The Courage of Ven. Father Choe Yang-eop

In the recent Catholic Weekly Building Bridges Column we hear about Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop who was given the title "Servant of God", the first step on the path to sainthood in 2004, declared "venerable" in 2016, the final stage to sainthood remains.

He was the second Korean Priest who followed St. Kim Taegon, Andrew. Fr. Choe clearly saw the harm caused by Bishop Ferréol, the Bishop of Joseon, (Korea), using the nobility as assistants in the diocese. "Those clerks committed many condemnable acts, behaved arrogantly, using their noble status, and were despised by all the believers. However, the bishop particularly loved and trusted them, consulting with them on all matters." This is an excerpt from a letter sent by Father Choe to his priest mentor, after Bishop Ferreol's death (dated September 15, 1857). The letter reveals how negative the public opinion of the nobility was in Joseon at the time.

"All the people recognized and were weary of the nobility's arrogance, presumption, tyranny, and immorality as the root of all social evils and the cause of their misery."

Father Choe reports that the discord among the believers worsened due to the hierarchical system within the church, which further tilted an already skewed playing field. He advised Bishop Ferreol several times through letters and interviews to dismiss the nobles who were working with him, but he only received reprimands and earned the clerks' great animosity.

Father Choe Yang-eop had a clear consciousness that the nobility system was contrary to the Gospel and the spirit of Christ. "In a (class) system that recognizes the nobility, there can be no brotherly love or charity, and innate human rights are completely ignored.  If talent and character were evaluated without regard to birth the whole system would easily collapse." Father Choe also said that missionary priests should learn about the reality, customs, and thoughts of the common people of Joseon before coming to Korea.

More than a century and a half has passed since Father Choe Yang-eop was active. A recent survey revealed that over two-thirds of respondents agree with the claim that Korea has become a 'new class society.' The most cited cause for this new class system was 'parents' socioeconomic status,' followed by 'unequal political and social structures.' Kinship, regional connections, school ties, and an individual's education and competitiveness were found to be of minor significance. How does the church view the increasingly severe phenomenon of wealth inheritance? Can the church be free from this new class system?

As efforts and prayers continue for the beatification of Father Choe Yang-eop known as the 'martyr of sweat', it would be good to heed his words on the class system and the nobility. Are there any unequal structures or customs within the church today that contradict the life and teachings of Christ? Who are the people involved in the church's decision-making process? Are there any 'new nobility'? Is the Korean church, which prides itself on being established by laypeople, still or even more clergy-centric? One reflects on the faith and courage of Father Choe Yang-eop, who continued to speak out against the bishop despite reprimands.

Aging Role Models

 

A university professor in the humanities department gives the readers of the Catholic Times some ideas on growing old. 

Many are reluctant to imagine old age because it feels dark, associated with disease, disability, and care for the elderly. In the Japanese film ‘Plan 75’ (2024), which is set in an aging society where generational conflicts and hate crimes against the elderly have increased, the government receives applications for euthanasia from people aged 75 or older. They give seniors time to deal with their deaths and even provide compensation and counseling to help them enjoy their final days. 

Poor elderly people choose death because their health deteriorates, have few work opportunities, and life is difficult. The government, which recommended euthanasia citing the quality of life, abandons many of the elderly to save costs. Although it is based on imagination, it recreates a scary situation that may occur in an aging society.

Even in the real old age society, death, and old age are separated and marginalized from life. In Korean society, the elderly benefit from the system, but families, especially children, are not free from the primary responsibilities. Many elderly people are healthy for a long time, and others suffer from chronic illnesses or dementia. In societies where autonomy and independence are emphasized, active aging is more prevalent, but the lives of the elderly who erase the traces of aging don't go beyond the extension of youth.

Men offer the younger generation a more varied role model for the elderly, while women show a role model that is confined to the warm, fresh emotional aspects of their grandmothers, the model of maternity. Since these role models are less than men, it is more difficult for women to find their old-age role models.

Nevertheless, the role models of older women in older society can be found in a variety of ways. Some older women actors have been reproduced as bad mother-in-law or as good-natured mothers, but who are active in old age and have different appearances as grandmothers, as well as in public roles. 

