[Inside Chodong] The Imaginary Monster Called 'Tam'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] This year, as usual on Hangul Day, there has been a call to replace National Treasure No. 1. The proposal to replace National Treasure No. 1 from Sungnyemun to Hunminjeongeum seems to have become an annual event repeated every Hangul Day.

In fact, the suggestion to replace National Treasure No. 1 has been raised for a long time. In 1996, during the Kim Young-sam administration, the 'Committee for Re-evaluation of Cultural Properties Designated by Japanese Imperialism' considered replacing National Treasure No. 1 as part of correcting historical records. This was because during the Japanese colonial period, the Joseon Governor-General downgraded Sungnyemun to Namdaemun and designated it as National Treasure No. 1. There is also research indicating that the Japanese designated Sungnyemun as National Treasure No. 1 to commemorate the Japanese general Kat? Kiyomasa passing through Sungnyemun and entering Hanyang during the Imjin War.

The controversy over replacing National Treasure No. 1 leaves a bitter aftertaste as it seems to reveal the bitter underside of today's desire-driven society.

The incident that ignited the controversy over replacing National Treasure No. 1 was the arson of Sungnyemun on February 10, 2008. Although restoration work was carried out after the arson, debates over its dignity intensified. Since then, demands to replace National Treasure No. 1 have grown stronger every Hangul Day.

The reason for the arson revealed by the perpetrator, Chae Jong-gi, was astonishing. He set the fire out of dissatisfaction with the low compensation for land expropriation. The land he owned in Ilsan New Town, Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, was included in the planned site for a new apartment complex by a construction company, leading to a legal dispute over compensation with the company.

The lawsuit ended in Chae Jong-gi's defeat. After losing, he harbored hostility toward society and expressed it through the arson of Sungnyemun. The atrocity committed by Chae was a disaster born from the desires nurtured within the capitalist system. The burning of National Treasure No. 1 was the result of a burning desire for material things.

Desire is a double-edged sword in the capitalist system. The desire to earn money, live in a nice house, wear good clothes, and eat delicious food drives the advancement of science and technology, enriching and enhancing human life. The problem lies in moderation. Excessive desire to have 'more than others' can, at some point without one realizing it, cause irreparable harm to others. The arson of Sungnyemun clearly demonstrates this.

Capitalism has been increasingly out of control since it won the systemic confrontation against socialism in the 20th century. Although voices warning of capitalism's crisis have been growing recently, there is skepticism about whether this runaway can be stopped.

Professor Kim Nan-do of Seoul National University's College of Human Ecology, Department of Consumer Studies, who has been releasing ten consumer trend keywords annually since 2007, revealed the ten consumer trend keywords for 2021 online on the 13th. Among the ten keywords, Professor Kim personally found 'Capitalism Kids' the most surprising. He explained that the younger generation is a paradoxical generation that is highly critical of capitalism yet thinks in a capitalist way.

The current young generation in their 20s has witnessed repeated failures of capitalism such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial crisis, the dot-com bubble, the credit crisis, and the 2008 global financial crisis since their birth. However, on the other hand, they are also a generation born after capitalism's victory over socialism and have internalized capitalism.

The comic 'Changcheonhangro,' which tells the story of the Three Kingdoms, begins with a story about an imaginary monster called 'Tam,' which Confucius supposedly spoke of. The story of Tam seems to perfectly illustrate the fate of capitalism.

Tam is huge and extremely greedy, devouring everything. Whether it is clods of earth, minerals, mountains, or seas. Of course, it even eats humans and human-made structures. It swallows everything regardless of taste or form. Moreover, its vitality is very strong and insatiable. Tam ultimately devours the sun. "Thus... Tam leaves only darkness. It becomes 'nothingness (mu).' It is the end of desire."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.