Destruction of Idols

In 1956, at the age of twenty-two, Dr. Lee O-young made a dazzling debut by publishing “Destruction of Idols” across an entire page of the Hankook Ilbo, drawing public attention. His critique went beyond condemning the authoritarianism of the established literary world at the time; it also called for enlightening a public that revered former President Syngman Rhee as the idol above all idols.

Sixty-three years later, in 2019, former Justice Minister Cho Kuk resigned just 35 days after his appointment. Behind his resignation was a struggle between two camps of street democracy, each claiming the participation of several million people. Though he presented himself as having stepped down after fulfilling his role as kindling for prosecutorial reform, he likely found the worsening public opinion impossible to withstand.

Dr. Lee O-young declared in the 1950s that idols must be destroyed, but looking back on history, “the melancholy era in which the spirit of our generation was sacrificed at so high a price in order to serve ignorant idols” has not yet passed. From former President Park Chung-hee, the idol of industrialization, and his daughter, former President Park Geun-hye, to former Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, idols of democratization, and to former President Roh Moo-hyun and President Moon Jae-in, now the greatest idols in Korean politics, the political history of Korea is a history of idol worship.

The idolization of politicians is accelerating. Not only has the entry of entertainers into politics become commonplace, but established politicians as well are building their own thick fandoms and turning them into political assets. Across countries, party policies and ideologies are changing radically as they target vocal and politically active supporters rather than those indifferent to politics or those claiming the center. Korean politics is no exception to this trend, with President Moon Jae-in watches and merchandise becoming a hot topic, and slogans such as “We are Cho Kuk” and “Even if my head breaks, Moon Jae-in” being shouted in the political arena.

What must be remembered is that politicians are not celebrities; they are merely carrying out public duties. Even President Moon Jae-in himself wrote in his book Asking the Republic of Korea, “The word ‘power’ appears in the Constitution exactly once. We use the word ‘power’ a lot, and we speak of public power or state power, but in the Constitution the word appears exactly once. All power comes from the people. Everything else concerns authority.” Yet if one examines his actions and policies after taking office, it becomes clear that he has exercised unchecked power. Blue House spokesperson Ko Min-jung’s remark that “if you simply stack up the crops in the storehouse, they will rot” demonstrates the reality in Korea, where politics reigns over the economy and the citizenry.

The previous administration was no different. The reality of the Korean right is that its previous president was impeached for infringing upon the freedom of business management. We sneer at the authoritarian behavior of the reactionary forces led by both progressives and conservatives. The KCTU’s demands for employment succession, the depletion of national health insurance, the rapidly rising ratio of national debt to GDP, and the burden of unification with North Korea are all forms of madness that bind the young.

I do not possess the brilliant eloquence of Dr. Lee O-young. Therefore, I would like to conclude this piece by borrowing his words: “In the 2020s, the flag of the iconoclast must shine once more. Now is the time to fire the final sacred shot of resistance toward the rocky wall of idols and their authority—now cracked, worn, and faded.”

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Original title: 우상의 파괴

Author: Sun-min Lee

Date: 2019-11-13

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=free_opinion&pn=17&idx=22048