Editorial Beyond 'Worship' to 'Rational Tolerance': The Civic Power to Overcome the Age of Political Fandom

Blind Allegiance Threatens the Roots of Democracy

President Lee Jae-myung appealed through social media for citizens to "support politicians, but do not worship them," urging them to exercise critical reason. This carries significant implications in today's political climate, where political fandom and partisan logic are at their height. Unconditional blind faith in leaders and indiscriminate hostility toward opposing camps are factors that threaten the very roots of democracy.

Beyond 'Right to Speak' to 'Restraint and Listening'

The starting point of democracy is freedom of expression. Yet the tragedy of Korean politics today lies not in the absence of the right to speak, but in the excess of indiscriminate hate and harsh criticism mired in partisan logic. As language violence demonizing opponents runs rampant, the public sphere has degenerated from rational debate into a "battleground of attack and exclusion."

True tolerance does not simply mean the right to raise one's voice. Before insisting on "the absolute righteousness of my side," it must begin with "critical humility"—acknowledging that "I could be wrong and the other side could be right"—and with "restraint in language," refraining from coarse hatred and listening to the voices of others.

Critical Subjectivity and the Responsibility of Journalism

While fandom politics may activate public participation, if it leads to "rejection of rational criticism" and "exclusion of others," it becomes poison to democracy. The civic consciousness emphasized by former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun was also not uncritical allegiance, but rational participation in monitoring power and establishing social values.

In this regard, journalism's responsibility is also heavy. The media must move away from "click-baiting coverage" that merely relays polarized hate. This is why "tolerance journalism" that maintains a public sphere for mature debate without disparaging the other side's logic is so urgently needed.

Restoring Politicians as 'Servants of Citizens'

The message—"praise but do not glorify; support but do not worship"—is a call for our entire society to recover "critical reason and mutual tolerance." When we return politicians from the status of idols to that of "servants of citizens," democracy, which has been trapped in blind faith and partisan logic, can finally mature to the next level.