Will Spring Between The North and South Come?

 

After Yoon Seok-yeol won the 20th presidential election, the Korean Peninsula is already in turmoil. With the launch of the new government, North Korea is poised to take the initiative with major provocations such as the launch of a new ICBM and the seventh nuclear test. In his campaign, Yoon Seok-yeol vowed to promote peace based on strong national defense, not surrender, in response to North Korea's armed demonstrations. Changes in surrounding conditions, such as the emergence of a conservative government in South Korea and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are expected to further accelerate North Korea's self-defense and nuclear-missile war deterrence. It is foreseen that the atmosphere of war, which is getting boring whenever a conservative government appears, will spread again. 

As soon as Yoon Seok-yeol's election results came out, North Korea revealed its uncomfortable feelings through internal media. The Unification News, a weekly newspaper for North Korea's foreign affairs, harshly criticized the people's power throughout the presidential election period, saying: "The only thing that will be caused by indiscriminate rash acts and seeing the North with an evil heart is a military conflict between North and South Korea." There are several points to note that the North Korean authorities are concerned about and criticize the new government's policy toward North Korea.  

First, the president-elect Yun Seok-yeol criticizes the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy as a completely failed and submissive policy; secondly, it denies the declarations of the inter-Korean summits (April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, and the South-North Military Agreement). Third, it puts the issue of complete denuclearization and human rights at the front, and fourth, it insists on restoring the ROK-US alliance, while strengthening ROK-US military training and the possibility of an anti-North Korean military confrontation. Basically, North Korea seems to be looking at the Yun Seok-yeol administration's North Korea policy as an extension of the Lee Myung-bak administration, which put the 'non-nuclear, openness, 3000' policy at the fore, and the Park Geun-hye administration, which in fact pursued unification by absorption called the 'unification and great success theory'.

As the peace process on the Korean Peninsula promoted by the Moon Jae-in administration eventually reached a deadlock, it will be inevitable for the new government to reset its North Korea policy and strategy. The new government is revealing its plan to completely denuclearize North Korea and deter further provocations by restoring the strong ROK-U.S. alliance, that is, by rebuilding the ROK-US combined defense posture and by expanding the ROK-U.S. deterrence against North Korean nuclear weapons. 

The idea is to  secure a firm deterrent against the North Korean nuclear threat and to maximize the effect of extended deterrence by conducting large-scale joint exercises between the United States and South Korea. Based on a comprehensive alliance, it is expected to actively strengthen the alliance between Korea, the United States, and Japan while supporting the US Indo-Pacific strategy. In addition, there is a growing possibility that the United States, Japan, India, and Australia will participate in the unofficial security council, 'Quad'. North Korea will further spur the development of strategic and tactical weapons under the pretext of strengthening its defense capabilities for self-defense, and will further intensify its solidarity with the socialist countries of China and Russia, intensifying the new Cold War.

It seems difficult to imagine a reversal of inter-Korean relations at the moment because the willingness not to give in to each other is stronger than ever. After many twists and turns, the door to inter-Korean dialogue may open again someday. However, as the Moon Jae-in government experienced, the reality of inter-Korean relations is that practice is more important than the agreement itself, and it is difficult to take a step forward without steadily patiently building sufficient trust between each other. For the time being, we will not be enjoying the spring of peace.

There is No "Just War"

Stella: Why did the war happen? A lot of people died. Why do we have to suffer such a tragedy?

 

Non-believer: Isn't war sometimes an unavoidable measure for the safety of one's country? A preemptive strike is also necessary for safety and national interest.

 

Peter: But wouldn't that increase tensions between countries? It also causes anxiety. 

 

Non-believer: I don't think so. Shouldn't the national interest come first under any circumstances? 

 

Let's talk together! So begins the column The Light of  the World in the Catholic Times by a priest columnist.

 

 With people around the world watching anxiously, the "Russia-Ukraine War" broke out and many people are suffering. Unlike in the past, when the war of aggression could be wrapped up in a grand cause of national security and the truth could be hidden, we are now clearly looking at the reckless scenes of an invasion of a weak country, murder, destruction, use of banned weapons (vacuum bombs), deaths of innocent people and children, and victims losing their homes.

 

Everyone in the global village, except for a small number of dictators, condemns the war. Pope Francis also deplored and stressed that all political actions and plans are for brotherhood, not partisan interests. The Catholic Church never tolerates war, and violence and war are defined as criminal acts that incur God's wrath (Article 438 of the "Simple Social doctrine").

