The History Struggle 역사투쟁

How the Red Scare in our country oppresses an independent perspective, especially our recent past, is violent. Junhee Jung describes that South Korea goes through a history struggle역사투쟁, the conflict in writing our modern history (2023, 1:32:10). There have been several moments in the recent decades where South Korea’s conservative administrations changed the textbook used in public schools because the previous version was “left-leaning,” “pro-North Korea,” or “anti-American” (An et al., 2013, p. 57). All my interviewees emphasized how they have experienced a change in the atmosphere of our country’s society whenever conservative government, directly and indirectly, sensors history contents on study materials. Our country’s closeness and sharing sentiments with the US brings a challenge in accurately defining and remembering historical figures or events, especially massacres, tragedies, and economic events in Korea, where the US was heavily involved.

Until now, our society still clashes over defining historical events and figures, especially when defining the roots and origins of modern Korea. As South Korean conservatives were found by external forces such as the US and the UN, they see Rhee Syngman and the US as the origins of the modern age of our country. This brings our country a conflict over the Jeju April 3rd Uprising and Massacre from 1948, which left one-third of the Jeju population then killed by the Korean and US military for resisting and protesting against Rhee’s government and the US military in 1947. The conservatives in South Korea have argued that this was a false event fabricated by the North communists to agitate and weaken the South Korean government, while the liberals, acknowledging this event as true, have apologized to the population in Jeju, and asked our public to remember the victims. This shows the difference in the left and right wings’ interpretation of America’s role in modern Korean history.

South Korea had a Beef Crisis in 2008. Our former President Lee Myung-bak lifted all restrictions regarding American beef import when a series of dairy cows in the US were diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease, and South Korean society, upset about how our conservative government gave up our country’s food security, held candlelight protests for months as forms of resistance. It was later found out how our country’s three largest conservative press – Chosun Ilbo, JungAng Daily, and DongA Ilbo – had unofficially met up with the US ambassador in Seoul constantly to discuss the South Korean public opinion through a release of classified US documents. In 2008, the US Ambassador had written in his report to the US Department of State that he had spoken with the general managers of the three largest Korean press, where they promised him that they “won’t let the public opinion sway to blame the US like the last time,” which they were referring to another large South Korean protest criticizing US military on driving over two middle school female students with their armored vehicles, leaving the two bodies killed (Uhm, 2011, p. 79). The conservatives have constantly framed this MCD as a rumor, and the crowd participating in the protest were pro-North Korean activists who got orders from the North and try to weaken the alliance between South Korea and the US.