Catholic Relief Work After the Korean War

The Peace Weekly had an article on the work of the church after the Korean War (70th year). War takes everything away. Refugees who had lost their families and homes had no place to eat or sleep. Day after day they depended on relief supplies to stay alive. When a truck carrying relief supplies came into the refugee village, all were excited. The children in rags and dirty faces shouted: "Give Me Chocolate” and C-ration" (US military combat food in cans) when a US military vehicle passed by. When American troops threw chocolates and tins to the children, they screamed "thank you" and rushed to gather them.

As of August 1951, the government estimated 3.8 million refugees, and the total number of refugees who lost their homes and property was 4.2 million, a total of about 8 million. It was close to half of South Korea's population at the time. It could not be sustained without foreign aid.

Overseas aid groups entered the country immediately after the war to heal the pain of those who survived the war. The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC), and the Catholic Relief Services(CRS), and other groups were there to help Korea. Amidst the ruins, emergency relief projects, help to orphanages, home restoration projects, aid to education, and health care projects were begun.

The U.S. (NCWC) immediately sent aid to South Korea in August 1950, including milk powder, food, winter clothing, shoes, and medicine.

At that time, the Korean Ambassador to the United States and a Catholic ( Dr. Chang Myon 1899-1966) was of great help. In July 1950, Dr. Chang sent an appeal to the American Catholics asking for prayer and aid for Korea through the NCWC. Earlier, as soon as the Korean War broke out, Dr. Chang announced the North Korean invasion to the United Nations Security Council and appealed to the international community for help to the refugees.

Help was sent from around the world. The activities of the Catholic Relief Society (CRS), the official organization for overseas aid under the NCWC, was prominent. CRS had already entered Korea before the war. 

Monsignor George Carroll of the American Maryknoll Society, a missionary from the Pyongyang Diocese, founded the CRS Korea Branch in 1946. In 1950, the first year of the outbreak of the Korean War, CRS raised more than $2 million out of the $2.8 million US civilian aid agencies sent to Korea. At that time, the Catholic Church of the United States collected donations for the victims of the Korean War on the fourth week of Lent each year and collected relief supplies during Thanksgiving in November. In 1953, the total contribution amounted to $5 million.

The goods of the CRS relief project were distributed all over the country, so there were few Koreans who did not receive CRS benefits. 90% of these items were grains, corn flour, wheat flour, and milk powder from the United States and used for school meals and free lunches nationwide. Relief supplies were also delivered to each church. Since many of the Catholics received help, many of the Koreans entered the church at that time.

"To give relief goods to believers and not to non-believers is not what it should be but it is true that first, it went to the believers who came to the church. As a result, many people became believers without faith as a way to get aid. Such people would not be living the religious life. Thus the word 'flour believer' was born." (From the story of Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan)

Monsignor Carroll after the restoration of Seoul on September 28, he joined the 8th Army as a chaplain and went to Pyongyang with the United Nations forces. Later as the forces of the U.N. forces recaptured Pyongyang he was named acting administrator of the Pyongyang Diocese which was previously staffed by Maryknoll. When the Korean military action ended and Pyongyang returned to the Communists, Monsignor Carroll became involved in relief work of various kinds and eventually was the Catholic Relief Services representative in Korea.

They tell the story that before he left Pyongyang after the Chinese intervened he was one of the last to leave and he stayed up all night writing notes of recommendation to believers fleeing the north to the south. In the south, he founded the St. Lazarus Sanatorium for patients with Hansen's disease. He organized the Korea Association of Voluntary Agencies (KAVA) with the Methodists in 1952. He did not limit aid since the practice of love knows no boundaries. He died in 1981 at the Maryknoll headquarters in New York.

Confucianism's Ideal Society

In East Asia, Confucianism is a powerful force in society. This recent issue of the Catholic Times gives the readers an understanding of this underlying philosophy. Pastoral work needs to remember this.

The culture contains the traditional values, social order, and lifestyle of the region. East Asia has been widely influenced by Chinese culture in its long history. Therefore, understanding Chinese culture is a prerequisite for evangelization.

Confucianism considers the following of sound thinking (right reason) as important: distinguishing among the different responsibilities in society, maintaining public order in pursuit of harmony. Even concerning the king, reasonableness comes first. A desire for 'Great Unity'.
 
'Great Unity' (Dadong) is the ideal society—the prehistoric society to which they desire to return. Society needs to follow the 'tao', understood as the natural law, and when we live the 'tao' we are practicing virtue.

