On January 25, 2024, People Power Party politician Bae Hyun-jin was attacked by a 15-year-old student.

Following the video released by the People Power Party, a student attempted to have a conversation.

The student asked her if she was politician Bae Hyun-jin, and she confirmed that she is Bae Hyun-jin.

As Bae Hyun-jin turned her body, the student hit her head and other parts of her body about 10 times.

The attack didn’t stop until people around them noticed and reported it to police.

The assault by the student resulted ina 1 cm tear on the politician’s scalp and some scratches.

According to a passerby, the suspect remained at the scene for 3 hours, which suggests that it may have been a premeditated crime.

Additionally, the student’s parents claimed that their son was very interested in governmental issues, which allegedly motivated the attack.

Moreover, a similar incident happened on January 2, 2024, involving an attack on politician Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party.

Lee Jae-myung was being interviewed by reporters when a man with a blue crown requested an autograph.

As their distance got closer, the man suddenly attacked him with a weapon.

An investigation revealed that the suspect had practiced how to attack the politician’s neck and had been following Lee Jae-myung to choose the right moment to harm him.

With an increase in attacks on politicians, both society and the government are growing concerned.

The person who attacked Lee Jae-myung was 67 years old, which is not a young age.

While these two incidents have differences, they also share similarities.

The suspects’ ages differ significantly, with one being a middle school student and the other an old man.

However, the similarity lies in both attackers arguing an inability to comprehend the politicians’ political decisions as their motivation.

Korea has a diverse range of political opinions, and these lead to various issues like attacks on politicians.

Politicians face criticism from citizens for multiple reasons, with the diversity of opinions contributing to the heightened hostility.

“Hate politics” refers to excessively judging good and evil based on political positions or opinions and feeling antipathy towards the actions of politicians.

It manifests as a dislike for the government’s political decisions on the politicians themselves.

The main problems with hate politics are that citizens end up harming and attacking politicians, as seen in both Lee Jae-myung and Bae Hyun-jin incidents.

Feelings of hatred can lead to physical or verbal violence.

Hate politics also promotes conflict among different societal groups, leading to divisions and struggles over the right decisions for society.

As feelings of hatred intensify, social cohesion weakens, making mutual understanding and cooperation more challenging.

It can also hinder social development that recognizes diversity.

Therefore, addressing hate politics is crucial, and policies and efforts emphasizing social understanding are necessary.

Serim Namgung
Grade 10
Fayston Preparatory School