A New Vision of North Korea

The Catholic Times in its Reconciliation Column on the  present situation between the North and South Korea  gives the readers some thoughts on the subject. The writer is research fellow at the Catholic Institute for Northeast Asia Peace and gives us what the future could bring in our relationship with North Korea.

The writer  received a book as a gift from the author two months ago. The title is "A New Perspective on North Korea". The author,  is a lawyer and professor of North Korean studies.  He explains, based on his long- research, that the existing inter-Korean legal system needs to be changed to fit the present reality. 

 

As soon as the writer  received the book, he started to read and finished it in two days. The author's suggestions for those interested on the North South Korea situation would find it interesting. The columnist  introduces two proposals. 

 

First, we are proposing to recognize North Korea as a state. Currently, North Korea is an illegal or anti-state organization under the constitution, but has a dual status as a partner in dialogue and cooperation for peaceful unification. This dual status causes a lot of confusion, and the controversy over the repatriation of North Korean fishermen to North Korea is a clear example. However, he explains that recognition as a country can clarify legal instability or inconsistent policies toward North Korean defectors.

 

[The South Korean constitution defines national territory as the whole Korean Peninsula and according to the Korean Supreme Court all the North Korean citizens are South Korean citizens. Consequently the forced repatriation of North Korean citizens who have come South is an illegal act]

  

Of course, whether or not to recognize North Korea as a state can be controversial as it is also a matter of our constitution, but considering the legal stability and consistency of policy, it is a topic that needs to be  given serious thought.

Second, regarding the nationality of North Koreans, the majority  opinion is  that North Koreans are South Koreans, but now this  opinion  should be reviewed again. The need  to change this is seen in many unexpected cases that have occurred. In reality we are  unable to force nationality on a person who claims to be a North Korean citizen even though he is in South Korea, and in the case of North Korean defectors who have settled in the UK, they have never acquired South Korean citizenship.

 

In addition, the author gives views on how to view North Korea's land and how to revive the spirit of agreement in the inter-Korean agreement, but the writer of the column thinks the previous two suggestions are something ordinary citizens should give some thought

 

In addition to this, the author gives opinions on how to view the land in North Korea and how to preserve the consensual spirit of the inter-Korean agreement.

Judging from the facts that have occurred in our legal system in the past by the current standards, there are parts that are unconnected with reality. In this regard, he has come to accept much of the author's opinion that we need to rethink the issues involved in consideration of the expected controversy.

He looks forward to the preparations in our inter-Korean relations in all areas, including the legal system.

 

2022 Seoul Signis World Congress

 

Both Catholic Weeklies had front-page articles on the '2022 Seoul Signis World Congress' that was held in Seoul from August 15 to 18 at Sogang University, Seoul. It has been 5 years since the event was held in Quebec, Canada in 2017. 96 people from 32 countries around the world participated, and a total of 300 people including Koreans participated in the general assembly online and offline.
 
At the opening ceremony, The Vatican Minister of Public Relations, Paolo Ruffini read the message from Pope Francis to the participants: "The choice of 'peace in the digital world as the theme of the plenary session is timely."

The Vatican Minister gave a keynote talk on the topic of Isolated Individuals in the Age of Hyperconnectivity. Minister Ruffini looked at the problems of loneliness, alienation, and slowly collapsing communities found in society today, as we enter a new era in which the real and the fake are mixed in a virtual space called the metaverse.

Minister Ruffini emphasized the role of Signis in making the world a better place. "The digital world is not already created, and we can change it. On the Internet, we weave a web of truth and beauty, faith and hope. By doing so, we can build a more human-level type communication." He then awakened the mission of Catholic journalists, saying: "It is up to us to inform and connect the values ​​of solidarity, sharing, truth, and human dignity in the digital world."

"The Signis World Congress, being held during Pope Francis's synod journey, is also an important moment in the synod," said Helen Osman President of Signis World in her congratulatory speech. She also said, "Peace is not simply a state that does not cause war or has no hatred," adding, "It is in creating a world where we, with the support of Jesus Christ, deeply understand each other and where human dignity is respected."
 
On the second day, 'fake news and the crisis of trust' were dealt with centered on the keynote lecture of Dmitry Muratov, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. (He auctioned the  Nobel Peace Prize medal donating the proceeds to UNICEF for the benefit of refugees from Ukraine. The medal sold for US$103.5 million, the highest price ever recorded for a Nobel medal).

Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek, co-chairman of the Signis World Congress and the Archbishop of Seoul, was concerned about the technology and information gap that appear in the digital world and emphasized that "communication technology that cares for everyone is the way to communicate properly in the digital world. The church should play a role in conveying the charm of personal encounters and strive to spread the good values ​​of the church in society."
 
Han Seung-soo (Daniel), the organizer of the Signis World Congress, said, "Korea is the only divided country in the world, even though it has reached the world’s highest level in IT infrastructure, technology, and market development. The fact that the SIGNS World Congress will be held in Seoul is very meaningful." He continued, "I hope that it will be a time to explore what digital media can and should do in the evangelization we pursue while freely using Korea’s digital environment."
 

Inequality of the Climate Crisis

 

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, on the opinion page of the paper, a priest calls the rainy season this year a "climate crisis".
 
Seoul, Inchon, and the metropolitan area suffered massive flooding due to torrential rain that hit the central region for several days from the 8th. Thousands of vehicles were flooded and the city stopped functioning to the extent that roads and subways were paralyzed. It recorded the highest hourly precipitation ever recorded, resulting in loss of life and property.
 
This spring, a large-scale wildfire on the east coast surprised many. The fire did not go out for a whopping 213 hours, causing serious damage to forests and private homes. It was also the largest ever recorded and the longest wildfire on record.
 
Not just this year. In 2020, two years ago, the rainy season lasted 54 days. At that time, it rained every day for over a month: 'This rain is not a rainy season, it is a 'climate crisis' became popular on social media.
 
In 2018, an unprecedented heat wave swept the Korean Peninsula. The highest temperature in Gangwon-do soared to 41℃, and Seoul also recorded 39.6℃ for the first time in 111 years of meteorological observations. The number of heatwave days was 31.2 days.
 
This extreme weather in recent years is no longer unusual. Regardless of the adjectives we use, new climate change threatens our daily life every year. The problem is that the impact of this climate crisis hits the poorer and weaker people first.
 
As you are well aware, the torrential downpours in the central region this year killed three family members living in a semi-basement of a multi-family house. It hurts the writer to say that one of them was suffering from a developmental disability. In the wealthy areas, expensive imported cars are flooded and new cars are bought with the insurance money. However, more than 320,000 people in semi-underground houses across the country felt their lives threatened by heavy rain.
 
Our society is experiencing the same climate crisis, but the damage is not the same for all. The term "climate inequality" has now emerged where the weakest and the poorest are at greater risk. The climate crisis has become a daily routine!  Extreme weather events occur so frequently that people living in jjokbang villages (rooms smaller than 2 square meters, don't require a deposit, residents share communal toilet and kitchen) are endangered by the heat wave, and those living in the semi-underground rooms by torrential rain. Obviously, we can't close our eyes to people's problems. We need to stop the climate crisis before it's too late, and we need to advance carbon neutrality more boldly.
 
We all need to reduce the frequency of meat we eat, the number of times the car is used, the number of disposable products used, and be concerned for our neighbors.
 
We pray that God will comfort those who lost their lives and suffered property damage in the torrential downpour. In addition, he hopes that ecological conversion will be accelerated to overcome climate inequality.

Leaving the Church

A  Theological Research Institute director gives the readers of the Catholic Times some sad news on the situation of the Catholic Church in Korea.

Mass and gatherings have become freer in the parish churches since 'social distancing' was lifted in April, but the parishes don't feel as lively as they once did. Even though the sticker to sit at a distance from the person next to you disappeared, the vacant seat is still not filled. After Sunday Mass, people move off in a hurry, on weekends the inside and outside of the churches are quiet.

Researchers analyze that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the phenomenon of those leaving the church and religion and becoming indifferent to religion is intensifying in Korean society. It's not due to concerns about infection or health, but rather because religious interests and their pursuit among Koreans are gradually disappearing from their lives.

The longing to constantly question the fundamental meaning and value of life, such as why we were born, how to live the true life, and whether death will end everything, and the desire to find the answers in the teachings of our religion is now beyond many people's concern. Instead, what are the interests and longings that fill our hearts now?

Recently, there was a book called "People Leaving the Church," which was an in-depth interview with 8 people who had left or were about to leave the church from the Protestant side, so she read it with interest. Some of the people in this book are former pastors, and most of them, such as pastors’ wives, children, and missionary staff members, had close relationships with the church since childhood. They did not become atheists or give up on God but no longer wanted to remain in the church community.

Although the direct reasons and processes that led the people in the book to leave the church vary from one person to another, it was not that each individual lacked faith or lived a religious life from habit. Rather, their faith life was very important and they had very deep expectations and concerns for their spiritual life which were not satisfied.

