Meanwhile : Citizens await a reply

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Meanwhile : Citizens await a reply

Published: 06 May. 2026, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Myung-hwa

The author is a playwright and director.

In the past, people often wrote letters. They shared news in handwritten form and waited for replies. This practice has gradually faded, especially as it does not align with the modern emphasis on speed. But the seemingly “unproductive” time spent composing a careful message and waiting for a response once carried a distinct and meaningful value.

Engraved portrait of Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655) by an artist who signed with a monogram, based on a painting by Zacharie Heince [WIKIPEDIA]

Because letters can convey more emotion and sincerity than face-to-face encounters, they frequently serve as a central device in older plays. A delayed letter can trigger tragedy, while a single message can become the catalyst for truth. Some works even depict lovers who rely on others to ghostwrite their correspondence when they lack the skill to express themselves.

One well-known example is “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1897) by Edmond Rostand. The play draws on the historical figure Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655), who also served as a model for d’Artagnan in “The Three Musketeers” (1844). In Rostand’s play, Cyrano, insecure about his unusually large nose, writes letters on behalf of his friend to the woman he loves, Roxane.

At first, Roxane is drawn to the friend’s physical appearance. Over time, however, she comes to love the emotion expressed in the letters. Cyrano, who also loves her, never confesses to her. Although the letters are sincere, the feelings of the person who actually wrote them never reach their intended recipient. As a result, “Cyrano de Bergerac” is a poignant story of love in which truth exists but is not recognized.

A similar situation has recently drawn attention in Korea. As part of efforts to promote constitutional revision, the speaker of the National Assembly sent letters to opposition lawmakers, urging them to cooperate. More than a month has passed, but no reply has arrived. Many observers believe that, given the opposition’s stance, the proposal is unlikely to overcome the threshold required for a vote in the Assembly.

The proposed revision would include the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Busan-Masan Uprising in the Constitution’s preamble. The significance of this move need not be confined to those events alone. Instead, it could serve as a broader symbolic affirmation rejecting unjust forms of power, including not only military dictatorship and coups but also the excesses of majority rule or legislative dominance.

Democracy advances through responses grounded in principle. Today, the public, like the recipients of a long-awaited letter, continues to wait for an answer that reflects a broader commitment to democratic values.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.