hankyoreh

Our jaws dropped and remain open. It’s unbelievable that these are statements that came out of the mouth of a high-ranking Ministry of Education official, someone who is responsible for South Korea’s educational policy. How could anybody call the people dogs and pigs? It’s difficult to tamp down the blazing anger.

Blurted out by Na Hyang-wook, 47, Policy Planning Bureau chief at the Ministry of Education, at a dinner meeting with reporters from the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper, these words are so ridiculous that they invite disbelief. “We must consolidate the class system,” declared Na, as though making an announcement.

Policy Planning Bureau chief is a key position at the Ministry of Education, and the director oversees major ministry projects such as the nationalization of history textbooks, the “Nuri” program of free daycare for small children, and university reform. We can acknowledge that this country is divided into the privileged class, born with “gold spoons” in their mouths, and the underprivileged class, born with “dirt spoons.” But to hear someone who should be trying to change the reality of inherited social classes and the class divide to not only justify this reality, but also make a statement to the effect that this reality must be more firmly established-how can this sort of statement be made in the broad daylight of the 21st century?

As though he’d made up his mind to hold nothing back at that dinner, Na spewed statements of increasing intensity, from “We can treat the public like dogs and pigs,” to “Like dogs and pigs, all we need to do is let them eat and live.” When the disconcerted journalists asked him what he considered to be the “public,” Na responded without embarrassment: “the 99 percent.” In short, his claim was that 99 percent of the people of South Korea are dogs and pigs that only need to be fed.

On top of this, Na spoke mockingly of the grieving for the young man that had recently died at Guui Station while repairing a sliding glass door. The expressions of the reporters darkened, but Na’s thoughtless remarks continued. This kind of shamelessness can only come from one with a certain level of conviction, from someone who truly believes in what he is saying, deep in his bones. When someone who is meant to serve the people has not even a basic understanding of democracy, and is nonetheless responsible for the national education policy, it‘s no surprise that the country struggles with the direction of its education.

Our government must immediately dismiss the person in question, and reform the entire Ministry of Education. That is the least it can do to beg pardon from the people for the insult inflicted.

What’s more tragic, however, is that Na’s statements don’t point to the problematic thinking of any one individual, but that they reflect the actual reasoning and sense of privilege of the majority of high-ranking government officials. In fact, on the contrary, among those with power and money and who consider themselves part of the 1 percent, it’s difficult to meet someone who doesn’t think the way that Na does.

All Na‘s statements did was to lay bare the privileged classes of this society. But the 99 percent of which he spoke are the people of South Korea, the true masters of the land. Without completely eradicating those whose thoughts are tainted by such a morally degenerate sense of privilege and entitlement, South Korea will never be able to stand tall as a democracy.

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