When people propose new ideas to improve our situation, we tend to discourage them by responding, “It’s too early for us to do it.”

Instead of welcoming an idea by saying, “That’s a great idea. Let’s do it,” we dismiss it without giving it a second thought. In meetings, we are busy trying to unearth negative aspects of the agenda at stake, instead of looking at the positive side. That is why nothing ever happens in Korean meetings even after hours of heated discussions. Almost always, we end the meeting with this remark: “It’s too early for us to do it.”

When I began teaching at Seoul National University in the early 1980s, the Korean motor companies were in their infancy. Few cars were equipped with automatic transmission, power brakes or power steering. You had to endure the inconvenience of a manual gear box, brake and steering wheel. For a man who had just returned from the States, where cars came with all three features built in, Korean cars were so difficult to maneuver. The manual steering wheel was incredibly stiff and you needed to wind it a number of times to make a turn on the road. The manual brake was even worse; even though you pressed the brake pedal hard, the car still kept rolling forward for a while until it finally stopped.

One day I complained about it to one of my colleagues at SNU: “I wish Korean cars had power brakes just like American cars. I can put up with a manual steering wheel and gears, but I can’t stand manual brakes. It’s so dangerous on the road because you can’t stop the car in time.” My colleague immediately retorted, “It’s too early for us to have power brakes. It’s a luxury in Korea.”

The next day, my colleague came in pale-faced. He confessed, “I had a traffic accident this morning. I pressed the brake hard, but the car did not stop. I ended up hitting a pedestrian who was crossing the street.” Had his car been fitted with a power brake, he would not have had the accident. He realized a power brake was not a luxury but an urgent necessity. But it was too late to regret; the accident could not be undone.

Recently, we witnessed a series of unfortunate incidents in our military barracks, involving the shooting and killing of fellow soldiers by misfit soldiers who were the victims of bullying and were unable to perform their military duties properly. People have begun debating an overhaul of the mandatory military service. They proposed switching from the draft system to an enlistment system. Some people immediately objected to the proposal, arguing, “It’s too early to do it.” By recruiting professional soldiers, the new system would surely improve our military power significantly and solve many chronic problems currently affecting the barracks. Why, then, is it too early to do it?

Of course, there is the budget issue. However, there may be some ways to solve the problem. For example, if we were to allow rich people to pay a levy for relieving their sons from the mandatory military service, we would then be able to provide numerous jobs in the Army for those who truly want to serve in the military and defend their nation when war breaks out. These professional soldiers would be far better than a bunch of amateur soldiers drafted against their will. Furthermore, under the new system there would be no more beating and harassment because serving as a soldier would be a profession, and not a nightmare to be survived.

Similarly, admission privileges could be granted to the children of the university’s donors. Once again, we dismiss it, saying, “It is too early to do it.” However, if a university utilizes the funds it receives from a donor as scholarships that benefit numerous students, then granting the privilege of admission to said donor should not be a big problem. Yet, we cannot approve of this, partly because our sentiment of equality and social justice will not allow it, and partly because we think it is too early to practice it.

Likewise, older people insist that it is too early to popularize e-books at school or in our society. However, iPads and smartphones have already substituted paper books for today’s youth. South Korea is a leading IT powerhouse, and yet we are one step behind when it comes to the e-book industry because we keep whining, “It’s too early to do it.”

If and when someone comes up with a good idea, we should encourage him or her and put it into practice. We should not put it off, saying, “It’s too early for us to do it. It’s a luxury.” As is the case with the a aforementioned power brakes, it is not a luxury, but a necessity and a matter of life and death. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Otherwise, it will be too late. 

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and the president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. ― Ed.