Moo-Young Han
Editor-in-Chief
KASTN, IEKAS and KAF
Professor of Physics
Duke University
Featured in IEKAS 99-14 (No. 113) April 9, 1999
The book, "Criticism on Korea and Koreans" by Mamoru Ikehara, not only stirred up the conscience of domestic Koreans, but also aroused some of the deepest emotions among the readers of this newsletter. Ever since we first reported on the book [Korea Lags Behind Japan by 100 Years, IEKAS 99-07, 2/19/99], the subject generated a dozen or so Letters to the Editor, published in IEKAS over the past several weeks, lamenting on the decay of moral fibers in the contemporary Korean society.
On the issue of how the society must begin to change many opinions have been expressed, ranging from "Korean mothers cannot change their ways of educating their young until the society at large changes fundamentally" to "the society is none other than all of us and each one of us must begin to change at the grass root level," each view with its own merit of truth.
It is certainly true that, under the crushing tidal wave of social malaise, a lone individual - a Korean mother, a bus driver, a junior government official, or a young faculty member - cannot even fathom the idea of changing the whole society. That things can begin to change only if the whole society fundamentally change is a refrain that is often spoken and heard of. But, of course, the society cannot by itself and overnight, at the swing of a magic wand, change miraculously - integrity over corruption, honesty over cheating, merits over bribes, compassion over selfishness, kindness over rudeness, courtesy over inconsideration of others, and respect of others over mean-spiritness to each other. The fundamental change, if it is to begin to occur at all, must start with the segment of the society that can most effectively address the issue.
About a year ago, there was an article in one of the Korean dailies about a woman school teacher who returned the envelopes containing money - all too accepted and established standard - back to the parent of a student. Did it lead to any widespread movement of similar actions by other school teachers? Of course not. Completely washed up by the tidal wave of the maligned social force, the story was quickly and completely forgotten. We often wonder what might have happened to her. Ostracized and maybe even punished by her peers?
Then there were reports of a cabinet minister, a Minister of Education at that, and in another case a President of the Seoul National University involved in the scandal of after-school tutoring of their children, an illegal act. When the highest ranking official of the land in charge of nation's education or the person who heads the highest office of the most prestigious university succumbs to the temptation of putting the narrow interest of their immediate family members over the ills of the society, can we really blame ordinary Korean mothers for going to any length to enhance the chance of success of their offspring by whatever means necessary - illegal tutoring, all manner of bribes to teachers, and drilling into their children all the mean-spiritness that they perceive to be indispensable prerequisite for success?
Yes, the society must begin to fundamentally change. Yes, it must begin by individuals at the grass-root level. But, in order to be effective, we must dissect the society and zero in on the segment most responsible. The answer is all too obvious once one sets sight. Half the Koreans can be excused right off the bat and it is the women. As a group, they do not hold leadership and influential positions in the Korean society. Next we can excuse younger groups of males, babies on up to early thirties. In the same vein, let us cut out older males in the age group, say, seventy and beyond. What remains is the group who are constantly shaping the norms of the society and most responsible for creating all its malaise. Yes, indeed. We are talking about men in the age group mid-thirties to mid-sixties, who hold the leadership positions in all sectors of the society.
Who are they? In the central government, we can begin from the very top - President, cabinet ministers, all the directors and bureau chiefs. The list is a long one. National assembly members, political party leaders, judges, prosecutors and lawyers, provincial governors and the provincial government higher-ups, university presidents, senior and midlevel professors, school teachers, high-ranking officers in the armed forces, high-ranking officers in the national police, leadership class in business, chaebol families, leaders in the financial and labor sectors, and so on. The list is by no means exhaustive but only indicative.
When the higher-ups promote underlings based on bribes, when institutions of higher learning confer doctoral degrees to those bureaucrats controlling research funds, when senior professors misappropriate research funds for personal use, when so many at higher-up positions think nothing of fabricating fake receipts, when research papers carry several ghost authors in order to increase each other's number of publications, and when virtually every sector of the society runs on the money culture, can we really expect younger members of the society not to learn from - and even surpass - their senior's evil ways? Of course not.
Yes, the society must change fundamentally and the change must start individually at the grass-root level. But, it must begin with the leadership class of the society, top down. A president of a university sets a higher standard, even at a personal loss, and his professors may follow his example and students in turn learn from them. The change must begin at the top and trickle its way down.
How can such a sea change be initiated? By passing new rules and legislation? Most certainly not. Morality and character cannot be legislated. By overseas ethnic Korean intellectuals telling domestic Koreans how to do it? Most assuredly not. By establishing a new code of conduct? That is a laugh. By establishing a committee of the so-called Second Nation Building? Very doubtful. If a committee and a set of codes can change the deep seated ills of the Korean society, that could have been done long ago.
How can such a sea change truly begin? It must come from within. From within the collective souls of the Korean adult men in leadership class. It must come from within themselves. Each individual member of this class must do soul searching and come to realize that their individual acts set an example and standard for millions to follow. From self-awareness, self-realization, self-assessment and self-motivation they must lead the society to higher standards.
If such change can start from within the ranks of the Korean adult male leadership, there is a glimmer of hope that one day Korean society may start on its way to becoming an enlightened and advanced society. If they cannot, then, sadly, any such hope would be GONE WITH THE RAINBOW.
[ED. A word on the title.]
Rainbows disappearing from Seoul
There hasn't been a rainbow in the skies of Seoul for more than three years since October 1995, according to the Korea Meteorological Agency. A weatherman said the rarity of rainbows was due to the city's heavy pollution. Rainbows occur when sunlight is refracted off rain drops. "The bigger the raindrops, the more visible the rainbow is," said Prof. Yim Kyu-ho of Seoul National University. "It is difficult to see a rainbow in Seoul because raindrops have become smaller due to worsening air pollution," he added.