YTN is broadcasting footage of Representative Lee Jae-myung being transported to the hospital.

In a move dripping with irony that only our political scene could cook up, Lee Jae-myung of South Korea's dominant Democratic Party decided to partake in a hunger strike against the Yoon Seok-yeol regime. And who do you think came knocking on the door? Just one member from the opposition People Power Party – and that was Representative Thae Yong-ho. The same Thae, who once rubbed shoulders with the North Korean elite, but is now a naturalized South Korean, representing none other than the glamorous Gangnam district. But before you conjure heartwarming images of opposition reaching out, let me correct you: Thae wasn’t there to offer condolences or request the cessation of the hunger strike. Oh no, he came to protest. Why? Because a representative from the Democratic Party had called him “garbage from North Korea.” Never a dull moment here.

Mostly busy launching verbal darts, with its leader, Kim Ki-hyun, making a "heartfelt" plea (in front of the press, of course) for Lee to consider his health and end the hunger strike. Mind you, Kim’s office is a mere minute’s walk from where Lee is stationed. But why visit in person when you can just talk to the press? It’s almost like those separated families torn between North and South Korea, just a few minutes apart but worlds away.

This divided peninsula, split between North and South ideologies, is in the throes of a full-blown ideological war, with tensions only intensified by President Yoon Seok-yeol's recent commentary on the importance of ideology.

And as for our protagonist, Mr. Lee? No one really believes he's "purely" on a hunger strike. The whispers say he’s just up to something, maybe even sneaking in a meal or two at night. But then again, the doctors monitoring him have sounded the alarm on his health. In fact, in the wee hours of the 18th, he was rushed to Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital.

Here’s what boggles the mind: whether Lee ate dinner or had some ulterior motive, this is a man who garnered nearly half(47.83%) of the votes in the last presidential election. Shouldn’t the first instinct be to check on him if his health is compromised, regardless of the politics? In a society that claims to value human life and compassion, isn’t that the right response? Yet, skimming through internet comments, you find wishes for Lee's death during his hunger strike. And these comments remain untouched.

Imagine a man threatening to jump from a building – the immediate response shouldn't be to judge whether he's "good" or "bad." The goal should be to save him. But what did the People Power Party do? They act more like a 911 team that couldn’t care less, preferring to hold press conferences rather than actually intervene.

Ideologies, it seems, have made us callous.

Though I too hope the verbose and controversy-ridden Lee Jae-myung takes a political backseat, the behavior exhibited by the People Power Party is simply nauseating.

At 6:50 a.m. Korean time today, a disoriented Lee Jae-myung was admitted to Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital. Park Sung-jun, the spokesperson for the Democratic Party, mentioned in an interview with YTN that Lee's health has significantly deteriorated.

Oh, the theatrics of politics! Only in Korea.