Korean politics should be ashamed of itself
Published: 07 May. 2024, 19:51
KANG TAE-HWA
The author is a Washington correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo.
About 100 pro-Palestinian protestors who occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University were arrested by police on April 30. The protestors had their hands tied behind their backs and were bounded onto buses after standing like “examples” for a while.
It started to rain. Students and citizens chanted “Shame on you!” The faces of police officers were dark. I talked to a middle-aged man at the scene. He was a professor at Columbia. He said that he was devastated after teaching about liberty all his life. The professor also said it was not the United States he knew. The next day, he protested with other professors, calling for the release of the students.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This is what the professor was referring to about the identity of the country.
But the reality was different. As the school announced a policy to expel the protestors, the students covered their faces and closed their mouths as they feared they would not be able to graduate if their identities were made public. During an interview that was barely arranged, Jewish students dressed in traditional outfits came over and took photos as if collecting evidence. There was no scene where a lawmaker was forcibly gagged and taken out, but I was reminded of the controversy in Korea over the government’s crackdown on freedom of speech.
In his inauguration speech two years ago, President Yoon Suk Yeol repeated the word “liberty” 35 times. He cited “anti-intelligence” as something to watch for. As his conservative administration advocated for fairness, many people believed his government would allow free communication and intelligent discussion.
However, in a Gallup Korea poll released on April 26, the president’s approval rating hovered around 20 percent for the second consecutive week. The negative assessment is mostly based on factors related to the president’s high-handed approach to state affairs, including a critical lack of communication with the public (15 percent), and an arbitrary and unilateral attitude (9 percent) in addition to economic, livelihood and inflation issues (21 percent). At this rate, the president will record the lowest approval rating in history on the second anniversary of the start of his presidency on May 10.
External criticism is even harsher. According to the Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders on May 3, Korea ranked 62nd. Throughout the previous administration, Korea ranked around 40th. This year’s ranking is lower than Ukraine at 61st, where freedom is inevitably restricted because of the ongoing war. U.S. students and people at least could shout “shame on you” to law enforcement. Korean politics should at least be ashamed of itself.
The author is a Washington correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo.
About 100 pro-Palestinian protestors who occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University were arrested by police on April 30. The protestors had their hands tied behind their backs and were bounded onto buses after standing like “examples” for a while.
It started to rain. Students and citizens chanted “Shame on you!” The faces of police officers were dark. I talked to a middle-aged man at the scene. He was a professor at Columbia. He said that he was devastated after teaching about liberty all his life. The professor also said it was not the United States he knew. The next day, he protested with other professors, calling for the release of the students.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This is what the professor was referring to about the identity of the country.
But the reality was different. As the school announced a policy to expel the protestors, the students covered their faces and closed their mouths as they feared they would not be able to graduate if their identities were made public. During an interview that was barely arranged, Jewish students dressed in traditional outfits came over and took photos as if collecting evidence. There was no scene where a lawmaker was forcibly gagged and taken out, but I was reminded of the controversy in Korea over the government’s crackdown on freedom of speech.
In his inauguration speech two years ago, President Yoon Suk Yeol repeated the word “liberty” 35 times. He cited “anti-intelligence” as something to watch for. As his conservative administration advocated for fairness, many people believed his government would allow free communication and intelligent discussion.
However, in a Gallup Korea poll released on April 26, the president’s approval rating hovered around 20 percent for the second consecutive week. The negative assessment is mostly based on factors related to the president’s high-handed approach to state affairs, including a critical lack of communication with the public (15 percent), and an arbitrary and unilateral attitude (9 percent) in addition to economic, livelihood and inflation issues (21 percent). At this rate, the president will record the lowest approval rating in history on the second anniversary of the start of his presidency on May 10.
External criticism is even harsher. According to the Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders on May 3, Korea ranked 62nd. Throughout the previous administration, Korea ranked around 40th. This year’s ranking is lower than Ukraine at 61st, where freedom is inevitably restricted because of the ongoing war. U.S. students and people at least could shout “shame on you” to law enforcement. Korean politics should at least be ashamed of itself.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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