[W Forum] From Hell Joseon to the Korean Dream

As the United States enforces strict resident quarantine orders and endures this disaster, it becomes clear that the advanced country during this time is the Republic of Korea. The U.S., initially indifferent to a virus that struck another country, saw widespread community transmission while it was complacent, becoming number one in the world in confirmed cases and deaths. Although mask-wearing is now being recommended belatedly, protests resisting 'physical distancing' have emerged, suggesting the situation will not improve anytime soon. Many have lost their lives while shouting for economic rights and personal freedom.

These days, one phrase frequently heard on American broadcasts several times a day is "South Korea is...". Amid a global catastrophe that has paralyzed the world, South Korea is a country where daily life continues, where a general election was safely held, and where there is no panic buying. Truly, South Korea is remarkable. Until now, Korea was viewed from the U.S. as merely a divided nation with the possibility of war. After always being asked, "Did you come from North Korea or South Korea?" hearing "Oh, South Korea!" with a thumbs-up makes one’s shoulders swell with pride as a citizen of the Republic of Korea. Helen, the landlord, apologizes to the foreigner staying briefly, saying, "I didn’t expect America to be like this."

The hardest thing in the U.S. right now is the anxiety that even if infected with the virus, there is almost nothing hospitals can do. People have no choice but to rely on their own immunity and hope their bodies overcome it. Only in critical situations where self-breathing is impossible can one knock on the hospital door. Those who are going to die will die, and those who will live must survive on their own. This is the tragedy of a country that, prioritizing capitalist logic, has not properly established a public healthcare system.

In contrast, the Republic of Korea, which gives people the belief that even if infected, the state will take good care of them, is the most reliable country in the world. The care is incredibly meticulous. What is a nation? Just six years ago, we lost too many children all at once in the absurd tragedy of the Sewol ferry disaster, and we cried asking this question. Watching from afar, and from the U.S., which is enduring the harshest disaster, the scene where the state takes such strong care of its citizens makes my eyes well up with pride for the Republic of Korea. This is not narcissistic nationalism but a leap painfully achieved after painful sacrifice.

In the past, the term "Hell Joseon" was not unfamiliar in the Republic of Korea. But every time there was a crisis, we created new possibilities with amazing unity and willpower. We are now experiencing the face of an advanced Korea where those possibilities have materialized. However, we must not be satisfied here. There are still backward aspects that are not easily fixed. Digital sex crimes where the pain falls entirely on the victims. Women afraid to use public restrooms because of hidden cameras. The tears of immigrant workers who have no way to receive wages even when they are withheld. Dangerous workplaces where nearly a thousand people lose their lives annually due to industrial accidents. High suicide rates. Irresponsible words and writings that promote prejudice and hatred. In the face of such realities, it is time to tighten our hearts even more firmly.

The general election is over. When conditions are created, the weight of responsibility to bear afterward is even greater, so I hope urgent reforms and legislation proceed well. A young American who settled in Korea recently said that he chose Korea because he wanted to live in an advanced country, and through this disaster response, he truly realized he is living the Korean Dream. I hope the Republic of Korea will be reborn as a better place to live through meticulous policies caring for minorities, the vulnerable, and the poor in our society, and through swift steps toward truth and justice. As always, I rely on our solid strength that has turned the impossible into possible and transformed crises into solidarity.

Jeong Eun-gwi, Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies