Men and bromance

KBS hit drama "Descendants of the Sun" starred Song Joong-ki and Jin Koo whose friendship was called bromance. Bromance is a combination of brother and romance, and refers to a relationship between men that goes beyond ordinary friendship. It differs from gays in that there is no sexual implication. The term was first used in a skateboard magazine in the U.S. in the 1990s, to describe close friendship among men riding skateboards.

Bromance is also used in political articles. When U.S. President Barack Obama visited India in 2015, media referred his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as bromance. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met World Bank President Kim Yong on Sunday in Washington where he said, "I've heard about the word bromance and our relationship goes beyond that that it is deeper and broader." Ban must have described so since the two could talk to each other in Korean in a meeting of international organizations.

On the other side of bromance there is romance. Though it is a dime a dozen, it took a long time for romance to take the center of literature. Romance took second place to hero stores in Western medieval age and through French tragedian Pierre Corneille. Romance could win only when the Jean Baptiste Racine age came about. From Ernani to Cyrano de Bergerac in the 19th century romantic literature, romance was held sacred. Entering the 10th century, romance took a broader stage ranging from the Children of Heaven to Titanic.

Bromance is a new value. In the past, heroes fought against each other, but not cooperated each other. Friendship is difficult to make than love. Men tend to consider others as those to get rid of, or try to make them under their obedience. Members of the leading Saenuri Party poured to each other words of betrayal, and ultimately collapsed altogether. If politics based on friendship is difficult, politicians should engage as friendly rivals in order to survive.