 

The purpose of war? Like Korea and Israel, Ukraine has had a lot of historical pain. This is because the black soil, the road between Europe and Asia, is the largest breadbasket in Europe, so invasions by powerful powers were frequent. Starting with Mongolia in the 13th century, it went through a harsh history, from the annexation of Russia in 1793 to independence in 1991. But Ukraine still has the interests of several countries formed over the past several hundred years. The complex history of Russia-Ukraine, which originally had one root, tells us this. So you say that war is ultimately for political and economic purposes? In fact, it is greed for territory, resources, economic interests, and hegemony, and this war is no different.

  

The war against greed— The inhuman reality was that soldiers were sent to the battlefield without knowing the reason, refused to fire at civilians, and confessed the horrors of war by texting with their families. Many people resist the barbaric violence and support universal fraternity; stories of villagers who gave food and encouragement to surrendered soldiers; ordinary people who apologized for their country's atrocities, and those who mourn the victims and wish for a speedy peace.

In fact, the essence of this war is not only the war between the aggressor and victims. It is a war against the greed of a dictator, running an unjust dictatorship for decades. We must resist this with the word of God: to love our neighbor, to long for peace, and to love even our enemies.

 

To resolve the tensions that arise among different political communities and can compromise the stability of nations and international security, it is indispensable to make use of common rules in a commitment to negotiation and to reject definitively the idea that justice can be sought through recourse to war. "If war can end without winners or losers in a suicide of humanity, then we must repudiate the logic which leads to it: the idea that the effort to destroy the enemy, confrontation and war itself are factors of progress and historical advancement"

Not only does the Charter of the United Nations ban recourse to force, but it rejects even the threat to use force (The Concise Social Doctrine, # 438). 

 

 

New Korean President

 

Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the conservative People Power Party, won the presidential election on March 9. The Catholic Peace Weekly columnist gives the readers his views on the election.
 
The 20th presidential election, which started with the registration of candidates in July last year, ended the 240-day long journey. This period was solely the 'people’s time'. The people elected Yoon Suk-yeol, with no political experience, as president. Except for a coup d'etat, this is the first time in constitutional history. Concerns about the non-political president were also reflected in the votes. 0.7 percentage points difference. Half of the voters (47.83%) did not support the elected candidate. It was the result of the most unpopular presidential election of all time.
 
This election was a negative one in which the tasks of the times and vision for the future were missing. The people were fed up with the exposure of corruption and suspicion. Conflicts, divisions, and hatred among ideology, region, gender, generation, and class have reached a dangerous level. However, the unfavorable feeling toward the presidential candidates was paradoxically expressed by high political participation and turnout. The final voter turnout was 77.1%, and the two-day advance turnout was 36.93%, a record high. Although there are important duties and rights as a citizen, it was an expression of intense longing for a new era.
 
What was the public sentiment expressed in this election? For the president-elect, it is a warning not to be arrogant and a strict command for unity and cooperation. It also contains the meaning of a warning that the brakes may be applied at any time to the operation of state affairs. 

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's presidential slogan was "Yoon Suk-yeol called out by the people." However, half rejected Yoon-elect. Fortunately, President-elect Yoon said in his election speech, "There will be no liberals, conservatives, or the (Providence that voted against him) in front of us." Archbishop Jeong the Archbishop of Seoul, also asked the new president to "heal the conflicts and be a healing President" in an interview after the vote.
 
In front of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, real estate problems, economic inequality, generational conflict and polarization, youth unemployment, and the climate crisis are piled up. To solve this problem, it is necessary to carefully examine the reality of the promises made during the election period. Some of the promises that fueled gender conflict need reexamination for national unity.
 
In addition, although he was elected based on 'regime change', the policies of the current government, which are showing results, must be continued. In particular, foreign and security policies for peace on the Korean Peninsula should take a long-term and multi-dimensional approach and put the national interest first. In addition, among the promises made by Democratic Party Candidate Jae-Myung Lee, who received half of the support, policies that fit reality and have practical benefits should be actively accepted. Only then will the people believe in the sincerity of President-elect Yoon's national unity and cooperation.
 
The five-year term of the president is time spent with the people. This is not the time to be greedy only for achievements to increase the "name-value" of the president. This is what is written on the banner of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's election greetings: "We will create a unified Korea." This is a promise to the people and the goal of state management. 

