hankyoreh

The Ministry of Defense has labeled educational books, best sellers and even the work of great global scholars as “seditious material” and ordered the Army, Navy and Air Force to confiscate them. The ministry, even after this instruction became an issue, said it would continue to classify such works as seditious. That labeling books as “seditious” is still rampant is surprising; to act if nothing’s wrong is even sorrier.

If you look at the list of “seditious books” composed by the military’s security department, it seems the military is lowering its understanding of seditious to quite a bit lower than that of society at large. Cambridge University Professor Ha-Joon Chang’s “Bad Samaritans,” classified as anti-government and anti-American, has been selected as “Book of the Year” by several media outlets. It is an economic text for the general public whose Korean and English editions are both best sellers. Hyeon Gi-yeong’s novel “A Spoon on Earth,” labeled a pro-North Korean work, has been recommended in the broadcast media and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. “Year 501: The Conquest Continues,” classified as an anti-government and anti-American work, is a book by the great international scholar Noam Chomsky. Even university textbooks are on the list.

If things like designating books that countless people read as seditious material continue, the distance between society and the military will grow. As the knowledge and understanding of the military grows distant, it will find it difficult to maintain harmonious relations with various other social groups. The difference could, at the slightest slip, develop into misunderstandings and conflict. For young people spending two years in the military to lose the opportunity to develop their diversity, creativity and critical ability is also a problem. It’s impossible to justify such a disadvantage just because it’s the military.

The Ministry of Defense’s guideline is even more dangerous because its trying to force the logic of the current administration. In the case of “Bad Samaritans,” the ministry said it classified it as seditious because it criticizes the current administration’s economic policies, such as globalization and privatizing public corporations.

For someone other than yourself to decide what you must read, what you must listen to and what you must watch is censorship. This is an anti-intellectual and barbaric act committed by totalitarian nations and military dictatorships. The military must cease this regressive measure.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]