lee Jun-seok, a member of the GNP’s emergency committee, with regard to his alleged violation of the Military Draft Law.
Kang claimed the 26-year-old GNP member didn’t work for 10 consecutive days in 2010 while doing an industrial traineeship, an alternative form of mandatory military service.
During the 10-day period, Lee took a program run by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
According to the lawyer-turned-lawmaker, Lee’s 10-day absence is a violation of the draft law as it prohibits trainees from missing eight or more days while in service.
Lee denied the allegation, saying he didn’t miss any single working day while in service as he went back to workplace after attending the two-hour course that lasted for 10 days.
Earlier this week, Rep. Kang filed a complaint against Lee days after the two went emotional after trading barbs through their tweeter.
In his posting, Kang wondered if Lee was mature enough to have a greater say in the ruling party.
Hours later, Lee fired back at Kang in his tweet after being informed of Kang’s previous message. Kang hit back at Lee again, which was followed by Lee’s retweeting.
While exchanging barbs, the two focused on personal issues.
Kang said he wondered why Rep. Yoo Seung-min recommended Park Geun-hye, the GNP’s interim leader, to consider hiring Lee, who was a summer intern for Yoo, for the key ruling party post.
Lee said Kang overreacted to him as the lawmaker was forced to leave the GNP after he made sexually inappropriate descriptions of female TV news show hosts.