Writing about women or looking at the lives of older women can also help to create role models for older women. The documentary "Writing on the ground" (2024) follows the life of South Korea's first female landscape artist, even at the age of 80 and over. She believes himself to be a mediator of nature and has dedicated himself to creating healing and places of reflection in the deserted urban environment and the ecological environment she wants to pass on to her descendants. In the documentary "The Legend of the Waterflower" (2023), an elderly sailor who teaches a young sailor his own material know-how appears.

Old age is a stage in which one reflects on one's life in a slow steady way, while also accepting illness and disability and preparing for elderly care, medical decisions, and death. As Catholics, it is time to think about role models for older people. If you plan your old age through various role models, old age will be an unknown path but also a fun challenge.

Climate and Human Rights

 

The Catholic Peace Weekly priest columnist visits the climate crisis that the whole world is working to understand and achieve some unity in the ways to deal with the situation.

As soon as June begins, you can feel the heat wave. The midday temperature exceeds 30 degrees, and the sun feels hot. The media is warning us of this summer's weather being hotter and more humid than usual. Most people accept all of this as a result of climate change caused by environmental destruction that has accumulated over a long period.

Climate change does not simply mean changes in the natural ecosystem due to environmental pollution.  The various problems caused by climate change ultimately lead to human rights issues. This is because many in the world today are affected in their dignity, with their basic rights: to health, and housing, due to climate change.

Human beings too are creatures of this world, enjoying a right to life and happiness, and endowed with unique dignity (Laudato Si ).

The first instance of linking the climate change crisis to substantive rights was the Stockholm Declaration adopted by the United Nations in 1972. This declaration laid the foundation for the interrelationship between the environment and human rights by adding environmental rights to the category of human rights, but it has yet to reach the stage of having a concrete impact.

Later, in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to realize sustainable development Stockholm's position was once again stated: "Humans have the right to enjoy a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature."

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development was signed and adopted by representatives of more than 150 countries as a specific code of conduct for people around the world to follow, 20 years after the Declaration on the Human Environment was announced in Stockholm. The content of this declaration already goes beyond human survival and focuses on quality of life and sustainable growth.

Unlike the Kyoto Protocol (1997), which uniformly set greenhouse gas emissions, the Paris Agreement (2015) takes a more flexible stance, with each country setting its own reduction amount. The developed countries maintain an absolute reduction target,  but developing countries emphasize more active and voluntary cooperation by taking into account the economic situation between countries by adopting goals that encompass the entire economy.

As more and more people are suffering from social inequality in Korea, the severity of the climate crisis and human rights issues are being raised as a result of the climate crisis. Heat waves that recur every year cause hardship not only to neighbors living in places with poor residential environments but also to workers in places with poor working environments.

When agricultural prices soar due to record-breaking rains and floods, the poor are bound to feel an even greater burden on their livelihoods. The lives of the homeless are threatened by the cold wave. According to the European ‘Environmental Health Inequality’ report published in 2019, among people whose lives are affected by phenomena caused by the climate crisis, the risk of death in the lower-income class is five times higher than in the upper-income class.

The hot summer has begun. He's worried about how to get through this heat. We may be concerned about ourselves, but he thinks it is also a time when we must worry about our neighbors, who are having a hard time protecting their right to live a dignified life. He hopes this will be a summer in which we listen more closely to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”  so that the problems of the marginalized are not pushed out of sight.

Reclusive Loners In Society

In the View from the Ark column of the Catholic Weekly, a religious sister looks at the reclusive loner among Korean teenagers.

Not long ago, she met a teenager in the area who was a reclusive loner.  There is no official data on reclusive loners, but KBS reported that there are 100,000  in Korea and about 15% drop out of school. 40% of those with a history of seclusion began their seclusion in adolescence and the number of potential reclusive loners is considered to be much higher than what the figures indicate.

We see students around us who have lost motivation and even given up on social life. Even among teenagers, we learn through personal counseling that they are experiencing various difficulties (school violence, bullying, abnormalities lack of protection, etc.)  even though it does not seem like a real crisis. Adolescents who experience such difficulties show fear or avoidance of interpersonal relationships.

