This week, we commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Korean War, which lasted three years from 1950 to 1953 until the truce. Technically speaking, therefore, the Korean War has not ended yet. In fact, it is still ongoing invisibly, not only between the North and the South but also between the left and the right in South Korea.
Perhaps the Korean War stemmed from the incompetence of the late Joseon era, which was ignorant of the radical changes sweeping across the world at that time. Not knowing what was happening outside of their country, our myopic leaders adopted a policy of seclusion amidst the whirlpool of international turmoil. The outcome was the colonization of Korea by Imperial Japan.
Korean resistance groups established a migratory Korean government in China, where they were heavily influenced by communism. They believed that communism could be a useful ideological tool to confront and fight against the far-right Japanese military rule on the Korean Peninsula. After liberation, therefore, Korea became chaotic due to inevitable clashes between the left and the right. Amid the tension between the Soviet Union and the US over the Korean Peninsula, Korea was divided into the communist North and the capitalist South in 1948.
Two years later, the Korean War broke out as North Korea invaded South Korea. Communism resembles religion in the sense that communists believe they have a sacred mission to spread communism all over the world. Communism also resembles imperialism, which has colonized other countries under the banner of capitalism.
Had it not been for the short-sighted leaders, Korea would not have been colonized by Imperial Japan. Moreover, had it not been for the Japanese occupation, Korea would not have been influenced by communism and divided into the North and the South due to ideological differences.
Of course, we cannot alter history. What has been done cannot be undone. Nevertheless, we can learn valuable lessons from history. From the Korean War, for example, we can learn that we must have broader global perspectives that enable us to read the world map and be prepared for international crises. We can also learn that ideological conflicts, whether internal or external, will ultimately destroy us all. Therefore, we need to embrace and overcome ideological differences and pursue peaceful coexistence. Surely, that would be the true legacy of the Korean War.
Unfortunately, however, we seem to have inherited the wrong legacy of the Korean War. For example, we are still hopelessly chained to the dark past and engaged in ideological brawls that once devastated the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, our politicians from different ideological camps are fighting relentlessly in the political arena as if they were archenemies. Even parents and children in Korean homes tend to be divided into the left and the right.
Since the Korean War, we have experienced a plethora of sociopolitical turmoil: the April 19th Student Revolution in 1960, the May 16th Military Coup in 1961, and the June 29th Democratization in 1987. More recently, the Korean people witnessed the massive anti-American and mad cow disease demonstrations in 2008, the anti-THAAD demonstrations in 2016, and the huge candlelight demonstrations in 2016 and 2017. All these stem from the ideological warfare persistent in Korean society.
Instead of being preoccupied with grudges and revenge, we should seek reconciliation and harmony. Instead of returning to the dark past, we should build a bright future and move on. Instead of trying to eliminate those whose ideologies differ from ours, we should coexist peacefully. Otherwise, we will inevitably invite a second Korean War that will devastate what we have accomplished.
Even today, Korea’s ideological turmoil continues. For example, recently, Washington’s conservative right-wing politicians expressed their concern that they could not fully trust the left-wing Korean government. The Korean government immediately responded that Korea had always been loyal to its allies and thus trustworthy. Still, however, experts are concerned about these complaints from Washington because they may inadvertently dismantle the Korea/US alliance.
Another crisis in Korea these days is the skyrocketing foreign currency exchange rate, which may cause astronomical trade deficits from imports, even though exports will bring in more money. Under these circumstances, redeeming foreign loans and debts will also be a heavy burden for the Korean economy. Perhaps a currency swap agreement between Korea and the US could be a solution to the problem. If Washington is reluctant to sign a currency swap contract with Korea just because the current Korean government seems to lean left, it will lead to another ideology-related conflict.
Commemorating the anniversary of the Korean War this week, we realize that we should put an end to ideological skirmishes and live in an ideology-free society. Dogmas and ideologies will destroy our freedom and flexibility and nurture hatred and vengeance instead. We should inherit the true legacy of the Korean War.
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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 here are the writer's own. -- Ed
khnews@heraldcorp.com
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