Country over party, citizens over politics

Recent events in American politics, including the deaths of public figures amid political tensions, have sent shockwaves worldwide, demonstrating the perilous consequences of unchecked societal division and political violence. It serves as a tragic lesson that political rhetoric rooted in hatred and vilification can create societal divisions that prove difficult to heal, even in the face of fellow citizens’ deaths. But as we watch these developments unfold, we must also ask ourselves: Are we so different? Numbers tell interesting stories. An April KBS-Hankook Research survey revealed that 69 percent of respondents view Korean society as highly polarized, with more than 60 percent of them expressing discomfort with having colleagues of different political stances or or even having their children marry someone from the opposing camp. The East Asia Institute’s annual report echoed this concern, reporting a more than 93 percent unfavorability rating between the two parties’ supporters. Half of them went so far as to say they would prefer the opposing party to disappear entirely fromWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times