They spend their days helplessly for no clear reason. They are reluctant to talk to others, and their interpersonal relationships gradually decrease, if this continues, they eventually reach the stage of dropping out of school or choosing isolation. 

Considering that adolescence is a time for various relationship training required for adulthood, this can be considered a very serious problem. These are people who need great courage to face new people, a new world, and themselves.

That's why support is desperately needed for reclusive loners. What is significant among the survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on 8,800 isolated and reclusive young people is that the majority of isolated and reclusive youth and adolescents clearly expressed their intention to join the human family and even made active attempts to do so.

However, the rate of isolation again after attempting 'de-isolation' is 45.6%. The most common reasons were ‘because of lack of money and time,’ ‘because it was difficult and exhausting,’ and ‘because the problem was not solved.’ Among the respondents who did not attempt to break away from isolation, the most common reason was ‘because of lack of information’.

Adolescence is a time when children break free from the dependent relationship with their parents and learn various ways of life through more equal and mutual relationships with friends and others. In particular, since we grow through many rapid changes in various aspects, we need appropriate help to solve the challenges we face in this process. Therefore, peer relationships, social relationships, and experiences during adolescence are important factors in determining whether a person can grow into a healthy adult and adapt well to society.

If we intervene early on in adolescents who show signs of being reclusive loners, wouldn't it be possible to prevent the prolongation of seclusion and enable a successful return to society? Fortunately, the government recently revised the Enforcement Decree of the Youth Welfare Support Act to include support for reclusive youth as targets of the at-risk youth support project.

Once they decide to go out into the world, their anxiety about the unknown world will be unimaginably great. What is most needed is a safe support system and enjoyable and meaningful experience programs that can transform such anxiety into a positive experience.

Reclusive loners often occur due to social and environmental causes that are difficult to attribute responsibility. Therefore, all of us need to detect those who live in seclusion or those who are in situations that could lead to seclusion at an early stage so that they can grow into healthy members of society. It is our role to look around us to see if there are any reclusive teenagers.

Insights on the Future of Artificial Intelligence

The Catholic website Here and Now gives the readers some interesting insights on AI and the future by an author with a doctorate in the field of Sociology who has written books on the digital world in which we live.

As the intellectual capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) continue to advance, the definition of AI is also radically expanding. AI, which was initially thought of as a good tool or useful solution, is now reaching a level where it is recognized as an object similar to humans or with human-like judgment and creativity. The various surprising reactions that have emerged so far are summarized as follows.

*AI as an autonomous agent: This definition considers AI as an independent and autonomous agent, capable of setting goals and acting on its own like humans. This means that AI can evolve into a ‘digital life form’ beyond a simple program.

*AI as a possessor of consciousness and emotions: Some radical definitions claim that AI can have consciousness and emotions. This is the view that AI can form self-awareness, experience emotions, and make ethical decisions through artificial neural networks that operate similarly to the human brain.

* Digital superintelligence: It is believed that AI will have superintelligence, far exceeding human intellectual ability and that this can revolutionize human society. This definition emphasizes the duality of AI, which can both solve humanity's problems and create new ones.

Each definition has problems. When AI emerges that combines robots, drones, and biotechnology, the boundary between AI and humans becomes blurred, so it could even be argued that another definition is needed. Looking at the recent pace of development, this is possible. In fact, related research is in progress in some laboratories.

On the other hand, contrary to these concerns, many scholars have pointed out the limitations of AI. A Science fiction (SF) writer said at a Digital Forum’ held in Seoul, that artificial intelligence has no ‘intention’ and ‘intelligence’  no intention of conveying emotions. Since artificial intelligence without intelligence can only do an inhumane amount of practical work in a short period and nothing more, the term ‘applied statistics’ was suggested instead of ‘artificial intelligence’. In the same forum, another professor said: "Humans can easily figure out which image is the right image with common sense, but in the case of generative artificial intelligence, we do not know which image is actually bad, and it generates many bad examples." Lack of human understanding is a limitation of artificial intelligence.

