2022년 3월 4일 금요일

A cold evaluation of former President Park Chung Hee.

 It is also a problem to follow Park Jung-hee unconditionally, but I think those who are impatient with Park Jung-hee also have a problem. In the first place, it is true that Park Jung-hee is not a great man to be praised as a dictator. Therefore, if Park Jung-hee did something wrong, let's criticize her. However, it is too foolish to deny everything about Park Jung-hee. It is because we always compare with developed countries, so it does not feel real, and Korea's economy is quite large worldwide. As we always hear the trade deficit with Japan, economic subordination to the United States, or overtaking China, we seem to have developed a habit of underestimating ourselves. Of course, whether it is an individual or a state, it would be desirable to look up rather than down. However, isn't it also necessary to look at the past and the present at the same time and to look up and down at the same time? Let's go very easily rather than playing numbers, whether it's economic growth or real growth. Let's open a world map and choose countries that live better than Korea. There may be various criteria for "living well," but let's not think about it and just choose whatever comes to mind. You will literally be able to choose several countries. "At this point, is Korea only this much?" is likely to fall into a sense of shame. But let's take a look at the number of countries other than the chosen one. Some people might argue childishly about what they are doing now, but considering that Korea was one of the other countries just 50 years ago, you can see that this is by no means childish. During the World War, many countries were directly or indirectly damaged, and very few countries that actively intervened in the war maintained their position as advanced industrial countries even after the end of the war. Among the countries affected by the World War, Taiwan, Singapore, and Korea are one of the countries that have grown remarkably as industrial countries. What the above three countries have in common is that after the end of the war, they have achieved remarkable economic growth under dictatorship. As mentioned earlier, I have no intention of praising dictatorship, and let's take a look at the facts as they are. I agree with the saying that process (democracy) should be valued rather than results (economic growth). Unfortunately, however, it is difficult to find a country that has achieved high economic growth since World War II, except for traditional economic powers such as the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, small and medium-sized European countries, and natural resource holders. It is not that we do not understand the argument that everything should be denied because the process is wrong, but in the modern history of the real world, everything can never be denied. It can be said that the global economy after World War II was simply "mo" or "do". It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a yutnori party played by advanced industrial countries that became more powerful based on the war and countries that became more devastated through the war. However, it was emerging industrial countries that squeezed through the gap and threw "gae," "geol," and "yut," and these emerging industrial countries were able to achieve such results based on dictatorship. However, whether dictatorship, democracy, or monarchy, numerous underdeveloped countries could not achieve this economic growth. Considering these points, unconditional denial of Park Jung-hee is literally an unconditional denial. No matter how much Park Jung-hee was the one to beat to death, he must have achieved a high level of economic growth in the world. Some people say that economic growth at that time was not the legacy of Park Chung-hee's individual, but the fruit of all the people. Of course, I agree with this argument. However, if there is anyone who insists that only such an argument is right, I will define that person as a "lack of judgment." Leadership is very important whether it is a small group, a large group, or a state. Today's creation of a superpower, the United States, was also based on strong elite leadership, whether the direction is right or wrong. Looking at the difference in performance shown by numerous Korean companies, the reason becomes clearer. There will be no disagreement that all workers in large companies are working hard. Then, why do mutations such as Samsung occur? Is it that companies with global competitiveness such as Samsung are born for no reason like natural mutations? I don't want to defend the moral issue of Samsung executives, including Lee Kun-hee, but it is true that I can't help but admit their vision-giving ability and excellent ability. Samsung, the epitome of cheap electronic products, could threaten Japanese companies in Cheolongseong Fortress because of the strong leadership of management added to the blood and sweat of workers. More than 60 years have passed since World War II. Korea had no choice but to compress industrialization, which had been progressed by advanced industrial countries for more than 100 years, into a short period of time. Side effects from this are appearing throughout society. The gap between the rich and the poor, corruption, and lack of social system... However, there is one fact that should not be overlooked. That is, Korea is continuing to win or lose by actively participating in the fierce ring of the global economic market. It is true that the "other countries" in the world map mentioned earlier are only repeating "losing" rather than winning or losing in this brutal match. No, it would be more accurate to say that even if you want to participate in the game, there is no ticket itself. And this would have been just about 50 years ago. At some point, there was an opportunity to attend a gathering of young students from Asian countries. One of the instructors asked, "What are you exporting in your country?" and students from each country answered. The answers were diverse. Shrimps, rice, clothes, cars, computers... I could feel the childish and childish pride on the spot. This is because all of the export items answered by Korean students were products that could not be made without technology. To say that all other countries were making self-deprecation, the story contained in the answers was close to a miracle, so I couldn't dare to self-deprecate myself. As a typical agricultural country, a country that shouted that agriculture is the only way to live is to create a heavy industry, export cars, export large ships, and even semiconductors, the favorite of high-tech technologies, so what is this, not a miracle? For many underdeveloped countries, except in special cases such as China, the difference in economic power that took place after World War II has become a wall of force majeure that cannot be narrowed. If removing these walls is Park Jung-hee's achievement, would it be an excessive idolization? If one of Park Jung-hee's achievements is that Korea has provided room for further strengthening its physical strength by winning or losing in an economic war without blood or tears, is this just a ulcer for the legitimacy of the water polo forces? It is certainly close to a miracle that a country with no potential for rehabilitation has continued to grow and reached this position due to invasion by powers and three years of war. However, it should never be forgotten that behind it was the blood and sweat of those who sacrificed invisible. Whether it was an economic sacrifice or a political sacrifice, everyone is precious. It would have been possible to make the history of Korea today because everyone's efforts and sacrifices were supported. It is not developmental to fight right or wrong because you are bent on undermining the other person. Whether it is a political or economic sacrifice, it will be necessary to acknowledge and embrace everyone. Whether it is a democratic or dictatorship, there will be their own achievements and their own failures. It is foolish to deny everyone by highlighting only the dark side. If the evaluation of the Park Chung-hee era is made within this framework, our history will be enriched.

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