In the words of Confucius, a society of 'Great Unity' seeks to select people, who are kind, capable, honest and are willing to work together harmoniously. They do not seek group self-interest for their own family or friends: they respect the old, are ready to hire young people, and have concern for the raising of children. They take care of lonely people and provide support for the sick. Men have jobs that fit them, and women have a proper spouse. Wealth is plentiful, not stored; ability not used selfishly, so we have few thieves. No need to lock the doors; we call this society (Dadong) 'Great Unity'.

This ideal of Confucian society became a common political ideal of later generations. This 'Great Unity' is a world where there is no distinction between nation, race, and class, and a society where people of all classes are respected. This is still the utopian dream.

Meanwhile, Confucianism also refers to the society of (Sogang) 'Small Tranquility'. In a 'Sogang' society, rank and class, rich and poor still exist and each is concerned with their own needs. The ideal  'Dadong' society is still far distant. However, to create a more feasible ideal society, we need to create a 'Sogang' society that considers reality first.

Consequently, to stabilize society we need social distinctions for without them society will soon be confused but at the same time making sure that all people in all relationships are united. To do so, care must be taken to ensure that all policies are in line with public sentiment; when this is the case, relations between the classes are harmonious. As such, the 'Sogang' society in which each group coexists, despite the classification and distinctions lives in harmony with all the others.

The 'Great Unity' was the prehistoric society we have lost. It was the society of our ancestors. A utopia that we continue to seek; the 'Tranquil Society' is the step before this is achieved; still a supposed ideal of Communist China. We have similarities with our own Christian vision of the world.

Coronavirus and Consumer Psychology

The present coronavirus situation in Korea will have an impact on the way of life that Koreans have lived for some time to come. A university professor gives the readers of the Peace Weekly in her column: Diagnosis of the Present what this will mean for the consumers and small business people.

The consumer sentiment index, which peaked at 105 points in January 2020, fell below 100 points in February. This index judges consumer sentiment by combining six major individual indices such as current lifestyle, household income outlook, and consumption expenditure. If the value is higher than 100, the number of households is giving a positive outlook if below a hundred it's negative.

Since the  Coronavirus 19 crisis situation was in full force in February, the March index will be worse. If the difficulties of small self-employed and offline retailers and service industries are forced to take unwanted leave, it would seem obvious that a decrease in household income will lead to sluggish consumption. How will people's consumption behavior change when the crisis is over?

Whether a financial crisis or a contagious virus, when things return to normal, after a crisis, consumption continues to fall for some time. This is because consumers' way of thinking has changed and the consuming desire has contracted. Because consumers are motivated to keep their incomes and consumption stable in the future, when uncertain, they try to reduce current consumption and increase savings for the future. According to the data on consumer behavior after the financial crisis (1997), consumers tended to reduce food and clothing expenses and entertainment expenses first, and keep savings intact.
 
In addition, there is a tendency to purchase products more carefully than before. In particular, when purchasing durable goods,  one postpones or is cautious since these goods require a large amount of management and maintenance costs in addition to purchase costs. After a disease like coronavirus, consumption behavior that prioritizes safety and hygiene will appear. In particular, safety should be an important selection keyword in food, hygiene, cosmetics, and baby products, as well as in the travel, lodging and foodservice industry. In the financial and insurance industries, there is a possibility that the market, which has strengthened the concept of 'reliability', will expand.

The crisis caused by the outbreak of viruses also changes consumers' shopping choices. Due to anxiety about the future, many will be going to large discount stores, wholesale markets, and online. In particular, in the case of coronavirus, the movement to online shopping will be notable. The main strengths consumers perceive for online shopping are low prices and convenience, but now we have safety as a new strength. 

Due to concerns about coronavirus, online sales at one large discount store, in February increased more than twice that of the same period last year. Shopping, like any other action, is a habit. Once the customer has turned to online, it takes a lot of effort, such as discovering a different benefit than before, to bring the consumer back offline.

It took almost four to five months for consumer sentiment to recover after the 2015 MERS outbreak and return to normal. Even if the coronavirus calms down, it will take months for consumer sentiment to return. In the meantime, it's time for each member of the consumer market to build up an immunity to the crisis, seeking to grow, discussing and working together to overcome the difficulties.

The Fiserman's Nap

The situation in Korea seems to have the virus contained and the numbers of cases are decreasing without the drastic measures that have been taken in other countries. Testing is taken seriously, screening of contacts, quarantine rules, transparency and reporting results daily in the media but most importantly the cooperation of the citizens—life goes on.
 
An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a journalist gives the readers some humor; a desire to lessen the apprehension experienced by many especially in the southern part of the country where the numbers infected are large. He begins his words with a fable told by the German author Heinrich Böll.

The fisherman was taking a leisurely nap with the boat in port. Tourists from the city unintentionally awakened the fisherman while taking pictures of the landscape. One of the tourists handed a cigarette to the fisherman and spoke.