Amid these different claims and definitions, the European Union (EU) Council last May finally approved the ‘EU Artificial Intelligence Act’, which sets comprehensive rules surrounding AI technology. This law will officially take effect in the 27 EU member states starting this month. Although this law was enacted by the EU, AI itself is a global issue and most countries have common interests in AI use and regulation, so it is likely to become a global standard for overall artificial intelligence in the future. One of the most interesting aspects of EU AI law is the definition of AI. The definition of AI that EU AI and legal experts arrived at after long research and discussion is as follows.

AI system’ means a machine-based System that is designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy.

According to this definition, AI is a system that does not set a goal for itself, but works to a goal set by humans. And a system that can take decisions and act autonomously to a given goal. But this limitation does not guarantee the future of AI. In fact, there are provisions in the EU's artificial intelligence law that are absolutely prohibiting it. For example, subconscious or manipulative, deceptive techniques for distorting human decisions, manipulating behavior, exploiting human vulnerabilities to distort human behaviour, leaking sensitive information based on bio-data, etc., are “prohibited” unless special exceptions are specified. One of the reasons for the prohibition is that current laws and institutions cannot reasonably predict the future of AI.

One of the reasons why AI definitions are so diverse is because no one has a clear definition of intelligence. Intelligence is generally defined as a mental activity or process that is acquired through experience and learning and used to solve problems or make better choices, but this definition cannot fully explain intelligence. Nevertheless, the word or concept of ‘intelligence’ has been used without any problems in real life and academic fields until now, but with the advent of artificial intelligence, it became a topic of controversy as it became necessary to distinguish the difference between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. Ultimately, the focus of the debate is on the question of how to distinguish between human intelligence and artificial intelligence, which can then be reframed as the question of what is the difference between humans and artificial intelligence.

Here, we learn that the starting point of the debate is the recognition that artificial intelligence has perfect or near-perfect production capabilities and the learning ability that makes such production possible. Until now, only humans had this level of ability, but the writer was shocked to see something new appear. However, unlike artificial intelligence, real humans are neither perfect nor have near-perfect production capabilities. Always dissatisfied with the present and anxious about the future. 

Although there may be differences in degree, most people live with some degree of dissatisfaction— depression. This unstable psychological state sometimes leads to artistic creative activities and sometimes becomes the foundation of spirituality. It can lead to compassion for less fortunate neighbors, or it can become a will to dedicate one's life to the community. Here is an essential difference that AI does not have. In no case does AI get depressed. Now, we need to abandon our excessive obsession with ‘intelligence’ and think about depressed humans and non-depressed AI. What is needed now is a time for reflection.

Existence Is Not Illegal

 

In the View from the Ark Column of the Catholic Times, a pastor gives the readers some help understanding Human Rights in Korea.

According to the “2023 Human Rights Awareness Survey Report” published by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea early this year, the response that their human rights are respected recorded 86.5%, down 1.9 percentage points from the previous year for the first time in an upward trend since 2019. The response that human rights across society are respected has declined since 2021, reaching 71.0%, while the reaction that the human rights of the socially disadvantaged and minorities are respected was only 50.3%, a decrease from last year. 

The results of a detailed investigation into whether human rights were respected for socially disadvantaged and minority groups showed that women's human rights were the highest at 81.2%, and immigrants' human rights were the lowest at 36.7%.

In particular, immigrants accounted for 14.9% and refugees 7.3% as targets of hate speech. Fortunately, the figure for refugees decreased by 3.6% compared to last year, but the figure for immigrants remained almost the same as last year. The numbers for women (31.2%), people with disabilities (27.6%), and the elderly (22.2%) may seem low compared to immigrants and refugees, but possibly due to a lack of attention to immigrants and refugees.

Fundamentally, hate speech originates from the unjust judgment that immigrants and refugees are inferior beings consisting of expressions that demean them based on their skin color, nationality, appearance, etc. There are also cases where hate speech leads to discrimination and even violence against them. To counter this, Amnesty International has been running the "Silence Hate" project since 2018, seeking ways to confront hate speech through education and discussion.

