Singapore and North Korea(2) / Institutionalization

In Korea, which experienced the Choseon Dynasty and Japanese rule, civic consciousness did not grow easily. In a broad sense, the birth of the Park Chung-hee military government and the pro-democracy movement against it were inevitable.

 

When I was young, Korean society was not completely institutionalized yet. At that time, the Park Chung-hee administration played the song of the Saemaul Undong(a campaign to create a new town) on its speakers every morning to awaken the people’s consciousness. I can’t forget those days. And soon after, the nation was shaken by the fatigue of long-term rule and the aging of its leader. And I can’t forget that the pro-democracy movement took place to correct the situation.

 

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has long-term power, and has grown people’s citizenship through a system called strong legislation. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew did not let authority arise from force and personal charisma like President Park Chung-hee did. As British lawyer, he left the role to the system (especially the law), and he pursued the public interest thoroughly. Therefore, Singapore’s law is strong.

 

I saw and learned more than any other university during the three and a half years of Japanese occupation of Singapore. At that time I still didn’t understand Mao Zedong saying that power comes from the gun. However, experiencing the brutality and force of the Japanese army, I witnessed for sure what determined the superior and the servant, what made them obey and even more loyal.

 

-omission -

 

The final stage of colonization is to allow locals to accept the ethnic superiority and domination of the Japanese as a natural course of nature. If Japan had time to spare, it would have succeeded.

 

-omission -

 

However, there were exceptions. Koreans have not stopped resisting since Japan began to rule. Japan tried to destroy Korean customs, culture, and language, but Koreans protested against barbaric oppressors with firm determination. Japan has killed countless Koreans, but has never defeated their souls.

 

However, it was rare for Koreans. Taiwan, which had been ruled by China, Portugal, the Netherlands and Japan in turn, did not resist them much. And if Japan continued to dominate Singapore and Malaya, they would probably have succeeded in colonizing it as they did in Taiwan in 50 years.

 

- [ The Singapore Story] by Lee Kuan Yew -

Double translation

 

When I think about it, I hated the sense of authority that occurred in the workplace from my youth. The older generations of Korea were unwittingly imitating the military government’s leader. Everyone wanted to be a king of some degree. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has developed a sense of civic consciousness through the system for Singaporeans, which is to be praised.

 

It would be hard to expect sudden democratization in North Korea. North Korea has a strong sense of pride and negative feelings toward Japan for quite some time. As I have felt in South Korea for quite a long time, there will be many people in North Korea who who are tamed by strong government. Such people can interfere with the growth of civic consciousness because their views are vertical and powerful. This is especially true given the fact that the vestiges of authority, including the prosecution, last for quite a long time in Korea.

 

Chairman Kim Jung-un the new generation, may have the advantage of not learning the ‘bad things’ of the old generation. If North Korea reforms, I think the Singapore model is the best. First of all, the North Korea should focus on reforming the system, including laws(especially commercial laws and tax laws). The reason why the nation continues to be healthy despite the occasional collapse of unreasonable leaders in Korea may be because of the solidly established system.