The new Year has come. The Year 2005 can be viewed from opposing viewpoints: it is the 60th anniversary of our independence from Japanese occupation as well as the division of the Korean peninsula. And it is the Year of the Rooster, which has been considered as the animal that ushers in the dawn and opens the day................................

 Toward a Newly Changed Society

   The New Year has come. The year 2005 can be viewed from opposing viewpoints: it is the 60^th anniversary of our independence from Japanese occupation as well as the division of the Korean peninsula. Also it is the Year of the Rooster, which has been considered as the animal that ushers in the dawn and opens the day. The Chonnam Tribune met three people together whose zodiac animal is the rooster to talk about the present time and the future of Korea. One of the guests is Lee Kang-lae (professor of Dep. of Korean History) who was born in 1957. The rest of them are Park Choel (junior in Medical school) and Lee Hwa-jung (senior, Dep. of Administration), who were born in 1981. –Ed.

Reporter: Before entering into regular conversation, I’d like to ask a soft question. Last year, there were a lot of events. Some made us happy like winning the gold medal in the Olympics. Others made us confused. Without question, one of the biggest events was the impeachment of the President. Also, the beheading of a South Korean hostage named Kim Sun-il by an Islamic group in June made us miserable and helpless. What do you think is the most memorable event of last year?

Park Cheol: Most of all, I think, the impeachment of President Roh is the most outstanding.

I could learn the importance of open mindedness from it because some groups, which are sometimes far away from public opinion, tried to turn irrationality into common sense in vain.

Lee Hwa-jung: I think the problem of Kim Sun-il shouldn’t have come to an end in that way. Looking through the mass media, I became aware that the whole nation could be fatally damaged because of the wrongfully determined policy. I felt so disappointed about the helpless reaction of the Roh administration.

Lee Kang-lae: You may remember the debate concerning the Chinese government's distortion of history to claim the ancient Kingdom of Koguryo as a part of its territory.

The year 2004 was the time when Koguryo opened the dawn of history about 2000 years ago. Although this issue came to a temporary conclusion by adding the Kingdom to UNESCO’s world heritage list in June, it’s not the end and more disputes will take place.

Reporter: According to the latest economic indicators like the unemployment rate or the rate of economic growth, our economic condition is normal. However, the angry voices, that urgently claim that we are becoming even worse off than during the IMF period, are widespread in our society.  This is because economic polarization is still deeper than before. What is the solution to overcome this problem?

Lee Hwa-jung: It is critical to close the gap in economic polarization between financial conglomerates and small– or medium-sized businesses. To improve the problem, small- or medium-sized enterprises should be fostered at the level of government, and the social contributions of big companies should be institutionalized.

Lee Kang-lae: I think the phenomenon that 20% of the society occupies 80% of the total wealth can be said to promote the economic polarization. This phenomenon inevitably brings about the destruction of our society which is connected by human networks such as affection, trust and so on. The absolute proposition that individuals should come before the right of property should be realized. Also, we should perceive the obligation to distribute resources equally among people.

Park Cheol: Nowadays, this trend has become a tendency that has spread all over the world. However, it contains many problems. In particular, we should pay attention to the lack of social welfare system in our society. To build this infrastructure, the government should impose additional taxes on big companies. Also, I think the young promote economic polarization. Their conservative ideas in pursuit of stability will make the job market more rigid. It is necessary for the young to recover their challenging spirit.

Reporter: The relationship between South and North Korea is one of the most important issues. Considering the reelection of Bush, what do you think the Korean government should prepare to cope with?

Lee Kang-lae: This is fundamentally just a national problem between South and North Korea. Thus, I think the reelection of Bush doesn’t have an influence on the relationship between South and North Korea. Although I can’t exactly predict what phases will unfold on the Korean peninsula during Bush’s second term, they will try to make policies primarily depending on the principle of the benefit to the U.S. What we have to prepare to cope with is breaking the current dependent relationship we have with the U.S., while at the same time nourishing co-prosperity and trust with North Korea through the promotion of exchange at the level of non-governmental circles.

Lee Hwa-jung: We must prevent North Korea from being isolated in the international community. The world calls the North a wicked country, even part of an “axis of evil” as Bush commented. We need to help North Korea to change their notorious image.

