McCarthyism, Denial of Catholicism in Chosun Dynasty, and Now

             “Government now examines policies of kicking out Reds from governmental officials.” These very eleven words were what I could find on the very first page of Chosun Daily few days ago. I first wondered who exactly the “Reds” could be, and then felt frustrated on how ridiculous the whole discussion would be. The definition of “Red” varies diversely in Korea: a North Korean spy, a North Korean citizen, someone pro-Kim Jung Il, a communist, a socialist, and someone who does not support the ideas of the “conservatives”. Frankly, the last one is how “Red” is most commonly depicted nowadays.

             With a roughly estimated precondition that the percentage of people against the “conservatives” is at least about 50% of South Korean citizens, 25,000,000 people are considered as “Red” by most of right wingers. The “democratic” government of the “Republic of Korea” is now making half of the citizens become “Reds” who have promised loyalty towards North Korea. The 25,000,000 people, according to the new law mentioned previously, are not allowed as government officials since they “smell like Reds” by having opposing views to extreme rightists’. Though unimaginable, this is what is actually happening in Korea, right now.

             Like many other governments, Korean government in favor of people with vested rights has been using a stratagem to keep their power firm and the country united. What it basically does is first to conquer all mass media including major journalisms, broadcasting centers, etc. Then, it sets the “absolute enemy,” whom the government can fabricate the characteristics of. After brainwashing vast majority of people to be always aware of “how dangerous” the enemies are, it is eventually on the last step. Since there are some “unbearable” people who still remain unaffected by the machination, the media falsely charges them for being “Reds” from North Korea. Consequently, left wingers suddenly become spies with complicated plans to communize the “democratic” government of South Korea.

             Then, how can this whole subterfuge work out in Korea? The reason is simple. There are unconditional believers of the conservatives who buttress the Republican Party without any specific reasons, but just because. For that they consider every single action of the Party as that of written in the Bible, they also want to make people in opposition be falsely recognized as “Reds.” But the whole point is that all of us are unaware of the more fundamental dilemma with the situations happening in Korea. Why does the label “Red” be considered very negatively in every sense?

             Throughout history, there have been two very similar incidents that can be compared to this phenomenon; the McCarthyism in 1950 America and the anti-catholic movement in late 19^th century Korea. After the World War II, the United States government started to tighten the “security” of the nation by punishing anyone who seems to be “Reds.” There were black lists everywhere, revealing the names of politicians, celebrities, and even normal citizens who opposed the government policies. At that time, most of the accused only tried to prove how they were not communists from the Soviet Union, forgetting something even more important. They never argued against why “Red” should be someone so dangerous that should be executed immediately.

             The anti-catholic laws in the late 1800s Korea led to similar misconceptions of general people. The conservative Yangbans, aristocrats, of the closed Chosun Dynasty felt threatened by the Catholicism that promoted the “freedom” and “equality” of all people. They simply did not want to share their wealth with poors, nor were they desirous to be equal to them. For the sake of themselves, the Yangbans criticized Catholics for being “contemptuously iniquitous,” and eventually executing all believers in Catholics with death penalty. However, not many of them suspected the precondition that “all Catholics are innately bad”, only trying to vindicate their Catholic identity.

             Since long ago, certain groups of people have been tricking majority with their nefarious chicanery. Not so surprisingly, most of us now are also victims of that strategy. What we feel might not be the whole world that exists. Now is the time for everyone to see differently and think more deeply. In the 21^st century, in the seemingly democratic society, why are we still living the 1950 McCarthy America and Chosun dynasty?