What should President-elect Yoon do first? He must first approach humbly half of the people who did not support him, talk, and compromise. If he can lead the division of national opinion to national unity during his five-year term, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will be recorded as the greatest president in constitutional history.

Reflection On A Post-truth Society

On the opinion page of the Catholic Times, a parish priest in the Eyes of Believer column gives his thoughts after watching the movie: "Don't Look Up".

To put it simply, here's what the movie is all about. With only six months left before the destruction of the Earth due to a comet collision, political power is busy maintaining its approval rating and power. Companies are using the relationship between politics and the economy as an opportunity for profits. The media also does not report the crisis as a crisis, concerned with ratings and number of views. Social media is distorting and manipulating public opinion, obsessed with entertainment news and stimulating memes. The truth of the comet collision is ignored, and humanity is destroyed.

 

He noticed watching the movie that the social system avoided talking about the destruction of the Earth. This was because the social system had already lost its function, and was paralyzed. It shows that each system is a 'post-truth society'. (Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief). 

 

It's not just a story in a movie. How prevalent is 'post-truth' in our real world? In public opinion, claims that appeal to emotions are more influential than truth, and in politics, there is a strong tendency to focus on populism and political strife rather than policies. Moreover, due to the popularized digital culture, 'post-truth' is commonplace in all public spheres: politics, economy, society, and culture.

In this era, emotions and beliefs take precedence over truth and morality, and the tendency to see only what we want to see and hear only what we want to hear from the enormous amount of information.

Scientists have been predicting a climate crisis for a long time, but former U.S. President Donald Trump, several times during his tenure, declared the climate crisis a "blatant lie" and withdrew from the Paris climate accord in 2019, and the United States actually withdrew the following year. This is despite the unprecedented disasters such as storms, forest fires, and floods due to global warming. The media is headed for commercialization with distorted, fabricated, and fake news, which erodes trust and public interest.  

The consequences of this phenomenon are exemplified by the case of two young people with bright futures who died by their own hands last month. The unfounded suspicions raised by malicious You Tubers called 'cyber-wreckers' who with indiscriminate use of malicious comments responded and the irresponsible media that mass-produced articles carrying such content collaborate for an unfortunate result. As in the movie 'Don't Look Up, we learn the lesson that when the inherent functions of the social system do not work properly, it can only lead to terrible disasters. 

 

Even if we live in a society where collectivism and totalitarianism lose their place in the 21st century and individualism dominates, the impact that social systems have on individuals cannot be ignored. It is said that the more single-person households become more dominant, the more fragmented and atomized individuals become, but under the umbrella of the capitalist social system, they are defined as the masses or consumers, not 'real individuals' with a sense of social responsibility as subjects of rights.  

 

Will the public, who constantly consume social media through smartphones be free from 'post-truth'? Although social media is information that has not undergone any verification, only the greater the number of 'likes', the more reliable the information and accepted as if true. In addition, users' confirmation bias is reinforced because they click only information with a lot of 'likes'. 

Therefore, as in the movie "Don't Look Up," the phenomenon that scientific facts and objective truths are despised is being reproduced in the real world. We should always bear in mind Pope Francis's criticism of the 'post truth' era.

"We need constantly to ensure that present-day forms of communication are in fact guiding us to generous encounter with others, to the honest pursuit of the whole truth, to service, to closeness to the underprivileged, and to the promotion of the common good. As the Bishops of Australia have pointed out, we cannot accept "a digital world designed to exploit our weaknesses and bring out the worst" ( All Brothers 

#205)

Again War in 2022!

 

In the recent Catholic Peace Weekly, a priest gives the readers in Eyes of a Priest column some thoughts on the war in Ukraine. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24. Facilities were destroyed and civilian casualties continue in Ukraine. The whole world is shocked and angry at this. In major cities, including the capital Kyiv, photos of those who fled to the air defense shelters to avoid the war were reported in the foreign media. In particular, the sight of children trembling with cold and fear touched our hearts. No one seems able to explain why children who are meant to play and make friends at this time of life suffer like this. The long line of refugees and the sight of an old man sitting helplessly in front of a horribly destroyed building leave him speechless. 

Humans went through two world wars, 1914 and 1939, and felt deeply the horror of war. So in April 1945, when World War II was coming to an end, about 50 countries gathered around the Allies to hold a meeting for a new international order in San Francisco, USA. This meeting lasted until June. 