“The weather is good, there is a lot of fish in the ocean, why are you napping when you could be making a lot of money?”
“I was out there early in the morning" he answered."
“If you go out twice or three times a day, you're going to make a lot more money. Then you can buy a big ship, build a warehouse or even build a fish processing plant. Who knows? You may become a billionaire businessman with a large fleet. ”

The fisherman's face showed an expression of incomprehension and asked; "After that?"
"Then enjoy a sweet nap every day, play and eat freely under the beautiful sunshine. Watching picturesque scenery." replied the tourist. The fisherman smiled and replied. “I was doing that until you came and woke me up!”

Nowadays, people coming out of work are not interested in stopping off for a drink with friends at the beer hall, everybody goes hurriedly on his way alone. Taxi drivers are driving around looking for passengers. The writer used the fable as a fervorino for small business owners who are having a hard time. There is need for some humor during these times of worry. The news mentioned how the Italians are opening their windows and singing.

It's not bad to think optimistically at this time. In Korea, a well-known proverb says a lot: "When you fall, take advantage of the time to rest." Koreans like most of the world know it is better to be positive than negative. There is plenty of news that depresses but there is also the news that invigorates, refreshes

One citizen sent homemade cookies to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, workers tired and in low spirits. One grandmother brought to the township office twenty yellow masks that she made at home with cotton material. They may not be the approved type; not made according to standards, but she was an angel spreading hope.

Now, is the time to pause and look back. We are faced with many disasters, granted that the coronavirus is the one that causes the most pain at present. Ecosystem destruction, climate change, human greed, and the many viruses encountered daily need a wise counter-attack. Without personal and social reflection disasters will continue to strike again and again. If we live without a change, even after we have passed through the crisis, we pay a high price and learn nothing.

Citizens cancel meetings, church services, and refrain from going out shopping. Just a couple of months ago, all were busy with appointments, busy shopping and having a lot to eat, but now it's different. The sudden collapse of the ordinary routine is unfamiliar. However, if you look closely, isn't this the simple daily life we hear a lot about— the 'minimal life'? Minimal life is to reduce what can be reduced, subtract what can be subtracted, skip what can be skipped. We need to simplify our lives so as not to be traumatized.

Spring is coming. Like the fisherman in our story, we awake from a sleep feeling better and looking forward to a different future.

Words To Newly Ordained Priests

In the recent bulletin for priests, a counseling priest psychologist has an article for the newly ordained priests. He congratulates them for the many years of seminary life, not always easy, and for reaching their goal. He wants to give them a gift of what he has learned over the years to be of help in their lives.
 
From his experience, a parish life, for the most part, depends on the priest. Some priests are assigned to parishes where the number of believers increase and the community is full of life, while others cultivate wormwood fields everywhere they go. The priest is a leader, the parish where the priest has the character of a good leader the parish is animated, but where the priest is not a true pastor you have chaos.

He describes four types of priests.

The ideal pastor is called 'smart and lazy priest'. Being lazy doesn't mean doing nothing, but always listening and waiting on the believers. These priests are close to the children. They are not only concerned with spirituality but with the whole person and are remembered longingly by the believers long after leaving the parish.

The second type of priest is the smart and diligent one. Pastors of this class get a conflicting type of appraisal from the parishioners. While he is evaluated as a priest who is eager to get involved in everything in the parish, he criticizes and nags about even the smallest things. They are difficult to approach. The biggest problem with these pastors is pride: they know; the believers don't know. Nevertheless, the parish continues to grow despite the pastor's failings.

The third class is very troublesome: a dumb and lazy priest. His sermons are cheeky, he says Mass because he has to, and his pastoral work is done with little love. The parishioners have to accept the insult and are greatly troubled. The priest does nothing and the parishioners don't know what to do. The parish is a chaotic mess.

The worst among the priests is the foolish but diligent one. They are stubborn, they spend money on things with no hope of succeeding or shouldn't be done, and if the believers oppose it: "What do they know?" They are lone rangers. Usually, they work only with persons they like, and those they don't like they ignore causing division in the parish and making many leave the community. The parishes in which they have passed through are left with a field of bitter herbs. Persons of this kind never admit their problems; they are persons with a personality disorder.

In conclusion, he quotes a believer who lamented: "I hope the new priest will be less holy and less intelligent." Pastors who comfort believers are the most desirable. They serve as spiritual fathers. The pastor of a parish, in many ways, is no different from the father of a family. Moreover, since most of the people who seek faith are lonely, the words of the priests can be both comforting and hurting. If one remembers that he is to be a father he will see correctly his position within the community of faith.

