Saenuri’s demand to return the presidential portrait

The practice of putting up portraits of the incumbent president in government offices became history during the Kim Dae-jung administration. The Korean word "jonyeong, specifically referring to portraits of national leaders, has now become almost obsolete. Today’s college students are mostly unfamiliar with the meaning of the word. It even sounds rather authoritarian. Late poet Kim Soo-young harshly criticized autocratic President Rhee Syngman , in his poem titled “First, let us use the portrait as toilet paper,” released immediately after the April 19 Revolution in 1960.

The ruling Saenuri Party’s Daegu office sent a letter to its former members Yoo Seung-min, Joo Ho-young, Kwon Eun-hee, Ryu Sung-gul, who recently defected from the party and are running independently, urging them to “return the president’s portrait,” calling it “insulting” for them to keep the portrait. Jung Jong-sup, a pro-Park Geun-hye member of the party, went further to say, “It does not make sense that those who left the party against the president’s will still cherish the portrait.” It is lamentable that this is what former professor of constitutional law had to say.

Local members turned their back against this calling their colleagues “childish” and assuming it a sign of “lack of confidence.” Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, who was expelled from Saenuri after making "drunken comments," put up a huge banner of a picture of him with President Park on the walls of his office. Strangely, no one in the party seems to be taking this seriously.

Presidential Office spokesperson responded to this with "no comment." Would it be out of humiliation, or being cautious against making the president "uncomfortable"? Presidential portrait is one of the most important symbols of a nation and its administration. It would be more “insulting” if those who were almost kicked out of the ruling party got rid of the portrait right away. The demand of returning the portrait could hurt the minds of Daegu constituents more after a series of disappointing movements the party has shown lately. Would it be too much to ask the politicians to learn to respect their people?

허문명논설위원 angelhuh@donga.com