Is South Korea a 'South American Cartel State'? [Inside Chodong]

You may have heard of the Netflix drama "Narcos." It is a work that deals with the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the drug cartel boss of Colombia in South America, and his rival organization, the Cali Cartel. Although it is a drama related to drug crimes, it is a masterpiece that well expresses why present-day South America is suffering from cartels.

Escobar, who was an ordinary smuggler, amassed enormous wealth and fame by engaging in cocaine trafficking. The key to Escobar's success can be summarized by the policy "Plata o Plomo," which means "silver or lead." In other words, take the money (silver) or take the bullet (lead). It was a kind of threat to the police, public officials, politicians, and businessmen to cooperate with the cartel and become rich or face death. Those who cooperated were given money or protection, and Escobar even supported the political influence of Medell?n city, which became the stronghold of his organization, the Medell?n Cartel. He joined the Colombian Liberal Party and was elected as a member of the National Assembly in the 1982 general election, and he even dreamed of becoming president, showing his strong political influence.

He responded with ruthless retaliation against those who opposed him. He even bombed a passenger plane carrying a presidential candidate who called for the eradication of the cartel. Although not well depicted in the drama, three presidential candidates were killed by the Medell?n Cartel. He also assassinated the Minister of Justice, who exposed his criminal activities, in broad daylight on the street. This incident marked the beginning of a full-scale confrontation with the government. Battles broke out across Colombia, and the most spectacular was when Escobar ordered an armed guerrilla group to attack the Supreme Court in Bogot?. The clash involved missiles, tanks, and machine guns, resulting in the deaths of more than ten judges. During this process, the guerrillas burned all the documents related to drug criminals that were in the Supreme Court. This was exactly what Escobar wanted.

Watching the news about the Seoul Western District Court attack that occurred in the early morning of the 19th, I felt a sense of d?j? vu because the scenes were not much different from those seen in the drama "Narcos." Except for the absence of firearms, the attackers behaved similarly to the cartel. Spraying water on the servers to delete records is no different from burning the criminal record documents in the Bogot? Supreme Court. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the Western District Court attack, but considering that the attackers were calling out the names of the judges in charge of warrant hearings and searching for them, their intentions are not much different from those of the Medell?n Cartel.

Thorough punishment is necessary for the attackers of the Western District Court. Attacking the court is a challenge to the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea. We must not let the punishment for these people be swept under the rug or create an escape route through large-scale pardons by the next president, like former U.S. President Donald Trump. A society where judges fear violence makes it difficult for true justice to be practiced. In Colombia, after Escobar's attack on the Supreme Court, judges fearful of attacks appeared in court wearing masks. Judges, who are on the side of justice, covered their faces with masks, while the cartel criminals walked the streets openly with bare faces.

Escobar, who wielded absolute power, died miserably after being shot by police on the roof of a house just a few years after reaching the peak of his power following a massive government crackdown. Although Escobar is dead, rival cartels still remain and continue to afflict Colombia. Most Central and South American countries, including Ecuador and Guatemala, are also suffering from cartels. Once again, thorough punishment for the attackers of the Seoul Western District Court is necessary. A country where judges feel their lives are threatened by their own rulings is not a normal country.