According to one parent who was at the scene, Chung accused the vice principal of being rude to an incumbent lawmaker and chided him for arrogance. Chung is then said to have threatened to fire the vice principal and the principal of the elementary school. Since then, the vice principal has faced constant demands to apologize and has been hospitalized for abdominal pain.

When this incident was reported by one newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo tried to verify it by contacting Chung and the vice principal, but both were unreachable by phone. It is possible to guess why Chung is avoiding phone calls from reporters, but why is the vice principal not answering the phone? Has he been subjected to pressure? After the incident, the principal of the elementary school and another vice principal visited Chung’s office: quite possibly the two apologized profusely to the lawmaker.

The vice principal and the school have nothing to apologize for. The school is said to have blocked all candidates -- not just Chung -- from the venue. But none except Chung behaved that way. And Chung did so in the mistaken belief that his title as lawmaker makes him more important than the public.

This election requires lawmakers to be more humble than ever, because the polls show candidates are going to have to fight hard for each and every vote. Chung’s behavior under these circumstances shows clearly what kind of lawmaker he will continue to be if he is elected again. On one memorable occasion, when the National Assembly speaker blocked a vote on the abolition of the National Security Law during the plenary session of parliament, Chung accused him of being “out of his mind.” He should have applied that description to himself.