Korea turns out to be no.1 in political conflicts

A survey report published on Wednesday in the U.S. revealed that Korean citizens felt political conflicts were the most severe among major countries. It means Korea ranks even higher than the U.S., a country facing the crisis of democracy represented by the public rejection of presidential election results, the trespassing on the U.S. Capitol, and politics of hatred. This results from a comparative analysis conducted from February to June on people from 19 democratic countries by the Pew Research Center, an authoritative polling agency based in Washington.

The survey was conducted of more than 1,000 adults aged 18 or older in each country. When asked whether there is any conflict between supporters of different political parties, South Korea had the highest percentage of respondents who answered “Strong” or “Very strong” at 90%. The United States was right behind with 88%. In the number of respondents who answered “Very strong,” Korea topped the list with an overwhelming 49%. The U.S. was 41%. Nine out of 10 Korean and American citizens said there were severe political conflicts in the country, but Koreans seem to consider it more seriously.

The result is indeed worrisome. In the U.S., the conflict between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party over the rejection of the presidential election result has reached a dangerous level, which came to the surface with a disastrous invasion of the U.S. Capitol in January last year, the year after the presidential election. Before the recent midterm elections, there was even a hammer attack by an extreme rightist targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democratic Party). But Korean citizens acknowledged that Korea has the most political conflicts, even after everything that happened in the U.S.

The problem is that such political conflicts are ever-intensifying after the presidential election. Every weekend, liberals and conservatives rally at the Gwanghwamun Plaza and in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, shouting “Resign Yoon Suk-yeol” and “Arrest Lee Jae-myung.” And the confrontations are plagued with sharp accusations against the opposing camp, ferocious words, and insults. Politicians are busy inciting more conflicts and weighing the gains and losses while paying attention to their fierce supporters.

There is a flood of news reports saying that the economy is on the verge of a precipice, and North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday yet again. Talking about the economic and security crisis is not enough. It is time that we gathered our wisdom and national capacity to find ways to survive as a country. We should stop engaging in dirty politics. The Pew Research survey shows that the public's patience has crossed a critical point. I hope that we can at least establish a bipartisan consultative committee in the near future.