Are we in a civil war now? Many Koreans would say "Yes" without hesitation. Since the Roh administration triggered the war six years ago, South Korea has been engaged in a never-ending battle of ideologies. One year has already passed since the launch of the Lee administration, and yet the war between the Left and the Right continues, flooding every nook and cranny of our country. Indeed, never before has South Korea been torn like this since the Korean War.
For example, our secondary schools are still a turbulent political battlefield where Leftist teachers from the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers` Union doggedly fight against non-members and school authorities. And like helpless hostages, innocent students are often caught in the crossfire. At universities, faculty members are divided as radical or conservative, anti-American or pro-American, and for or against the candlelight demonstrations. At home, progressive sons revolt against their fathers, condemning their ideologies as hopelessly obsolete. These days, even the younger generations, divided by the so-called "386 generation" and the "silk generation" (those who are in their twenties), are antagonizing each other like cats and dogs.
Meanwhile, the media is at war as well. Currently, the South Korean media is split into two: conservative vs. radical, or rightwing vs. leftwing. Oftentimes, different papers give drastically different reports of the same issue, leaving readers quite confused. Young Koreans, who think of themselves as progressives, only read radical news sources like Hankyoreh or OhMyNews, whereas older people primarily read conservative newspapers such as Chosun, Dong-A or Joong-Ang. This results in a chasm between the two opposing groups that tears the country apart.
Politicians are even worse. In spite of the unprecedented financial crisis we now face, their immediate concern is not of how to overcome the crisis, but rather how to win skirmishes for political gain. Lawmakers from opposition parties` act like carnivorous animals, attacking their counterparts in the ruling party who they see as meek, vulnerable prey. Needless to say, it is the ordinary people who suffer the most from the negligence and incompetence of our politicians who play golf overseas in order to replenish their energy so that they could smash the door of the National Assembly building to sabotage urgent bills that must be passed.
As one professor recently diagnosed, South Korea indeed seems to be in a civil war these days. We used to call the Korean War "the 6/25 Civil War," for we thought it was an internal brawl between brothers. It then might not be going too far to say that the current situation in South Korea also resembles a civil war. Only this time, we are fighting a battle without guns and artillery. But radical ideologies are equally lethal; they will silently cause our society to deteriorate and eventually annihilate our civilization on this peninsula. Meanwhile, we are vulnerable to the threats from a hostile neighboring country that presumably possesses nuclear weapons.
The more serious problem is that we do not seem to realize the grave predicament that undermines our society. The futuristic movie, "Impostor," an adaptation of Phillip K. Dick`s sci-fi story, well illustrates this compelling situation. In 2079, the earth is at war with an alien species that attempts to dominate humankind. Once day, Spencer Olham, a prominent scientist who is affiliated with a government research lab, is suddenly accused of being an alien "replica" spy. While trying to prove his innocence, Spencer becomes a fugitive. At the end of the movie, an astonishing truth is revealed; not only Spencer, but also his wife, Maya, turn out to be "replica" spies that the alien force has sent to the earth.
The appalling thing is that the replica of Spencer firmly believes that he really is Spencer, not a spy from the outer space, up till the moment he discovers the body of the real Spencer. He does not realize that he carries a bomb in his body to assassinate a VIP. Who knows? Maybe we, too, have many brainwashed replicas in our society who also carry time bombs in their bodies like Spencer and yet, do not realize their true identity. When the time is up and the ticking finally stops, we may all be destroyed by the devastating blast.
Although a nation with a promising future, South Korea will not prosper and flourish if she is dragged into a civil war of ideologies. Recently, we were greatly encouraged by the success of our nation`s companies overseas. Hyundai`s Genesis has just been selected as the Car of the Year in the North American International Motor Show. And LG Display has been selected to supply LCD panels for Apple computers for the next five years. Why, then, are we wasting our energy on ideological warfare?" Let us now put an end to the civil war. Let us keep in mind a warning from an eminent historian: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.
Kim Seong-kon is a professor of English at Seoul National University and a literary critic. - Ed.
[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]
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