Religious life did not give them freedom and joy but was filled with endless obligations and guilt. They asked questions not so different from nonbelievers. The community did not exhibit maturity nor gave them  what they expected but rudeness, hurting others, constant hatred, and conflict."Is God in a church like this? Is it really the true life of faith and the true gospel that this church teaches and proclaims?"

Conversely,  those who leave the church ask today's Christians: "What does it mean to be a Christian? Is the Church really where the love of God is experienced and proclaimed?" The fact that more and more people are leaving the church suggests that the question is not being answered properly, but this is not a situation unique to the Protestant Church.

According to the statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea, only 8.8% of the baptized believers participated in the Sunday Mass last year. Even before the pandemic, the participation rate for Sunday Mass was around 20%, so even after being baptized, 8-9 out of 10 believers do not come to church even in the Korean Catholic Church. Why are they leaving the church or are they vacationing for a time? If we listen to their stories, she thinks we will face some important questions the church is missing right now.

Magnanimous—A Beautiful Word

 A Religious Sister in the Catholic Peace Weekly introduces the readers to a recent Korean Drama that is very popular now on Korean TV: Extraordinary Attorney Woo; the story of an autistic lawyer working in a large law firm.

The drama invites us to change our perspective on autism and the disabled through the story of an autistic lawyer Woo. 

The drama not only deepened the writer's  understanding of the disease called autism and the disabled people who appeared in the drama, but also made her realize that we are all disabled but think we are normal. With our love of money we  cannot be the subject of free decisions, we study hard and try to live well, but many do not find meaning in life, give up,  develop mental disorders not infrequently distancing themselves from family members over matters such as money. 

In one of the episodes  the (self-proclaimed commander-in-chief of the Liberation Army) Bang a Pied Piper-like character reminded Sister of Jesus.  He was the son of the director of an Academy. Is arrested as a kidnapper who hijacked a school bus one day and took the 12 children to the mountain so they could play. He freed the children from studying for a while, and played fun games— hide and seek and tag.

 

The Study Academy keeps the children at the academy until 10 pm to study. They can't go out at all, have no breaks or meal times, and only go to the bathroom, but these academies are the most popular among parents. Bang says that the enemies of children are schools, academies, and parents, and that it is his job to liberate these children. His mission is to allow children to  play, be healthy and happy.

 

Lawyer Woo defends  Mr. Bang not as a megalomaniac, but as a seeker of truth who who wants to reform the existing social system. 

 

Sister sees Jesus in this situation. Jesus came 2000 years ago to set us free from the pain and suffering of sin. He came to give us rest, health, and happiness. He came to set us free from our temporal lusts, pride, jealousy, and greed. He preached the value of the kingdom of God that rich people, powerful people, and people who laugh are not  always the happy people, but happy are the poor, meek people, and those who mourn. 

 

Because of the difference between the temporal values ​​of the world and the values ​​of the kingdom of God, Jesus became a sign of opposition from political and religious leaders, and eventually was put to death. In order to spread the kingdom of God, Jesus personally selected 12 disciples to experience the kingdom of God by living together as a community. These twelve apostles gave their lives to proclaim the gospel, the good news of the kingdom of God. 

 

The drama wants to show  that the experiences of 12 children who played with Mr. Bang will have a big impact on their lives. They did not throw away the acorns they picked up while playing with Bang but made bracelets and necklaces and kept them as souvenirs.

 

Our structures in society, social norms, laws, media, our family life, our experiences our education... all influence us for the good or the bad. Consequently the need for wisdom and discernment— a need to interact in a human and loving  way with everybody.

 

Magnanimity what a beautiful word! The Latin word animus means 'soul' that which gives life.

Magnus  means great, big. We are all called to be  persons  with big souls, big hearts. Mr. Bang was such a person and the drama wants to move the viewer to work as big hearted citizens to realize a more compassionate, tender, loving society.

Death of the Unconnected Who Die Alone

We live in a developed and prosperous society. Technological advances have made our lives comfortable but not all benefit. The Catholic Peace Weekly featured an article this week giving the readers some thoughts on those left behind. Many members of dysfunctional families in society for a myriad of reasons have no present connection with the family of birth.

Society has changed from the extended family to the nuclear, from an understanding of community to concern for the individual. Numbers living alone continue to grow and 'dying alone' is no longer a rare occurrence. The problem was examined in depth by the Catholic Peace Weekly— fear of some being in a  situation of not  'dying well'.

