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Former US President Donald Trump raises his fist as blood runs across his face as his guards escort him away from a rally in Butler, PA, where an attempt was made on his life on July 13, 2024. (AFP/Yonhap)

Former US President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated while speaking at a major political rally ahead of the Republican National Convention. If the bullet had strayed even a few centimeters, it could have caused a disaster that would have sent shockwaves across the world.
 
Such an incident happened in the US, which will elect its next president in November, as a result of the polarization of domestic politics that has led the country into a veritable civil war. South Korea, which faces its own troubles of this nature, must mitigate the polarization in its own politics before it’s too late.
 
At 6 pm on Saturday, people gathered at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, heard the crack of gunshots while the former president was speaking at a lectern. “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump wrote on social media hours after the incident, while saying that it was “incredible that such an act can take place in our Country.”
 
The international community has characterized the upcoming US election as a major tipping point that could define the direction of foreign policy in the neo-Cold War era. However, within the US, the implications of the election are very different. The shocking assassination attempt revealed that a silent civil war is taking place in the US, with two groups declaring themselves the advocates of differing national identities that rely on stark differences on key issues such as race, LGBTQ+ issues, immigration and abortion.
 
Unlike conflicts over economic interests, which are common, disputes over identity politics are difficult to resolve and can easily lead to extreme polarization. Political conflict in the US has become so chronic that it will be difficult to treat or heal. Moreover, this particular incident is likely to further rally the low-income, less-educated members of the white working class who have traditionally been Trump’s strongest base.
 
Political polarization in South Korea is also reaching dangerous levels. According to a 2022 survey of 19 major economies conducted by the Pew Research Center, people in South Korea and the US said that there were strong disagreements between those who support different political parties in their societies, with the US coming in second only to No. 1-ranked South Korea.
 
Terrorists have targeted leading political figures, such as former President Park Geun-hye in 2006 and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung in 2024. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people with varying political views to coexist peacefully.
 
Despite the gravity of the situation, both the ruling and opposition parties have fueled hatred for the sake of immediate victory, with the recent rise of fake news amplifying this trend. Politics is a process made possible through dialogue and compromise. We must strive to recover the essence and heart of politics before it is too late.

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