President Park’s congratulations orchids

“The outstanding thin leaf, solid and soft/a purplish thick stem ended with white flowers/morning dues turned into beads, dangling from the stem// Its mind likes clearness/rooting down in the middle of clean sands/and it lives on morning dues, not even getting closer to dusts.

These are the final two lines of "An Orchid," a poem written by Lee Byeong-ki. He vividly depicted the purity and unworldliness of an orchid. Orchids are called the “gentleman of gentlemen” among four “gentlemen plants” including bamboo trees, chrysanthemums and Japanese apricot flowers.

Kim Jeong-hee, a famous Korean painter of the Joseon Dynasty, is said to have written this to his son, Sang-woo, who came to see him while he was on exile, in an orchid painting: “Painting an orchid should start from an attitude that does not cheat oneself. You can show even a leaf or a stamen to others only when you do not feel shameful.” Historically, orchids have represented loftiness. Classical scholars of the Joseon Dynasty put orchids close to them to reflect on themselves.

Today, people send an orchid when one is elected, promoted, opens a new business or has a birthday to congratulate him or her. However, the seeds of an orchid are so small that they do not contain enough nutrients to sprout. Instead, a specific germ in soil provides them nutrients so that they can sprout and take root, and orchids eventually pay the debt of nutrients to the germ later. Unlike the noble image of the plant, it wisely supplements what it needs through co-existence with other organism.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae sent orchids in the name of President Park Geun-hye to the minor opposition People’s Party’s Floor Leader Park Jie-won and Chief Policy Coordinator Kim Sung-sik who were elected at the end of last month. It is for the first time for the president to send an orchid to the third party’s chief policy coordinator. It was only a few months ago when the presidential office refused to accept a birthday orchid from Kim Jong-in, the then contingency committee chairman of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, which created controversy. It is said that President Park is particular about the recipient when sending an orchid or a wreath. Did the outcome of the general election make President Park change her mind in sending an orchid? Hopefully, politicians could learn a gentleman’s character and the wisdom of co-existence while taking and giving back orchids.