There is a line in everything, a boundary that should not be pushed too hard or violated. 

Whether it is an interpersonal relationship, or a professional code of conduct, there is a limit beyond which one’s actions become no longer acceptable.

The party crossing the line is often unaware that this invisible boundary is being violated, and in some cases the violator is the first to cry foul and be offended.

Crossing the line seems to be becoming more and more common throughout society.

These violators, who have always excelled at justifying their actions and indignation, appear to assume that they have a special right to breach “the line.”

Perhaps tragically, Koreans have a phrase that sums up this situation in a comical way.

“When I do it, it is romance. When somebody else does it, it is cheating.”

This is a commonly used phrase to describe the double standards found in Korean society. The phrase is a jibe at the way people defend their actions, but attack other people who do the same thing.

The media is not free from guilt.

Media organizations flood online news services with unnecessarily lewd photographs, stories of horrific crimes and other clickbait, all the while criticizing the lack of “real” or “good” stories.

The justification is that we need to survive.

The media is not alone. The local media is not even the best at it.

The country’s political arena is in turmoil — again — and the politicians are willfully carrying out actions that they have condemned time and time again.
Like the media, they do this in the name of survival. However, instead of clickbait, they are flooding the “market” with “vote-bait.”

The main opposition party has all but disintegrated.

Key progressive figures are racing to form new parties and alliances to beef up before the general election in April.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who was once seen as the savior of the main opposition party, has defected and is now in the process of setting up the new People’s Party. He was recently joined by Rep. Chun Jung-bae, who was founding yet another opposition party called the People’s Reform Party.

Meanwhile, The Minjoo Party of Korea is forming an alliance with the minor opposition Justice Party.

Each of these are all claiming that they are working for the people. Breaking off, founding parties and forming alliances — which they have condemned more times than any voter would care to count — all this is apparently “for the people.”

They claim that they are doing it to prevent a sweeping victory by the ruling party in the general election and lay the grounds for a regime change in the 2017 presidential election.

They say that this is “for the people” and even put on a show – a bad one — of making some sort of personal sacrifice.

There is a term that literally means joining the army in white clothes. This means joining as the lowliest soldier.

It is a term used almost exclusively by politicians in today’s society. A party leader who fails in some way will invariably step down and say that they will put on white robes, implying that they will return to the lowest station to “work for the people.”

The ruling Saenuri Party is no better.

As soon as Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan returned to the National Assembly after serving as a deputy prime minister, factionalism reared its ugly head again.

As a key figure of the pro-Park Geun-hye faction, Choi is now contesting party leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung for prominence in the party. 

Former opposition member Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae’s defection to the ruling party has also rattled nerves as Cho is now one more competitor in the all-important candidate nominations for the general election.

Regardless of how the people perceive the developments, the claim that everything is for the good of the people is being thrown around.

All of this is happening while numerous bills, including the one that defines constituency boundaries, remain adrift.

A question that begs to be asked is; “Have they asked the people?”

Do the voters who put them in office really want all this political maneuvering?

Should not a lawmaker approach a particular bill in a manner that reflects the will of his or her constituents?

Perhaps it is all just comes down to affairs and romances.

By Choi He-suk

Choi He-suk is the digital contents desk editor of The Korea Herald. He can be reached at cheesuk@heraldcorp.com">cheesuk@heraldcorp.com. — Ed.