"I am single and legally have a family, but there is no interaction, so I am virtually unrelated. If I die, it is expected that the body will be left unattended for a long time enough to decompose and produce a foul odor. I don't want to be a public nuisance after I die, and hope that my body will be taken care of quickly after death."

The above words were recently posted on an internet bulletin board—a struggle not wanting to face a tragic death. He contacted the city hall, ward office, administrative welfare center, and social welfare organizations, but the only response was— impossible. No one contacted him, even at the internet cafe where he posted. This is why voices are calling for concern and support for unconnected people not seen by our present welfare system.

Kim's (pseudonym) family was poor. His older brother left home when he was 20, and he lost contact with his older sister after marriage. Kim, who was the youngest of three children, lived with their parents. However, his parents, who were not on good terms, eventually divorced. His father went to a temple and his mother abandoned them. So Kim's family was disbanded. "I have lost my relationship with my family, but I do not want and do not expect to be reconnected."
 
Kim was preparing for his death because of the changes in his body that came two years ago. He lost weight rapidly and his eyesight deteriorated. He began to prepare not to be miserable. "Death is something that comes to everyone. However, if left unattended for a long time after death, it turns into a miserable scene. It will be difficult for those who find my body. I don't want that. That’s why I want something to be done when I am in good shape. I can't expect my family to hold my funeral," Kim said. But he couldn't find the answer he was looking for anywhere.

Local governments used the budget as an excuse. The social welfare organization considered Kim in the suicide risk group and linked him to the Suicide Prevention Center. Kim said: "There aren't many people like me, but there are some, and they should be taken care of. I think the government or local governments should actively seek out those who are not connected with family."
 
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of those dying alone without connection with family was 1025 in 2012, 1271 in 2013, 1379 in 2014, 1676 in 2015, 1820 in 2016, 2008 in 2017, 2447 in 2018, 2656 in 2019, and 3,136 in 2020 and steadily increased to 3488 in 2021. From 2012 to 2021, the total number of those dying alone was 20,906, more than tripled in 10 years. In 2021, 2,643 were males, 739 females, and 106 unknowns, 3.5 times higher among males than females. For men, the increase came after 40, and for women, the increase was remarkable in those over the age of 60.

The director of the Well Dying Research Institute, explained: "The four conditions for a good death are to die in a familiar place, family and friends by their side, without pain, and maintaining human dignity until the end. It is important to hold a funeral after death, but it is necessary to pay attention to their lives before death." He added: "There are relatively few resources available to help them when they run into difficulty, so we have to think about how we can help them before they are in trouble."

Right Thinking and Manners

 

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves." -Saint Francis de Sales

 

Christianity is the religion of love and we learn to love by loving. However, it is not as simple as we would wish for clear thinking on the issue is far from common. Good manners and respect between peoples and nations are not something we take for granted or as having anything to do with love: willing  the good of the other.

 

Some of the basics we learned as infants: 'Please', 'Thank you, 'Excuse me, 'Sorry'. In Korea years ago we heard the phrase: '지도편달' (指導鞭撻) at the end of an encounter with another who was older or considered more experienced in society— asking for encouragement, (Whipped)— with the change in society this rightly was not an appropriate response of a free fellow human being. However, development most would agree is not rudeness or lack of manners.

 

We are familiar with the Definition of a Gentleman by St. Cardinal John Henry Newman. The first words: "It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him, and he concurs with their movements rather than takes the initiative himself." 

 

At the end of the description of a gentleman he makes clear this has little to do with the religious beliefs of the individual, they should be the natural attainments and qualities of a correctly thinking human being.

 

In a Catholic Seminary curriculum, Philosophy and Logic are important subjects to learn before entering the study of Theology which are the attempts to give the students a grounding in how to think correctly. 

 

A lack of manners can be seen as a lack of clear thinking or understanding of some basic principles of logic. This is seen often in our media and sadly not infrequently in our Catholic Media.

 

Some of the more common logical fallacies (failure to think correctly) are listed below.

 

Ad Hominem: (To the Person) one of the most common and easiest to detect is not addressing the issue but attacking the character of the other.

 

Non Sequitur: (Does not follow) lack of any connection between the given premises and the conclusion that follows. 

 

Strawman fallacy: distorting or exaggerating the issue that is being discussed in some way not intended by one of the parties.

 

Argumentum ad populum: (Argument from the people) The majority say so therefore it must be so.

 

False Dilemma: Either or Thinking. Presenting only two options when there are many different choices that can be made. Black and White kind of thinking.

The different kinds of fallacies that are present in our discussions are considerable. However, 'right thinking' is presumed  along with respect, humility and a desire to find the truth between people and nations.