A most autistic attitude

Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, said that the party should not look for excuses to avoid the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement signed by its administration or set other conditions for ratification of the pact. South Chungcheong Province Gov. Ahn Hee-jung, who is also a Democratic Party member, said the party should not change its position because it is no longer in power, saying, "The Korea-U.S. FTA involves debates over our policy of market opening and trade but not over good and evil." Song and Ahn`s comments are tantamount to criticism of their party leadership, which decided to oppose the agreement under the pretext of what they called an unfair investor-state dispute settlement system.

Chung Dong-young, a party supreme council member, countered by saying, "The young heads of provincial governments should see through the essence of the Korea-U.S. FTA.” How can he see through the essence of the accord when he considers the pact as equal to the 1905 Japan–Korea treaty, which Korea handed over its sovereignty to Japan? Chung took a step further and collected the signatures of 46 lawmakers supporting his opposition to the agreement unless the disputed clauses are abolished. He intends to resort to physical force if necessary. Democratic Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu has also jumped on the hardline bandwagon. This is a cowardly act aimed at inducing the ruling Grand National Party into rushing the ratification bill through the National Assembly and then denouncing the railroading of the bill.

The Democratic Party leadership is obsessed with uniting opposition parties under the cause of opposing the agreement. Its demand for renegotiation of the investor-state dispute system is merely an excuse. Sohn and Chung, who supported the accord in the past but have made an about-face, seem to be turning into autistic politicians who shut their eyes and ears to common sense and reason.

The late former President Roh Moo-hyun blasted opponents of the free trade deal during his presidency and after retirement. He said nothing they argued against proved true, saying, "Some even call FTAs deals for selling out the nation but they are about the issues of eating and living, not of ideology.” The Democratic Party hanged photos of former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh on its office walls as a token of their commitment to inherit their legacies. If the party`s leaders think Song`s and Roh`s words are wrong, they should take down the photos first.

The Democratic Party`s approval rating is lower than those of the ruling party. People who have turned their backs on the ruling party do not back the Democratic Party because of its irrationality and irresponsibility. The hardline stance of the opposition party`s leadership is fanning public distrust of politicians.