The Year of Confusion

By Park Moo-jong

Finally, the "Year of Confusion" as I define the "Year of the Monkey" is fading into history.

The outgoing year of 2016 is particularly full of antagonistic and rough words in this society amid the nation's unprecedented leadership crisis.

Professors chose "君舟民水" (gunju minsu) as the four-Chinese-character phrase that best describes the year.

The phrase means: "The king is like a boat and the people are like water. So, the water may set the boat afloat and may overturn it."

This precisely depicts the situation of the public demand for President Park Geun-hye's resignation and her parliamentary impeachment for her incredible mismanagement of state affairs, influenced by her unofficial advisor and long time friend Choi Soon-sil.

It is not too much to say that even the word confusion is not strong enough to describe what is taking place in this country.

Different opinions and interests must live side by side in any society. They are necessary for a democracy that cherishes diversity and vitality in its opinions and persuasions.

But "inability," a rough word and "hatred" dominated the political spheres where interests clashed with conflicting views throughout the year.

It was indeed a low point for Korean society, where self-motivated people, especially those in the political world, were not hesitant to hate and even use verbal violence against others with different views or interests.

Corruption and white lies are rampant in and around power, even in parliamentary hearings, overshadowing justice and truth.

In a tough conservative-progressive and left-right ideological confrontation, people tended to resort to ruthlessly collective and massive action to attain their selfish goals, refusing to put themselves in the shoes of their opponents.

Nonetheless, the day after tomorrow the new morning will break for the "Year of the Rooster," the tenth of the 12-year cycle of animals will appear in the Chinese zodiac of the lunar calendar.

To be precise, the year of the monkey ends on Jan. 28, New Year's Day of the lunar calendar. But traditionally and for the sake of convenience, we also regard Jan. 1 as the first day of the new zodiac animal.

At the moment, the Year of the Rooster looks set for a gloomy start. Egg prices are soaring and New Year's festivals are being canceled as the nation is fighting its worst avian flu outbreak in a decade.

But, roosters, born, for instance, in 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 and 2017. are characterized as trustworthy, hardworking, strong at timekeeping, career-driven and good at multitasking.

How about their weaknesses?

There is no reason to point out the negative aspects at the celebrated beginning of the New Year. Let's just pray that they will demonstrate their merits fully throughout the year, so that we can forget the bad things of the outgoing year.

With every New Year comes the chance for yet another New Year's resolution, even though it lasts "only three days."

Bridget Jones, a thirty something single woman in London, who is the fictional character of "Bridget Jones Diary" written by Helen Fielding in 1996, has a heap of New Year's resolutions — I will not and I will.

On top of her "I will not," drink more than fourteen alcohol units a week, smoke, behave sluttishly around the house, but instead imagine others are watching and spend more than earn.

And she vows "I will stop smoking, drink no more than fourteen alcohol units a week, reduce the circumference of things by 3 inches using an anti-cellulite diet and give all clothes which I have not worn for two years or more to homeless."

Of course, she fails.

Most of us must have similar resolutions — quitting smoking, less drinking, daily workouts to lose weight and less spending, especially less use of credit cards.

"Most" will fail like Jones and a few will succeed.

But don't mind. Experience tells us how difficult it is to keep New Year's resolutions for 365 days.

What is most important is the fact that the ideal of a New Year's resolution seeps into our psyches with a sense of freshness that tells us we can do things differently.
The rooster, the only feathered tribe among the 12 Zodiac animals, represents trust, hardworking and brightness.

First of all, let's get rid of the confusion from the "Year of Confusion 2016." The morale and discipline of our society seriously declined due to the selfishness of various interest groups, a worsening lack of the law-abiding spirit, and the never-ending corruption scandals involving top officials, politicians, businessmen and even the head of state.

In the early 1970s, among the pop songs young people of the time loved was "Epitaph" by King Crimson, a British rock group.

The lyrics go: "Between the iron gates of fate, the seeds of time were sown, and watered by the deeds of those who know and who are known: knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules.

"The fate of all mankind I see is in the hands of fools. Confusion will be my epitaph, as I crawl a cracked and broken path. If we make it, we can all sit back and laugh. But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying, yes I fear tomorrow I'll be crying."
But these are just the lyrics of a rock song.

Park Moo-jong is the advisor of The Korea Times. served as the president and publisher of the daily from 2004 to 2014 after he worked as a reporter at the paper beginning in 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com.