(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Jan. 29)

Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after she was attacked in the head by a teenager on Thursday. It is fortunate that the damage was not life-threatening and she remained conscious before being taken to Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital nearby. The attack caught the nation off guard as it took place just three weeks after Rep. Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was stabbed in the neck by a knife-wielding assailant in Busan. The recent case was all the more shocking since the attacker this time was found to be a 15-year-old middle school student. Surveillance video footage, released by Bae's office, shows the person repeatedly striking her in the head after she fell to the floor. Victims of previous attacks on politicians include lawmaker Song Young-gil in 2022, and then opposition leader Park Geun-hye in 2006. U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert was attacked in his face in 2015. In a state governed by law, t he justification of violence for any reason is unacceptable. Acts of terror against politicians, who regularly engage with eligible voters, constitute severe criminal offenses that undermine the foundations of democracy. They should not be tolerated under any circumstances. Offenders should be subject to strict punishment without fail. Due measures should be taken to prevent possible recurrences of such crimes. The juvenile attacker allegedly received medical treatment for depression and had been under watch at his school due to conflicts with his classmates. He also previously ran into Rep. Bae at a hair parlor frequented by celebrities. He claimed the crime was "impulsive and impromptu." Despite this, there are suspicions that he prepared the attack in advance. For starters, he tried to confirm Bae's identity twice by asking her, "Are you Rep. Bae?" Furthermore, he prepared a fist-sized rock beforehand. Given this, it is necessary for police to announce the results of an investigation into the motive of t he attack as soon as possible. There should be no hasty premeditation or assumptions made based on political calculations. The police should thoroughly dig into the motives behind the offensive and possible accomplices and masterminds. It needs to unveil the truth involving the case in a transparent manner, thus leaving no suspicion unanswered. To prevent the recurrence of such incidents, politicians should adopt more cautious and prudent language and behaviors. Following the stabbing of Lee, there has been a growing call to eliminate the politics of hatred, cease demonizing counterparts, and avoid fueling potential attacks on politicians. Politicians took flak for fomenting such a political culture of antagonism and wrath by launching salvos of antagonistic comments against their rivals. With the major parties poised to nominate candidates for the April 10 general elections, the aspirants are easily tempted to resort to extreme rhetoric during campaigning, in order to woo support from voters. This will only intensify criticism against politicians. It is time for both the ruling and opposition parties to refrain from excessive political confrontation. The party leaders should sternly warn against those who use hostile words against their rivals ahead of the general elections. Aspirants who post hateful statements on social media should be stripped of their chances of getting nominated for the Assembly elections. We need to discard the hitherto culture of regarding the counterparts as enemies who should be destroyed. We should intensify our efforts to promote politics centered on mutual survival, emphasizing compromise and consensus. As the general elections approach, antagonism and conflicts will likely escalate. Unless appropriate steps are taken to contain the politics of hatred, the public's distrust for politicians will be amplified, heightening the possibility of more attacks against lawmakers. Source: Yonhap News Agency