[Korea] "Utilize the Spirit of a Great Power for the Good of Humanity" - Why Ahn Jung-geun's "Oriental Peace Theory" is Recalled Now
2011/10/21 (Fri) 00:22:15.89
The Western world is currently facing a situation where it is impossible to predict what lies ahead. Italy and Greece, the founding fathers of Europe, are particularly at risk. Greece has dominated recent world news. A general strike in Greece has led to hunger and the paralysis of public transportation, even paralyzing key national functions.
As the crisis shows signs of worsening, an even bigger problem is the high possibility that a Greek default could spread to all of Europe. In effect, the era of Europe has long since come to an end.
In that case, Asia is the only place the world can rely. However, the reality in Asia is still not one for optimism. Let's look first at the Korean Peninsula.
(Omitted)
We still have a long way to go before we can find a path to peace on the Korean Peninsula, but we must persevere and not give up. Why? Because we have a clear future. What is the wise direction for our policy at a time like this? It is to gradually move away from a policy of exclusive dependence on the United States.
We need to see through the underlying intentions of the United States, which boasts to the world that it is a country of mutual defense and mutual friendship and absolute allyship. When we consider that the threat to the Korean Peninsula is a threat to the United States, and that the opening of the Korean economic market means the opening of the vast Asian economic market, we cannot help but question the extent to which a true ROK-U.S. relationship can be reciprocal.
The truth of U.S. policy toward Korea within the Korean Peninsula to date has already been revealed by historical fact. Of course, it is also true that U.S. assistance at times was extremely helpful in the reconstruction of the Republic of Korea. At this point, we must realize that the partner we should be concerned with is not the United States, but China. And then there's Japan, and even the entire Asia region.
Today, Asia possesses limitless potential and possibilities, yet it remains divided and entangled. Instead of cooperation, each country is choosing the foolish path of isolation and pursuing its own path. Xi Jinping, who is expected to become the next power in China, is steadily realizing his ambition to become a world-class powerhouse, as he develops into an economic and military superpower.
What about Japan? Last year, the country was weakened by the earthquake, tsunami, and damage to its nuclear power plant. Japan's major global corporations have now surrendered to South Korean companies. The aftereffects of this disaster are expected to continue unpredictably. Even in such circumstances, as their character suggests, they are striving for a comeback.
In this situation, the three Asian countries' deeply rooted historical entanglements, along with their acute territorial disputes, are the main reasons why they cannot work together toward a common goal. This reality gives us much to ponder. It's time to make the most of our great-power mentality.
We are a people who have traditionally followed in the footsteps of great powers and valued the greater good. We can no longer simply think about our own country; we must realize that we have a historical destiny to become a nation that considers Asia and the world.
At this juncture, I am reminded of a pioneer. It was An Jung-geun, who advocated the "Theory of Eastern Peace" about 100 years ago. Former Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi was executed in Harbin because he was the root cause of our nation's downfall. However, what's important is to remember An Jung-geun's confession that he had no choice but to execute Ito because he was a person who was obstructing and harming peace in the East.
That's right. 100 years ago, he already emphasized the value of peace between the three East Asian nations. He foresaw that the peace of all humanity rests on the three nations of Korea, China, and Japan, going beyond the three East Asian nations to encompass all of Asia. Until now, various relationships and reasons have led to conflict, hatred, and hostility. However, for the sake of the future of humanity, I believe we should acknowledge and grieve together that if we cooperate, we will all survive, and if we fail to cooperate, we will all perish.
Written by: Editor of the same newspaper (Note: The Japanese translation was a bit strange, and the blog administrator made some minor edits, such as adding subjects, punctuation, and line breaks, due to the English translation.)
Source: Cheonji Ilbo (Korean) [Cheonji Times] Why Ahn Jung-geun's "Oriental Peace Theory" comes to mind
http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=100615
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