It was at this time that the Charter of the United Nations was created. Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter of the United Nations, says: "In international relations, we refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of other countries." It was a declaration that strong countries could no longer invade or subdue other countries with physical force and that conflicts and disputes should be resolved through diplomacy. 

Nazi Germany surrendered on May 8, Japan on August 15 of that year, and the United Nations was established on October 24. Through the pain of war, mankind has begun a new history. But even after that, we experienced war again. War continued on the Korean Peninsula in 1950 and Vietnam in 1964. More recently, destruction and death have followed in Afghanistan and Iraq. But now it's 2022. 

We live in an era where we have seen and experienced the consequences of countless wars. The pain of war isn't just for young people who are terrified of battle. We have clearly seen refugees displaced by war, those who suffer in the aftermath of airstrikes, mothers who have lost their children, children being maimed, those whose childhood has been taken away. 

What does the human race gain from war, so that war is waged again? Also, in the last war, who started the war, and who had to suffer the damage? None of us can confidently answer this question. That is why, for whatever reason, war should never happen. We must shout out loudly to politicians who try to solve problems by force, and to those who despise those who are weak because they are strong. Now, under no circumstances, should there be war. 

When more people cry for peace, the pain of war will stop. In our time, war should only be available for viewing in museums. To do that, we need the strength of strong solidarity for peace. He hopes laughter will return to the eyes of children overcome by fear as soon as possible. He cries out with all his heart— "Peace to Ukraine!"

 

Society's Need for Volunteers

 

A lawyer in the Diagnosis of the Times of the Catholic Peace Weekly exams the need for volunteering in society.

He doesn't remember well his years in elementary school. but must have volunteered in various ways back then, but it didn't leave much of an impression. While living abroad in middle school, he ran a shoeshine corner with his friends at the Korean Association Bazaar. He learned that volunteering can be rewarding and exhilarating through the experience of making decisions on his own and putting them into practice.
 
When he was in high school, he didn't have a lot of free time. It was not in an atmosphere where everyone had to volunteer for a certain amount of time as it is these days. There is one incident he remembers clearly, although it was more a donation than volunteering. There was a morning check-up for all students in the schoolyard, and the teacher conducting the lecture said a student was hospitalized and urgently needed a blood transfusion. He quickly volunteered almost automatically and headed to the hospital with the other two students. He had a few blood donation experiences, so it didn't feel special. In retrospect, a little courage, a little empathy, and a little familiarity make volunteering possible.
 
When he was in his first or second year of college, he was able to volunteer for various activities. He did help students study in the reading room operated by a local village organization while in high school. He taught catechism to the elementary school students in his parish church and volunteered for summer camp activities during vacations. Heartwarming encounters, conflicts, dilemmas, and limitations were experienced, sometimes difficult to overcome but all helped understand people and society.
 
It is difficult calling student council activities volunteer activities;  it can be viewed as social participation. However, from the point of view of social contribution without payment, it is a volunteer activity. In the future, will we continue to see people dedicate themselves with so much effort, time, and passion without compensation?
 
 It was after he became involved with the volunteer organization he started that he seriously saw volunteering as an important part of life. 'Gonggam', (Empathy) a non-profit corporation that seeks to protect the socially disadvantaged through the law and seek social change, has been operating a volunteer program since the beginning. In the meantime, at least hundreds of people have gone through this program, and they are engaged in various activities in society, including the legal profession, the media, and academia.
 
We had several serious discussions internally while running the program. The free-form application has been replaced by a human rights-friendly application that requires only the minimum necessary information, such as name and contact information. There are still many things to consider for volunteer activities to lead to community change through voluntary social value creation activities.
 
He constantly receives calls from people who want to volunteer. People of all ages and genders even cross borders. It will be one of the roles that society must play to fully capture the hearts of those who want to volunteer. He remembers the moments when he first volunteered and the moments when he was helped through the volunteer work of countless people. He sees hope for tomorrow in the passion and courage of those unforgettable moments of the past.

What The Catholic Church Has Learned!

 

Listening Ear of the Church, Origins of tolerance and the church's listening—  

Who built Thebes with seven gates? A priest history professor, in the Kyeongyang magazine, begins his article using the words of the German playwriter Bertolt Brecht in one of his poems: A Worker Reads History— "The books are filled with names of kings. Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?"

