Korea, according to a Catholic Peace Weekly columnist, is now at the height of conflict and struggle in progressive efforts for democracy more so than during the period of democratization in the 1980s.
Recently the attachment to politics and economics has been weakened and the human right's ship has been launched on the high seas. The 'Me Too Movement' has witnessed the testimony of victims who have been frustrated and hurt by the strong in society: power and money. What had to come has come. It was a public secret everybody knew.
We accepted so much in the culture, in the world of art and films which embraced a great deal of violence. We began to doubt the value of the celebration of the world of art and its sublimation for what we saw behind the scenes.
One of the famous actors in the recent exposure in the film industry has said we are all perpetrators, victims, and bystanders. This story does not only apply to the film industry. The essence of this struggle is not sexual confrontation. It is not just a matter of sexual violence but the resistance against this violence that our society knew and pretended not to know. When a person is being violated and we pretend not to know, is this not violence and a crime?
Respect for life requires that we prevent this kind of violence and work to bring healing. The price that Korea had to pay to live in freedom was steep. War brought great havoc, starvation, and cruelty and we overcame this to become a wealthy country. Love for material goods is not what is important but a country where our lives have worth and we are happy.
We need to teach and learn. Mathematics and English are important, but life skills are more urgent and important. How important is the teaching of life skills to our school children in Korea? It should be an independent subject and provide opportunities for the students to experience this type of living.
From a child to an adult, what are the desirable ways of expressing interpersonal relationships, how to communicate without hurting each other, how to avoid being a victim of violence, accept responsibility and act courageously? The ability to critically appraise the diverse media and content that is emerging each day must also be developed. We must teach how to protect ourselves. It's not dangerous to mistake an English word, but when we don't control our anger, fail to respect others, and accept the media unconditionally, the community we belong to is wounded, and we suffer. The violence present in society, will not be cured by exposure and punishment.
Let 's make a course called' Life Skills' and 'Life Study' for future generations living in Korea. Eliminating deep-rooted violence should begin with education in the respect for life.
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