Terms commonly used in our daily lives begin to embody discrimination and exclusion, turning into hate speech. The most representative term is "multicultural". This word refers to "families composed of people with different nationalities, races, or cultures," but in Korean society, it has been commonly used to refer to families where Koreans have married migrants. However, despite the increasing trend of multicultural families, our society's capacity to accept immigrants has not been strengthened, leading to the term being degraded into an expression of discrimination and even hate. 

From the perspective of discrimination and exclusion, the term considered most problematic is "illegal overstayer." According to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary, illegal stay means "staying in another country without following proper procedures or beyond the allowed period." Using the antonym of legal, and illegal, to express a situation where legal residency qualifications are not obtained may not seem like a big deal. However, illegal stay and illegal overstayers have completely different contexts. The former refers to the legality of residency qualifications, while the latter degrades the existence of a human being to illegality.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has pointed out this context and recommended in 2018, following the usage of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to change the term "illegal immigrant" to "undocumented immigrant," and currently, activists related to immigrants and refugees are also using the term "undocumented immigrant."

Christianity confesses and believes that God created humans in His image, similar to Himself, and proclaims that all human existence is dignified. In the eyes of Christians, 'existence cannot be illegal'. Nevertheless, it is the reality of Korean society that the term "illegal overstayer" can still be seen and heard frequently in newspaper articles and videos. We Christians, at least, hope and wish that we can strive to create a society where the dignity of human existence is respected by avoiding expressions of discrimination, exclusion, and hate, including this term.

Visiting An Enemy Cemetery—

 

A Brother of the Taizé Community in his Catholic Times column gives us a meditation on seeing a documentary of a Shaman taking her disciples to the 'Enemy  Cemetery' in Paju Korea where she performed a ritual to console the souls of the North Korean soldiers who died during the Korean War.

The shaman danced tirelessly from morning until dusk, visiting many graves with great effort. As darkness fell, the shaman, now in a trance, began to spout the angry curses of the soldiers. Then, a boy's voice cried "Mother!" The wailing of the young soldier, filled with injustice, sorrow, pain, and longing, lingered in his ears for some time.

The 'Enemy Cemetery' located in Paju City, is now called the 'North Korean Military Cemetery'. The remains of 437 Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, who were once at the same site, have all been repatriated after March 2014, leaving only their tombstones. The North Korean soldiers' gravestones are marked with names, ranks, dates, and places of death, though many are unnamed. 'Armed guerillas' dispatched to the South at various times, including during the January 21st Incident, are also buried here. The recent graves, marked only with numbers and no names or places, are presumed to be those of North Korean soldiers who died during infiltration incidents. 

For several years the Diocese of Uijeongbu has been offering Mass at the cemetery during All Souls’ Month. When Mass was offered conservative groups would come and protest and demonstrate. "Why do we pray for North Korean soldiers, our enemies?" 

“Ah, how can we forget this day / The day when our country was trampled by our enemies / We blocked the enemies with our bare fists and red blood / The day we stamped our feet and hit the ground and trembled with righteous indignation… ”

Our generation sang the June 25 song countless times when we were young, and we still clearly remember the lyrics and melody. The enemy in the song was none other than our fellow countrymen and brothers. 

As time passed and the situation changed, the enemy came to be referred to again as fellow countrymen, compatriots, and people. Movements for inter-Korean reconciliation occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, and several inter-Korean summits were held in the 2000s. However, peace, coexistence, reconciliation, and cooperation remain only a distant echo, and the North and South are once again growling like enemies and using the language of blackmail and threats. North Korea again remains the main enemy.

War exposes the most barbaric and bestial characteristics of humans, dehumanizing both themselves and their opponents. Perhaps hatred and revenge are more primitive human emotions than forgiveness and reconciliation. 

Looking at Korean society, the wounds and trauma of war seem to be passed down from generation to generation unbeknown to most. Wounds have not been properly healed— the language of hate is spewed at brothers and neighbors, dialogue is cut off, and camp logic is strengthened.

What can Christians on this earth do to change this terrible reality of confrontation and hatred? How can we become ‘wounded healers’ to break free from the shackles of the past in which we were both victims and perpetrators and be open to a common future?