[Opinion] What Means Being Manlike?

“Politics is a gentle-mannered twin of soccer games. The end goal of a political party is to draw fans called voters by playing persuasive games.” Has lawmaker and FIFA vice chairman Jung Mong-joon ever read the book ‘Men,’ in which its author Dietrich Schwanitz describes the correlation between politics and soccer games?

It seems that the congressman, who is believed to be by far the greatest beneficiary of the 2002 World Cup games, has made up his mind to run for presidency this year. On August 15, he even went to say, “I am afraid people no longer see me manlike if I do not run.” Jung, busy all the times, must have not seen the subtitle of the book, however, “Men, the strangest tribe on Earth.”

▷Male hormone testosterone develops aggressive nature. In the primitive ages, men played a physically challenging role chasing down animals and fighting against enemies. When hunting disappeared in the wake of the industrial revolution and technological advancement, sports games took its place. Soccer, which is fundamentally about running, overtaking and putting a ball in a trap, is a compressed form of hunting. And socio-biologists argue that men with the highest testosterone levels have ruled the mankind just as animals with the highest levels of hormone have dominated the animal kingdom. If this holds true, the ‘manlike’ Jung has a fat chance to become the president this time.

▷It would be an insult to the mankind, however, if we conclude that human activities are wholly controlled by the hormone. A Korean dictionary refers to ‘manlike’ as being brave and plucky. And when we say ‘you are not manlike” to a man, it amounts to a slap on his face. The image of a manlike man, however, overlaps with the image of violence oftentimes. A dictator like Hitler was able to mesmerize his people who happened to be long for a strong leadership at that time.

American political scientist Shaler Hooper argues in his book that the men’s thirst for power and hegemony is realized as power struggles within a country and as a war and imperialism outside the border.

▷We have witnessed that politics driven by recklessness of men often leads to a failure. If Jung meant obligation, faith and resolution by his remark, it is relieving. But if he is going to be another foolhardy politician, we have enough already. We used to use such words as ‘Young-samlike’ and ‘Ohnolike’ sarcastically, and I am afraid that ‘manlike’ might be the latest expression of sarcasm which means ‘doing whatever one likes to do with no concern for his country.’ And I would like to ask lawmaker Jung what he meant by ‘manlike.’

Kim Soon-duck, Editorial Writer