History only remembers the kings who ordered the building of the great cities and not those who did the work. That's the reason they say history is written by the victors. However, this is not exactly the case.

At the end of the 20th century, some historians are leaving the big events of history and picking out small, insignificant incidents, unknown individuals living ordinary lives as their concern. Carlo Ginzburg is a well-known leader in this field of 'micro-history'.

In the article, the professor gives a summary of Ginzburg's famous work: The Cheese and the Worms. It's a story of a 16th-century miller known by his nickname Menocchio, who lived in Northern Italy and in 1584 was imprisoned for heresy, released and returned to prison repeatedly and in 1599 again charged for heresy and burnt at the stake. In the book, Ginzburg follows the miller up to his death in great detail: the inquisition (questioning), trial, and comments in the society of that time. 

As the subtitle of the 16th-century mill owner's view of the universe suggests, cheese and worms are one of the metaphors Menocchio used to express his own understanding and thinking about how the universe was created and operated. At that time most of the village could not read or write. Menocchio could both read and write, and with a great intellectual curiosity trying to explain his thoughts to the illiterate villagers was the reason for these figures of speech.

He did not believe in the creationism taught by the church. The universe, he believed, arose out of primordial chaos, as milk curdled into cheese and worms, rather than voluntarily created by any personality. The Holy Spirit, Son of Man, and even God were born that way. It was a kind of animism and pantheism, built on materialism.

For those of us who have left behind the 'writing down culture,' we are once again surprised by the thoroughness of Europeans who meticulously left a list of books read by ordinary villagers hundreds of years ago. 

 

It is noteworthy that the Bible, which was expensive and written in a language only a few could decipher, was also in his possession. No way to know how faithfully the original source was copied but the miller is now reading the Bible on his own and making up his own theology not following the teachings of priests.

Menocchio did not only have problems with creation but also with the church and especially with the priesthood. In his view, priests lived off the peasants... Of course, at a time when very few people knew how to write, Menocchio, who belonged to the 'literate class' in his own way, was not a good example of the culture of this new literati. But what is clear, a new class of opposition arose because of the printed word bringing many out of their darkness and helping them to see the world in a different light. With the start of Protestantism and Luther the Church was no longer helped by the culture—obediently following its teaching. 

What is surprising is the church's attitude toward the free-spirited thoughts of a villager who made a living as a miller. The questioning of Menocchio lasted for 15 years. The number of preliminary interrogations was many, and the number of documents produced in the process was enormous. However, what we find here is not just the persistence of church power exerted on a powerless individual.

Menocchio is an ambiguous figure who alternated between the oral battles of the medieval lower classes and the culture of the ruling class. However, the attitude of the interrogators who patiently listened to the story reveals the breadth of tolerance embraced by the medieval world. 

 

We know the Middle Ages as an age full of gods de-mythologized into Christianity, but a very rigid world with dramatic images of witch trials and burnings at the stake. However, it was a pretty generous time. 

At that time, the church, drew its sword to correct the chaos and disorder that began with Luther. It was around this time that the Inquisition which had been operating for a long time but only in Spain and part of the American colonies, actually started functioning at the center of the church (1532), and the list of banned books was issued (1559).  

It was clear where the sword of the church was headed. It was the will of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), aimed at both the upper classes (Giordano Bruno) and the lower classes (Menocchio) to crack down on the disruption caused by the Protestant Reformation.  

We all are familiar with the calling of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII. After receiving the items for discussion from those in the Vatican he sent them back and asked all the different churches for the topics; 2,000 different items were collected. 

The Second Vatican Council was very different from the two Councils that preceded. When they were discussing infallibility, Pope Pius 9 was present during the discussion. After the start of the II Vatican Council Pope John left the assembly. Pope Paul VI abolished the Index of Forbidden Books in 1966. Things were changing.

A half-century ago this is what the church fathers considered the new vision. A church cannot be established only with rules, systems, and rigid authority. Rather, it is woven from the situation of the majority or the few: the micro-historical attitude of listening to countless, varied experiences and thoughts. 

The ideal of our present Synod Journey is to 'listen to the various experiences and crises faced by individual churches first and then identify the path to be taken. In this sense, listening is another name for the tolerance that the church  lost for a while, the ultimate way of being. 

The election here is over, we have a new president. Hopefully, he will not be interested only in specific groups but will listen to the small and unknown people in our society.