[The Editors' Verdict] Lee O-ryeong's Tear, the Resonance of His Final Message

The Keyword Running Through the Last Handwritten Manuscript: 'Tear', A Message to the World
A Single Tear of Tolerance: "A World Where I Embrace and Live Together with Those Who Are Different from Me"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "If there is something we desperately need, it might be the fraternit? of the French Revolution that united freedom and equality, the ‘tear of tolerance,’ not just a single drop of tear. It means a world where I embrace and live together with those who are different from me."

The keyword running through the last handwritten manuscript of Professor Lee O-ryeong is ‘tear.’ The first Minister of Culture and a literary critic. A leading Korean scholar, called the intellectual of the era. Until just before his passing on February 26 at the age of 89, he left records in his own handwriting. Facing death, the message he wanted to convey to society is embedded within.

A single tear. With a title that leaves a strange aftertaste, Lee O-ryeong’s Last Note was published. What does the tear of tolerance mean?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Tears shed not for myself but for unknown others, tears containing the warm human body temperature."

This is the definition included in the preface of the professor’s last note. When have we shed such tears? Have we ever seen someone shed such tears?

The legacy left by the intellectual of the era. Perhaps within it lies the teaching to overcome today’s crisis.

Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic changed the order of life. The Russia-Ukraine war has made the shadow of the new Cold War a reality. My country’s, my group’s, my family’s, and my own. The whirlpool of desires prioritizing self-interest has become a virus that destroys the mechanism of coexistence and polluted us.

In a world where the size of the ‘muscle’ possessed by the nation, group, or individual has become the standard of right and wrong. Is it natural in the era of survival of the fittest for the powerless to suffer? Does closing one’s eyes to the unjust tears of others mean the blade of despair will miss oneself? In such a ruthless world, the blade that stabbed others will someday turn toward oneself.

Isn’t that why the professor emphasized a world where I and others who are different live together embracing each other? "To understand humans is to understand the tears humans shed." The implication contained in the professor’s message. It is the responsibility of those living in this era to comprehend its meaning.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There are various kinds of tears we experience. First, tears of joy and emotion. The feelings when achieving the desired result in a long-prepared exam or when giving birth to a child. Another is tears of regret. Tears experienced when feeling sorry for someone or wanting to undo one’s choice. There are also tears of indignation. Tears that come out when one’s heart is filled with extreme injustice and anger, unable to contain the sadness.

Ultimately, the professor’s message might have urged understanding and consideration to soothe the indignation of others. To put it grandly, it is the process of establishing fairness and common sense in society. To embody the values of fairness and common sense in our lives rather than leaving them as mere political rhetoric of sweet promises, who should play what role?

The shoulders of politicians and bureaucrats are heavy. They must put down the inertia of authority and listen humbly to the voices of the world to change the soil of this society. However, it is problematic to dismiss it as only the rulers’ responsibility. The driving force for social change ultimately comes from individual practice. There is no need to consider it difficult. The professor’s legacy is to practice what can be done. With exactly this content…

"Let us speak until we can say even a single word. Let us write until we can write even a single stroke. Let us love the things we can love until the very end."

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