hankyoreh

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The cries that shook this country 51 years ago have once again bloomed as vivid blood red azaleas and stained the landscape scarlet.

We lower our heads with shame-filled hearts before the spirits of those who shed their blood on the altar of democracy that day. But it is difficult to lift those heads again in the face of a turbid morass of anti-democracy and anti-human rights that remains as thoroughgoing as ever.

The images of the April 19 Revolution, which seemed to grow more and more strange with each passing year, are even more unfamiliar in 2011. Now we are witnessing the bizarre spectacle of the First Korean President Dr. Syngman Rhee Memoral Foundation declaring out of the blue that it is apologizing to those slain on April 19 and their family members and insisting that the apology be accepted. Meanwhile, the anti-democratic media are unreasonably insisting that the apology be accepted so that the so-called “founding forces” and “April 19 democracy forces” can reconcile their differences. Without so much as a hint of reflection or introspection over historical offenses to be found, it is natural that their motives would be questioned.

After summoning reporters, rather than surviving family members, to announce their planned statement, the foundation attempted to recite it at the April 19 National Cemetery before being chased away by family members of the deceased. From this attempt to announce an apology as though doing some sort of kindness, there is no other way to interpret the move except as an attempt to pour salt on the wounds of surviving family members. More breathtaking still was the unscrupulous behavior of certain news outlets, which cited the foundation in pushing for insincere apologies and reconciliation and the rehabilitation of collaborators with the Japanese empire and dictatorship.

These groups have, since the Lee Myung-bak administration came into office, been stubbornly trying to venerate the gang of Rhee Syngman as founding forces, for example by changing the Independence Day holiday to “Foundation Day.” When this did not go as hoped, they decided this time around to insist on reconciliation between the founding forces and democracy advocates. Not only is this not a reconciliation that they can be shoved into, but one has to ask who would agree to posthumous recognition of Rhee Syngman as a founding father.

As is stated in the Preamble of the Constitution, the cornerstone for the founding of the republic was the Provisional Government in Shanghai. During his time as president of this government, Rhee was impeached for offenses such as dereliction of duty and misappropriation of public funds. Rather than helping the Provisional Government, he merely brought it chaos.

After Liberation, he either ostracized or assassinated the leading Provisional Government figures who could truly be called the fathers of the republic. He forcibly dismantled the Special Investigation Committee for Anti-National Activities and joined forces with collaborationist pawns. The hopes of the Korean people to establish an autonomous and independent state based in democratic republican government were brutally dashed. Even after the formation of the government, he trampled willfully over constitutional government and human rights. In so doing, his group hoped to establish a “Rhee Syngman dynasty.” Park Chung-hee later followed along in their footsteps.

The April 19 Revolution represented students and citizens rising up as one against this and staining the altar of history with their blood. It is simply unbelievable to hear who they believe the founding forces of this country really were.

There may well be a reason for this. Though they may be holding the power and wealth now, they are unable to erase the stigma of being Japanese collaborators and successors to dictatorship. Bearing the fatal blemish on their legitimacy that they do, the forces in power rest always on a shaky foundation. Their goal in pursuing the rehabilitation of Rhee Syngman is to find a key toward resolving this problem in a single stroke. But the people are wise and will not fall for such bedazzlement. We hope there will be no more of this fruitless contempt for history.

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