On June 3, 2025, the Korean people will elect their new president, who will lead the country for five years. Undoubtedly, the future of South Korea will depend on what kind of leader Koreans will choose at that time. In the eyes of some foreign experts, South Korea is now at the crossroads of a capitalist country with a free-market economy and a socialist country where the government controls everything. South Korea is also caught in the crossfire of a trade war between two warring countries. Under these circumstances, we urgently need a leader with a strong sense of “duty and honor” to protect our country from upcoming crises.
The 1952 American western “High Noon” illustrates the kind of leader we need at this crucial moment. “High Noon” was released at a time when McCarthyism and Marxism collided in American society. Thus, some film critics suggest that the threatening villains coming from outside town in “High Noon” symbolize the foreign ideology, Marxism. At the same time, however, the villains may also represent McCarthyism, especially when considering Director Fred Zinnemann’s political stance against McCarthy’s “Red Scare.”
Gary Cooper starred in “High Noon.” In all the movies he appeared in, such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls” or “Friendly Persuasion,” Cooper always exhibited a gentle personality and a mild disposition, but not without austere determination and competence. Moreover, Cooper always bore the image of someone who was reliable and trustworthy in times of crisis. In “Friendly Persuasion,” for example, Cooper played Jess Birdwell, a Quaker who agonized over a conflict between his religious belief in non-violence and his duty to protect his family during the Civil War.
In the celebrated film, “High Noon,” Cooper brilliantly portrays a small-town marshal named Will Kane who is just married to a beautiful pacifist Quaker woman, Amy Fowler. The film opens with his preparation for retirement, as he plans to open a store in another town and raise a family there peacefully.
Just before his resignation and departure, however, Marshal Kane hears that the vicious villain Frank Miller, whom he has sent to prison, is returning for revenge by the noon train. Despite his bride’s plea to leave the town before Miller arrives, Marshal Kane’s “sense of duty and honor” makes him stay to protect his town from the notorious outlaw and his gang. Amy gives him an ultimatum: She will leave town even without him. Although his decision to stay and fight the villains jeopardizes his happy marriage and peaceful retirement, Kane chooses to fight the villains to protect his town, which would otherwise succumb to the villains’ rampage.
Kane asks for help, but out of fear, the judge flees, and the villagers refuse to help. As it turns out, Kane must confront Miller and his three gangsters alone. Finally, Kane manages to defeat the evil gangsters and save his town. When the villagers emerge one by one after the gunfight is over, Kane throws away his badge in the street and leaves town with his bride.
Marshal Kane valiantly confronts the threat coming from outside to protect his town at the risk of his marriage. South Korea, too, is facing threats from hostile countries and their ideologies. Therefore, South Korea also needs a reliable, competent political leader like Marshal Kane, who dedicates himself to defending his country from the ideological or territorial threats coming from outside, even before his personal loyalties.
Unfortunately, it is hard to find someone like Marshal Kane in our political climate. In the past, some of our leaders chose their spouse over their country, and others fled like the runaway judge or the shut-in villagers in times of crisis. Now we are watching the deplorable power struggles of our politicians who, we observe, seriously lack a sense of honor and duty. They do not seem to care about the future of their country or its children.
Some of our politicians are reluctant to be involved in a gunfight. However, if they do not join the “justice league” to fight against evil, their country will eventually be stormed and destroyed by the villains. Considering South Korea’s sensitive geopolitical situation, we urgently need a political leader who has a strong sense of “duty and honor,” with which he can protect our country from hostile, bullying neighbors.
However, we must go far to find such an admirable political leader. As Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” illuminates, Godot never comes, no matter how intensely and indefinitely people are waiting for him. Perhaps that is the disheartening reality we are now facing.
Nevertheless, we strongly hope that in the upcoming election we can choose an admirable political leader like Marshal Kane, who can courageously confront the threatening villains to protect our country in these times of crisis. We want a leader who is responsible and honorable, not tyrannical or vengeful.
Kim Seong-kon
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed
koreadherald@heradcorp.com
