A series of insulting remarks made by opposition lawmakers against President Park Geun-hye and her father, the late President Park Chung-hee, has roiled the political climate.
Last week, Rep. Hong Ik-pyo of the main opposition Democratic Party dumbfounded many by calling the former president “a baby born to a ghost.”
What he meant by the creepy description was that the late president ― and by extension his daughter ― should not have been born. He also lashed out at the junior Park for attempting to revive the dictatorial rule of her father.
The first-term legislator’s verbal abuse clearly went beyond a tolerable level. So the ruling Saenuri Party demanded that he resign as the floor spokesman of the opposition party. Some even called on him to step down as lawmaker.
The Democratic Party gave up on Hong and let him quit his party post. The party’s leader, Rep. Kim Han-gil, had to express regret to placate the ruling party.
Yet even before the uproar subsided, another opposition lawmaker make insulting accusations against Park. Rep. Lee Hae-chan, who served as a prime minister under President Roh Moo-hyun, attacked her with rude words for her lack of will to reform the National Intelligence Service.
Lee asserted that her family had strong ties with the spy agency, as shown by the fact that her father created it and was killed by its chief.
He then urged Park to sever the family ties with the NIS, warning that otherwise, a growing number of people would refuse to recognize the December presidential election results.
Lee’s warning justified Saenuri lawmakers’ suspicions that the recent series of ad hominem attacks against Park was part of the pro-Roh faction’s campaign to defy the election outcome.
Both Hong and Lee belonged to the pro-Roh faction of the opposition party. The hard-line group was sidelined in the party leadership contest in May as it was held accountable for the defeat in the presidential vote.
Saenuri lawmakers suggest that the faction has been more aggressive than the DP leader in attacking Park as it seeks to take back party leadership from Kim before next year’s local election.
Whether this analysis is correct or not, any attempt by a political group to improve its position through the use of insulting language against opponents is bound to backfire. This has been proved in the recently held major elections. Politicians should not forget that curses, like chickens, come home to roost.
