[EDITORIALS]Making a bad thing worse

An attack on a politician can lead to an ugly confrontation in society. Austria’s declaration of war on Serbia caused World War I. In the 1960s, the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King made U.S. democracy falter.
This is why we are worried and upset about the attack on Park Geun-hye, the chairwoman of the Grand National Party.
It is hard to believe that this attack occurred in a public place in 21st-century Korea.
Attacks on political figures must be avoided and cannot be tolerated because these acts not only threaten a person’s life but also place our society at risk.
But there are some people who are not upset over such attacks. Roh Hye-gyeong, the head of Nosamo, President Roh Moo-hyun’s support group, is a good example of making a bad situation worse.
Instead of expressing any sympathy, Ms. Roh disparagingly speculated as to how many stitches Ms. Park might need, and whether she would require plastic surgery to clear the wound. Those comments were part of an article she posted on the Web site of the supporters’ group.
Ms. Roh added that our country was a world leader in plastic surgery, and that Ms. Park would appear again with no scars.
As her remarks provoked a controversy, Ms. Roh gave excuses and apologies later. But many people who read this article must have perceived it not as consolation but as a catty remark.
Ms. Roh was hired as a senior official at the Blue House in this administration and later became the head of Nosamo.
She is clearly a close confidant of President Roh. Thus, she should be careful not to provoke misunderstandings over politically sensitive matters. Articles like this will eventually harm the president.
Some other impulsive writings on the Internet also cause serious problems.
There are horrible postings such as “a self-staged attack by Ms. Park,” or “she should have been killed.”
“Planned by the governing party,” or “a chance to arrest communists” are nonsense as well. People must not write things that could push society into chaos.
Terrorism is the biggest enemy of democratic society. We need to feel angry and upset about terrorism, regardless of ideology or political beliefs.
A person who is not angry over terrorism cannot be a member of our society.