Newsletter

Walking is all the rage these days. It is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your body and mind healthy. Just put one foot in front of the other, and you will move forward. Walking steadily in one direction will bring anyone back to where they started, because the world is round. As time goes by, everything in the world will go round and round, too.

People go through one thing after another in their lives, and their experience is not much different from that of those who came before them. The same goes for what society goes through, given that it is an organization of people. It is true what they say about learning from the past or learning from history. Those who forget the past have no future. Coming back to walking in one direction, you will pass through different countries in the process, first in the neighborhood, like China or Japan, and then oceans away, like the United States, Germany, or France. Maybe Iran or Russia, too. But can you imagine walking through these countries thinking of nothing but yourself and not understanding what is going on there? A safe return home wouldn't ensured without learning about these countries and closely watching the development of relationships among them.

Korea and Japan are clashing over certain historical issues concerning, for example, Dokdo and the Japanese military sexual slavery during wartime. Their views are irreconcilable, even though what happened is a fact, and facts, by definition, are indisputable. Why there has to be a difference in opinion and thought, or strife over the one and only truth? It was this question that reminded me of the simple maxim: Learn from history.

Conscientious scholars worldwide, regardless of their nationality, are calling on the Japanese government to address and deal with these issues with responsibility, because the Japanese military sexual slavery is not just an issue concerning Korean women, but an indisputable fact of history. If it wasn't, the former 'comfort women' whose days are numbered couldn't give such vivid and heart-wrenching testimonies. Still, Japan is claiming that its government had nothing to do with it, even denying its previous governments' perception of history.

They may claim, and even believe, that it wasn't their government's doing. But that does not change the fact that the crimes were committed. Those who raise historical issues are not asking to undo the crimes committed against humanity. That would be to ask for the impossible. It is a sincere apology and responsible actions that they ask for. By mustering the courage to face the past for what it is and deal with it, we could perhaps stop ourselves from repeating past mistakes and move toward a better future.

'Learning from History' Is As Essential to Us As It is to Others

"Learn from history" is a maxim that applies not only to other countries but also to our own. We must learn and understand history properly. We must remember why we were powerless when Japan had invaded and occupied our land, and suffered under oppression as a result. This is not to develop hatred, but to lead an independent and peaceful life and make it better. To that end, we must face our own history and have a correct knowledge of it, as much as, and even more than, we urge others to look back on theirs.

Another thing to remember is that we need knowledge about other countries and a keen insight into the workings of the international community. Countries around the world are in need of another, but, at the same time, they are in an endless competition. While the world is going global, a new nationalism is lurking in dark corners, waiting to come to the fore. World economies are closely intertwined, and countless people moving from country to country. Companies from a certain country establish their business in another country and hire locals to make products to sell to a third country.

At a time when all of these things are happening, neglecting to watch the world and predict what is to come is like doing nothing about new threats when they emerge. In the past when the Korean seas were infested with Japanese pirates and the Korean people suffered as a consequence, Korean troops were sent to conquer the base of Japanese pirates on Tsushima Island, only to be withdrawn when they were given nothing more than the promise that measures would be taken to stop the Japanese pirates from coming to the Korean shores. Apparently the Korea people were not interested in bothering other countries unless they bothered us first. But in the world today, we cannot afford to keep our focus on ourselves even if no challenge from the outside is clearly in sight. For instance, if the foreign company's wearable device becomes a hit, it means that the domestic companies will sell less, and, therefore, our people will make less money.

Don't Be Too Preoccupied with Domestic Affairs to Miss What Goes on in the World

Therefore, we must know well about other countries, whether they are in our neighborhood or oceans away. Furthermore, we must also watch and understand what is going on in the world. That will allow us to live in peace and according to our will. I don't mean that domestic affairs should be taken lightly. What I mean to say is that we should not be too preoccupied with domestic affairs to look outward and see what is going on in the world.

We also need to understand that the issues of international politics, trade, and human rights are invariably linked to international law. Instead of using force to achieve their interests as they did in the past, countries today try to maximize their interests through the interpretation and application of international law. That is why the world powers, like the United States and China, are strengthening international law education. But Korea is moving in the opposite direction, neglecting international law and forgetting that it is for the protection of the core interests of the nation and its people. Korea adopts up to 100 international conventions each year within the scope of which domestic law should be applied, but knowledge about international law is not required of prospective lawyers in this country.

Learn history and understand the international community properly. Remember that these two are not separate tasks but the foundation for ensuring peace and prosperity in this country and the lives of its people. In this respect, I think that the Northeast Asian History Foundation is entrusted with noble missions, and highly applaud its effort in carrying them out faithfully. And let me stress once again that it is the duty of all of us to show interest and participate in those missions.