[Opinion] Politicians Using Rough Language

“If you filter alcohol well, it becomes a clear rice alcohol. If you filter it roughly, it becomes unclear, rough alcohol. Rough laborers do rough work and drink rough alcohol in a rough bowl with rough kimchi. Then, they smoke a rough cigarette and wear rough shoes to work. So far, so good. But if the word “rough” is attached to words and actions, things get serious. ‘Life (Material) low, spirit high,’ wrote Wordsworth.” The above is an excerpt from a column written by Lee Eo-ryung, a scholar, a few years ago.

Over the future of the ruling Uri party, President Roh Moo-hyun traded rough language with former party leaders Chung Dong-young and Kim Geun-tae. President Roh expressed anger by referring to the two politicians as “hey, you two” in his article posted on the Cheong Wa Dae Briefing website. He criticized Kim for “cheap trick politics.” The president’s supporters went further. They argued, “Odds and ends are doing tricks in viper and vagabond politics,” referring to Chung and Kim.

Dignity as a politician is hardly found in the president. Though he was in a same boat with them before, he does not show them any respect at all. President Roh said in his article, “I am saying this not as a president but as a politician.” Does he mean politicians are allowed to use rough language or does he want to say he wants a duel? He once referred to major newspapers as “inferior goods” and Sohn Hak-gyu, former governor of Gyeonggi Province, as a “wanderer.”

Politicians’ rough language pollutes the spirit and the language of the public. Former U.S. president Woodrow Wilson said in a book that “Congress has a more important role in the education of people in the process of discussing political issues than it has in creating legislation.” Greek philosopher Pythagoras said, “Language is spiritual breath,” and American essayist Ralph Emerson said, “Language is portraying yourself before others.” President Roh does not have to be on a special show for children’s day to say, “be a great person” to children.” What we want him to do is to refrain from using rough words for children not to mimic.

Yuk Jeong-su, Editorial Writer, sooya@donga.com