How not to speak for the people

Koh Hyun-kohn
The author is the executive editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.

An episode from MBC’s investigative program “PD Diary” — which aired late April 2008 after the government decided to lift the import ban on U.S. beef — was just plain obnoxious. Asking “Is American Beef Really Safe from Mad Cow Disease?” the program shrewdly mixed the Korea-U.S. beef negotiations with wild rumors about American beef after the outbreaks of the mad cow disease.

As the desk head responsible for mad cow disease reports, I dismissed the controversy during editorial meetings, arguing Americans consumed near-raw steak and had no problem with it. I was wrong. Regardless of the nonsensicality of the scare, I should not have ignored it. The public response was searing. Street demonstrations lasted for more than two months.

The mad cow scare was an important lesson. Anything related to public health must not be taken lightly. Then-President Lee Myung-bak’s first response was, “Who would not eat beef in fear of mad cow disease?” His remarks were perfectly correct. But once wild rumors spread, common sense does not work. Even young girls rushed out into the streets to join the protest out of fear that their favorite idol stars would catch the disease. Laughable or not, that was the reality. Two months later, the president had to apologize to the people.

The Korea-U.S. beef negotiations started during the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration. The final settlement was deferred and carried over to the following Lee administration. Lee naively signed onto it. Former officials of the Roh administration, familiar with the negotiations, kept silent when the street protests grew. The conservative government had to address them. The situation would not have gone that far if the conservative administration took time to convince the people and built trust.

The dispute over the safety of the wastewater to be discharged from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant reminds me of the mad cow fiasco. Tokyo’s decision to release the contaminated wastewater into the Pacific was made in April 2021 during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration. His Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong told the legislature that the government would not have to oppose the plan if the discharge followed the standards and guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He would not say it again. Instead, the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration should bear the burden. The wild rumors about radioactivity are already wreaking havoc on the fishing industry and seafood eateries. Moreover, the government has to deal with Japan, which is always sensitive and difficult to handle. Any misstep would bring about enormous consequences.

The Yoon administration has already made several slips. Last month, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said, “I would drink the wastewater if it meets the safety guidelines.” Though the prime minister was brave enough to bear the load, he went too far. Even the Japanese prime minister would not make such a comment. Park Ku-yeon, deputy head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the prime minister, joined the chorus. “In terms of safety, discharging the wastewater into the sea is the most realistic option,” he said. His remarks could have come from the spokesperson of the Japanese government. That was even before the IAEA released its final safety report.

The wastewater issue has nothing to do with restoring the relationship with Japan. The discharge and the liability for the decision entirely falls on Japan. Korea is in a position to thoroughly scrutinize the safety. Korea is on the offensive side, while Japan is on the defensive. But somehow, we’re behaving like a defender. Japan even demands from Korea a lifting of the ban on fisheries from Fukushima. That puts Korea in an awkward position. In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week, President Yoon implored Tokyo to share information on the discharge and allow Korean experts to participate in examining the process. Japan has yet to respond. If it stalls, Korea must press harder.

Why would Korea’s liberal forces miss the chance? They feed scare mongering out of habit. They fanned anti-American sentiment when a U.S. military vehicle killed two schoolgirls in 2002. President Roh Moo-hyun could be elected partly thanks to their incitement. The liberal front destabilized the Lee Myung-bak administration with the mad cow disease scare and wild speculations over the sinking of the Cheonan warship in 2010. The ungrounded concerns about radiation from the U.S.-led Thaad antimissile system dealt a critical blow to the conservative Park Geun-hye administration. It is out to redeem the governing power by refueling anti-Japan sentiment. Democratic Party (DP) Chair Lee Jae-myung likened the wastewater discharge into the sea to pouring poison into the well. He spoke as if he knew what he was saying, although he clearly didn’t. That cannot be the attitude of a responsible political leader.

The power of speculation is massive. The message — “If you eat American beef, you will get mad cow disease!” — is concise and intense. To prove it wrong, you need a very complex scientific explanation. It takes a while. The mad cow crisis only ended after every Korean nearly became an expert on beef.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo answers questions from lawmakers in the National Assembly on June 14. Earlier, he said he would drink the contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant if it meets safety standards.

The governing People Power Party lawmakers are publicly eating sashimi and other seafood. The show can hardly reassure the public. It only invites antagonism. Such a move is hardly different from DP lawmakers going to Japan to protest the discharge. The scare must not be left unattended. A Korea Gallup poll showed that 78 percent of Koreans worried about the discharge. The government must not think that Koreans are overreacting or that the anxiety would eventually wear down. An exhibitionist action or publicity campaign cannot overrule wild speculations. Only science can prevail over speculation. But more importantly, the government must be on the side of the people. That’s an area of politics, not science. A tough battle has started for the government to prove its real ability.