The place Is Korea headed?

Choi Jin-seok
 
The writer is a Principal of the Saemal Saemomjit College 
 
 
 
The central financial institution of the Republic of Korea is named the Financial institution of Korea, and the Financial institution of Korea Act states that the forex of the Republic of Korea shall be the received. The nation’s banknotes are printed by the Korea Minting and Safety Printing Company. These are all establishments of the Republic of Korea. But there aren’t any trendy Koreans on Korea’s forex. As a substitute, figures from the Joseon Dynasty — Shin Saimdang, King Sejong, Yi Hwang, and Yi I — seem. Whereas American banknotes function People, Japanese banknotes function Japanese and Chinese language banknotes function Chinese language, Korean banknotes function pre-modern Koreans slightly than residents of the Republic of Korea. This symbolizes that though Korea was based because the Republic of Korea, it has not absolutely lived as one or outlined its identification with confidence.
 

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (middle) and South Jeolla Governor Kim Yung-rok (left) arrive on the joint memorial ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident on the Jirisan Historical past and Tradition Middle in Gurye County, South Jeolla, on Oct. 19. [YONHAP]

 
The nation’s identification disaster is just not merely about ideology however about whether or not the Republic of Korea is affirmed or denied. Political battle in Korea is commonly labeled as a conflict between left and proper, however that is deceptive. In my opinion, progressives communicate of human rights but stay silent on North Korean human rights, whereas conservatives fail to handle welfare. Consequently, each have turn out to be imitations of left and proper. The true divide is whether or not one acknowledges the Republic of Korea’s founding or rejects it.
 
This battle is most visibly symbolized in how Koreans interpret the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident of 1948. Was it a rebel or an rebellion? Kim Gu, a outstanding independence chief, referred to it as a “rebel” 11 days after it occurred. Former President Roh Moo-hyun mentioned in his official apology for the Jeju April 3 Incident that it started as an armed revolt by the South Korean Staff’ Social gathering. Former President Kim Dae-jung mentioned in a CNN interview that the 4·3 Incident was brought on by anti-government actions of the South Korean Staff’ Social gathering, and that many civilians had been unjustly killed within the suppression. Through the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, troopers who revolted reportedly adopted statements pledging loyalty to the North Korean regime and vowing to destroy the Republic of Korea. I argue this helps viewing it as a rebel slightly than a democratic rebellion. On the similar time, I agree that victims who had been civilians deserve restoration of honor and compensation no matter interpretation.
 
 
I criticize President Lee Jae Myung for calling the navy’s suppression of the Yeosu-Suncheon revolt an act of state violence and for questioning the legitimacy of the navy’s orders on the time. This frames the Republic’s military as an aggressor towards its personal folks. This shift started underneath former President Moon Jae-in, who honored figures equivalent to Hong Beom-do, Kim Gained-bong and Jeong Yul-seong — people who fought towards the Republic of Korea or had been related to communist actions. I additionally argue that Moon admired thinkers aligned with North Korea’s Juche ideology and altered the motto of the Nationwide Intelligence Service to replicate a special historic strategy.
 

Lawmakers vote to move a partial modification to the Particular Act on Investigating the Reality of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident and Restoring the Honor of Victims throughout a plenary session of the Nationwide Meeting on the afternoon of Dec. 10, 2024. [YONHAP]

 
I query how such views achieve confidence, arguing that it stems from a way of ethical conviction. This conviction is predicated on the assumption that Korea ought to have turn out to be a socialist state after liberation. Schooling Minister Choi Kyo-jin expressed settlement with the argument that if the circumstances after liberation had continued as they had been, Korea might have developed right into a mannequin socialist state. I consider this perception shapes an ethical narrative that overwhelms factual debate.
 
To dwell nicely, a nation should see information as they’re. The traditional Chinese language thinker Laozi known as this precept wu wei — appearing with out pressured motion. With out this, folks fall into affirmation bias, eroding each effectivity and judgment. When a society abandons goal fact and embraces ideology over actuality, decline follows for each people and nations.