[Opinion] Candle in Daylight

Watching Kim Jong-pil, president of the United Liberal Democrats, we find that he speaks and acts like a comedian rather than a politician. If he were a comedian and frequented a TV talk show as a sarcastic commentator on the current affairs, he must have drawn applause from the audience for his ability to see people through and make satirical remarks. JP recently surprised people with his talent again, this time by calling president-elect Roh `Candle in daylight.` For those who might have difficulties understanding, he even explained kindly what he meant by the candle in daylight – ˝Roh is a man who will display his utmost ability once when put in a right place like a candle that shines out when the darkness comes.˝

▷What makes us sad is that JP is not a comedian but a politician. Besides, he is not an average politician. He has been `the man next to the boss` who always won the heart of the man in power for the last forty years. It is not easy to remain as the man next to the boss. If you are too good, you might get the nerve of the boss, or if you are incompetent, you might be displaced by others in line. Of the men he served, one was even assassinated. Still, he is up and running. Some pointed out, ˝It`s because he knows too well the nature of power, so he neither can live without it nor can resist it.˝ It might be much simpler, however, to say ˝He knows what to do when at a critical moment.˝

▷When Kim Young-sam won a presidential election in 1992, JP said something about `shadow,` that he would not even step on the man`s shadow. When YS took the office, he was very respectful saying, “How a small bird knows the thinking of a swan.” When Kim Dae-jung won another election in 1998, he came up with a new version of `shadow`. He described DJ as a man who ˝did not give up on his hope and will to live while facing death five times for the last forty years.˝ This is how JP survived for the last forty years through some good and some bad times. There is no need to remind readers of what he said about president-elect Roh when he was still a candidate - ˝We cannot put the future of our children in the hands of a man who says this country belongs to workers.˝ This is who JP is and will be.

▷`2030` comedians then must learn a lot from JP for development of broadcasting culture, such as how he develops ideas and craft speeches. JP must realize, however, that if he tries to stay around the power despite the end of the old three Kim era by cozying up to the new president-elect with a candle that represents dreams and hopes of this age, it will be an insult to candles.

Kim Soon-deok, Editorial Writer, yuri@donga.com