Park Cheol: I agree with the view of Professor Lee. In addition, we will need to strengthen our national power in order to be independent from the surrounding Powers ultimately. Power springs from nationalism, I think.

Reporter: The conflict between the conservative force and progressive groups seemed to be even deeper last year. In particular, 4 Reform Bills made these groups confront each other. To solve the conflict effectively, what approaches can we employ?

Park Cheol: I wonder if there are real conservative forces in our country because they don’t fight for the identification of conservatism in terms of political philosophy and theory, but instead strive only to protect their established rights. The reason why this situation happens is because of the influence of anti-communist ideology. To make changes in this conflict, more discussions are required.

Lee Hwa-jung: The conservative forces usually belong to the class of vested rights. However, most people in this social class do not understand the conservatives’ insistence. It is not proper that the government should not sit on the fence the matter, which is for social minorities and the public interest.  A determined decision is required to give faith to the nation.

Lee Kang-lae: The method to solve this matter is not a formal compromise but a pursuit of what is right. There is no justification to oppose the work which investigates and reveals the previous history, such as our ethnic nationals like Yoon Dong-joo being left for dead in the jails of foreign countries. Recalling the spectacle of parliament on Dec 30, there were many people who struggled in below-freezing temperatures to make a statement concerning the abolition of the National Security Law.  The lawmakers, however, made a compromise to put off passing the bill. After an agreement, they celebrated a happy New Year by shaking hands with each other, hypocritically. It is high time that we should finally suppress their immorality.

Reporter: Given the Chinese government's distortion of Korean history, Koizumi’s visit to the Yasukuni shrine, the territorial disputes over Dok-do Island, or the relations with the U.S., diplomatic policy seems to be quite inferior compared to economic power. What is the reason for this? And also, what is the way to enhance diplomacy?

Lee Kang-lae:  This issue exists because the Korean peninsula is separated into two countries. China is the only channel to contact with North Korea. Thus, standing against them means suffering a big loss in going after a small gain. This aspect will remain the same until reunification. The division defines the absurdity in our society.

Park Cheol: I think the economic structure in Korea makes our voice weak in the international community. According to the statistics, our degree of dependence on foreign trade is nearly 80%. So, it is necessary to construct a self-supporting economic system by strengthening domestic consumption.

Lee Hwa-jung: I agree with the view of Professor Lee. Neighboring countries take advantage of the divided Peninsula. If the two Koreas had already reunified into one, we could avoid feeling mortified.

Reporter: It is already a decided fact that the city of Gwangju will be created as a culture-centered city. However, there are many skeptics who expressed doubts about the methods. What is your opinion about how to successfully make Gwangju a culture-centered city? 

Lee Hwa-jung: After the announcement of this policy, many cultural events including the film festival, feast, and so on were held. However, these events produced unexpected side effects owing to the lack of participation. We should have self-confidence about Gwangju and participate in the project with patience and affection.

Park Cheol: The population of Gwangju was recorded as 1.4 million last year. Compared to the national capital region, it is illogical for Gwangju to make equivalent effects in view of the standard of cultural quality. First of all, Gwangju should raise the industrial infrastructure to create population inflow. Ultimately, it will lead to increased economic power in this region.

Lee Kang-lae: We can afford to answer the question about why the culture-centered city ought to be Gwangju. In this context, it is necessary to have culture as an attitude that people can enjoy and appreciate during cultural events. To analyze local feelings, Gwangju has had the reputation as being a city of anti-government sentiments in its political positions. As well, it is a town whose people are known to seek change with creativity. For example, the Democratic Uprising of May 18 provided the society with a new paradigm, marking an epoch in modern history. The disputes about the origin of the Dong-hak Revolution or the Student Uprising are evidence for representing Gwangju citizen’s maturity for democratization. It is important for Gwangju citizens to hold in common this resource.

At the beginning of the New Year, the conversation at the meeting was a little bit serious. It’s proof to the contrary that society has many negative factors. At the same time, it implies we have many things to work on in the future. In 2005, beginning with the rooster’s loud cry, we hope to see Korea broadening its horizons in the world.

 [#264 Cover Story-Happy New People]