April 15 election makes fight against virus harder
One of the worst things happening in South Korea as the new coronavirus spreads rapidly in some areas is the resurgence of divisive politics based on regionalism and ideological confrontation. This is largely associated with the April 15 general election, which, in a nutshell, is expected to be a duel between opponents and proponents of President Moon Jae-in.
What is particularly worrisome is some nasty politicking over Daegu, a conservative stronghold that has become the epicenter of the ballooning outbreak in the nation. As of Wednesday morning, the country's COVID-19 cases surged to 1,146 ― compared to only 51 a week earlier ― and some 80 percent of the cases are reportedly linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is regarded as a cult by mainstream congregations.
What happened Tuesday showed yet again how vulnerable our society is to irresponsible political attacks driven by regionalism. It all started when Rep. Hong Ik-pyo, chief spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, used inappropriate words in announcing measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus from Daegu to other areas. He said the government will implement "maximum quarantine" measures for Daegu to stabilize the situation, triggering speculation that the government may place the city under a lockdown as China did to Wuhan in Hubei Province, where the virus originated. As the controversy continued, President Moon, while visiting Daegu, later explained that Rep. Hong didn't mean a lockdown, quarantine or isolation. "There was a horrible misconception about the government's latest anti-virus measures. The point is we will take maximum measures to stabilize the situation in Daegu and contain the spread of the virus to other parts of the country," Moon said.
Rep. Hong indeed deserves criticism for causing misunderstanding by using inappropriate words to explain the government's measures for Daegu. Despite Moon's clarification, however, malicious stories highlighting "antagonism" among Daegu residents toward the Moon administration continued. Some conservative dailies even ran these articles on their front page the next day. Some politicians who are seeking to run in Daegu have been describing the virus as the "Moon Jae-in Pneumonia," portraying the city as a victim of the government's "failed" anti-virus policy. Probably the worst of all was a foolish petition submitted to Cheong Wa Dae demanding the impeachment of the "incompetent" President Moon, and irresponsible media reports about it.
Some liberals have also crossed the line in politicizing the virus outbreak ahead of the elections. Some commentators tied to the ruling party have criticized top officials in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province who belong to the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) for "doing nothing" to stop the virus and "avoiding public attention" while they should lead anti-virus efforts. This is apparently to give the impression that the UFP members are "irresponsible" and "negligent" about containing the virus.
It is regrettable that political fighting is getting uglier at a time when the country should be united more than ever. In a sense, divisive politics is more dangerous than the virus.
One of the worst things happening in South Korea as the new coronavirus spreads rapidly in some areas is the resurgence of divisive politics based on regionalism and ideological confrontation. This is largely associated with the April 15 general election, which, in a nutshell, is expected to be a duel between opponents and proponents of President Moon Jae-in.
What is particularly worrisome is some nasty politicking over Daegu, a conservative stronghold that has become the epicenter of the ballooning outbreak in the nation. As of Wednesday morning, the country's COVID-19 cases surged to 1,146 ― compared to only 51 a week earlier ― and some 80 percent of the cases are reportedly linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is regarded as a cult by mainstream congregations.
What happened Tuesday showed yet again how vulnerable our society is to irresponsible political attacks driven by regionalism. It all started when Rep. Hong Ik-pyo, chief spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, used inappropriate words in announcing measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus from Daegu to other areas. He said the government will implement "maximum quarantine" measures for Daegu to stabilize the situation, triggering speculation that the government may place the city under a lockdown as China did to Wuhan in Hubei Province, where the virus originated. As the controversy continued, President Moon, while visiting Daegu, later explained that Rep. Hong didn't mean a lockdown, quarantine or isolation. "There was a horrible misconception about the government's latest anti-virus measures. The point is we will take maximum measures to stabilize the situation in Daegu and contain the spread of the virus to other parts of the country," Moon said.
Rep. Hong indeed deserves criticism for causing misunderstanding by using inappropriate words to explain the government's measures for Daegu. Despite Moon's clarification, however, malicious stories highlighting "antagonism" among Daegu residents toward the Moon administration continued. Some conservative dailies even ran these articles on their front page the next day. Some politicians who are seeking to run in Daegu have been describing the virus as the "Moon Jae-in Pneumonia," portraying the city as a victim of the government's "failed" anti-virus policy. Probably the worst of all was a foolish petition submitted to Cheong Wa Dae demanding the impeachment of the "incompetent" President Moon, and irresponsible media reports about it.
Some liberals have also crossed the line in politicizing the virus outbreak ahead of the elections. Some commentators tied to the ruling party have criticized top officials in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province who belong to the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) for "doing nothing" to stop the virus and "avoiding public attention" while they should lead anti-virus efforts. This is apparently to give the impression that the UFP members are "irresponsible" and "negligent" about containing the virus.
It is regrettable that political fighting is getting uglier at a time when the country should be united more than ever. In a sense, divisive politics is more dangerous than the virus.
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