Politicians Helped Rice-planting

The New Millennium Democratic Party (NMDP) = Chairman Kim Joong-Kwon and 90 party officials helped rice-planting at Songlim village, Whasung City, Kyungki Province.

When raindrops fell down at the very nick of time, farmers said ``it rains because of the high officials’ arrival.`` Chairman Kim encouraged them by saying, ``God will be moved and give rain because of your sincerity``. When the farmers said ``water pumps and tractors are running short``, he promised saying ``I will send them tomorrow.``

But, when they distributed water that the NMDP had carried in 55 concrete-mixer trucks (7 ton), there was an argument among farmers. Neighboring village’s headmen, who were waiting at the road, brawled to lead the water trucks to their villages.

Some farmers complained, ``although rice-fields near from the road are not in water-shortage, the high officials give unnecessary water to them. And they don’t give water to where the water is desperately needed.`` ``They are just bustlingly taking photographs doing the rice-planting which should have been finished in 30 minutes with a rice-planting machine.``

The Grand National Party = President Lee Hoi-Chang and 50 other lawmakers and party officials transplanted rice seedlings at Silchonmyun, Kwangju City in Kyungki Province. President Lee even drove a rice planting machine with bare feet. After having an impromptu meeting with farmers, he donated a money gift that can buy two water-tanker trucks. In the meeting, he said, ``if we do our best, god will help us.``

Yet, President Lee arrived at the scene 2 hours late due to the traffic, because he had to participate in a party event. For that reason, the party officials who had arrived there on time did not allow the farmers to began rice-planting. When a fatigued farmer began rice-planting, a lawmaker stopped him saying, ``if you begin the work without the president, there may be nothing for the president to do.``

An unnamed party official asked a farmer, ``when the president arrives, tell him that it is raining because the president came here.`` When the president arrived, party officials sang a song ``here arrives the representative of North and South Korea, President Lee Hoi-Chang`` by changing the words of `Gaksulee Taryung`. President Lee stayed there to help rice-planting for just 30 minutes.

The United Liberal Democrats = Honorary President Kim Jong- Pil and 100 party officials visited Dangjinri, Yeojugun, Kyungki Province. After a briefing session by Park Yong-Kuk, the magistrate of Yeojugun, he gave a money gift. When it drizzled just at the time, magistrate Park said, ``finally, it’s raining because of president Kim.``

President Kim had to leave immediately due to the lunch meeting with Deng Rong, the third daughter of Deng Xiao Ping. When farmers said, ``we came here to ask a favor of President Kim to save the rural community``, officials explained saying, ``because of his `international level of schedule`, he had to leave and there is nothing we can do.``

In the meantime, Prime Minister Lee Han-Dong visited Kumwangri, Yangpyunggun in Kyungki Province and encouraged farmers after hearing a report. Although Prime Minister Lee originally planed to visit Dongmyun, Yanggugun, in Kangwon Province, he changed his plan because it was raining in that region.

Park Sung-Won swpark@donga.com