"On the Side of the Poor"

Poverty is a great stumbling block to the kingdom of God. One cannot sustain minimal dignity when faced with poverty. More serious than the climate crisis for those who are forced to live it. Jesus devoted his life to love: healing the poor and the sick to make the kingdom of God a reality. So begins the Peace Column in the Catholic Peace Weekly.

The first chapter of the Pastoral Constitution of the Second Vatican Council begins: "The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ."

Unfortunately, wealth inequality is increasing all over the world. The most persuasive economists who may show by their words why Jesus chose the poor— are the French Thomas Piketty and Joseph Stiglitz of the United States. (Both of these men are working to change capitalism to a more socially aware economic system).

  

Capital in the Twenty-First Century is a book by Thomas Piketty in which he states that the return on capital, in the long run, is greater than the growth of the economy. This he found to be true in more than 20 countries he studied and the reason for inequality and polarization.

Since money makes money faster than economic growth, the gap between rich and poor is bound to grow as capitalism develops. Piketty predicts that current trends if continued, will deteriorate to a degree that no country can afford by 2100. Korea has a higher distribution of income from capital investment than other developed countries; the income of labor will not be able to overcome inequality.

Stiglitz, the author of The Price of Inequality, pointed out that while the productivity of the US economy has increased significantly over the past 40 years, real wages barely increased. Most of the economic growth was made by capital, intensifying inequality and polarization. In particular, his book Rewriting Economic Rules draws attention to the need to reverse the relationship between efficiency and equality.

In the past, conservative economists had to accept some inequality for efficiency and growth. But he argues that economic performance and equality are now complementary rather than opposites or alternatives. Serious inequality today is not only damaging efficiency and productivity but also threatening democracy. New rules are needed to help the middle class solve the problems of growth and inequality at the same time.

Our people's perception seems no different. Seven in ten feel the level of inequality in Korean society is severe. In January, the Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted a survey of 1,000 citizens over 18 years of age— 68.8% of the respondents said that inequality in society was 'very serious' (26.5%) or 'severe' (42.3%). 

The age group that felt the inequalities in asset formation was the youth who see difficulties in buying a house in the future.

The bigger problem is that more and more capital is expected to bring about the fruits of economic growth not only in Korea but globally. In the future, wealth is likely to be heavily based in developed countries, with the capitalists and their members who have invested in the AI ​​and robotics industries. The old saying: the rich get richer and the poor get poorer may seem mild in the future situation where human jobs are bound to shrink.

It should be recalled that the poor are the greatest receivers of the gospel. In the Joy of the Gospel an Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis: "But until exclusion and inequality in society and between peoples are reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate violence. The poor and the poorer peoples are accused of violence, yet without equal opportunities, the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode"( # 59). 

Active and Passive Peace

Peace is a word we are familiar with and use often in our daily speech. Peace in the home, social, and between nations; it is daily in the media, used frequently in our speech. A college professor in the Catholic Peace Weekly treats the issue of peace between the North and South.

By using the word peace, it often takes on a kind of socially recognized signal that we want to live at peace with other groups with whom we disagree.

What does peace mean to us, and how much effort should we make to achieve the peace we seek? Peace can be defined in many different ways, the goals and results of efforts will differ according to the ways peace is perceived.

According to Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung, peace can be divided into passive peace and active peace, and many phases of peace are placed on the continuum between passive and active peace. Passive peace means to manage and maintain the conflict phase so that physical conflicts do not occur, while active peace means maximizing measures to prevent disputes in peacebuilding and working to minimize the areas of conflict.

Where is the peace we want now? If managing the relationship with North Korea so conflicts do not arise this would be passive peace. On the other hand, on the Korean peninsula, it is also possible to emphasize active peace that supports North Korea's development and maximizes the possibility of cooperation such as mutual visits with North Korea as a core value of South Korea's policy. We may be in constant discord between passive peace and active peace, and continue to move back and forth between them depending on the provocations and threats of the North.

When we talk about peace, usually we are stuck in passive peace mode, and disputes with North Korea on denuclearization are constant. We don't want any harm coming to the South and always on the defensive. North Korea likewise is at present on the passive peace mode and it will be difficult for the North to recognize the South as a true partner in transforming the current deadlock on the peninsula to an active peace phase.

If we do not go beyond the passive peace and remain only on the talking stage we remain an obstacle to active peace. Now, the Korean Peninsula is full of dark clouds due to denuclearization and sanctions on North Korea. If we help North Korea to develop and look forward to an active peace and accept the help of international organizations that are in sympathy we will have some variables that could change the situation on the peninsula.

Active peace should be our peace policy towards North Korea. The way to break the tense situation between conflict and active peace is to maximize active intervention so that the passive peace can be transformed into active peace, and not remain at the level of passive management. The greatest enemy to peace always exists during the time of peace.