[FOUNTAIN]Preemptive financial cures

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[FOUNTAIN]Preemptive financial cures

After reportedly reviving a dead man, Bian Que became a celebrated doctor in the East. When he heard that the prince of the Kingdom of Guo had died, he went to the palace. As the doctor performed acupuncture, the prince magically returned to life. When people acclaimed Bian Que’s feat, he said that the prince was not really dead, but rather in a state of suspended animation, and he had only treated his illness.
Bian Que’s real name was Qi Yueren, and episodes of his life are found in historical documents from the seventh century B.C. to the third century. It is believed that stories of other noted doctors have been incorporated into the legend of Bian Que.
Bian Que’s two older brothers were also excellent doctors. When the king of the Kingdom of Wei asked him which of the brothers was best, he replied that the eldest brother was the best, followed by the second oldest, and then himself. Bian Que said his eldest brother diagnosed an illness just by looking at a patient’s face even before symptoms developed, and thus eliminated the cause of an ailment in advance. His patients never really got sick, so they did not think they had been treated.
The second oldest brother sensed and treated a disease when the symptoms were mild and, similarly, people did not know the doctor had helped them. But Bian Que only noticed an illness when the patients experienced symptoms and pain. That is why he became famous as a doctor while the other brothers remained unknown despite their superior gifts.
The financial market in Korea needs a doctor like Bian Que’s older brothers, who can treat ailments before symptoms appear. If the market starts to feel pain, the situation might become uncontrollable.
Critics refer to the liquidity problems at LG Card as a revival of government intervention in the financial sector. Lenders say that the authorities intervened to provide loans to help the country’s largest credit card issuer avert insolvency. Lee Jung-jae, the Financial Supervisory Commission’s chairman, said that he could not let the market collapse just to avoid criticism of state intervention.
The financial authority’s performance has been far from the preemptive remedy prescribed by Bian Que’s brothers. Well, the financial sector is not the only field where legendary doctors are absent.


by Lee Se-jung

The writer is a deputy business news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
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