[Kim Seong-kon] Korea needs wisdom, strength and courage

To survive and thrive in the vortex of international crises, it is imperative that we are wise, strong and courageous. We tend to think that wise men are not strong or courageous, and strong and courageous men are not wise. That is not so. Wisdom, strength and courage are closely interrelated and intertwined. Indeed, wisdom without strength and courage is problematic, and so is strength and courage without wisdom.

It is appropriate that, in Greek myth, Athena is the goddess not only of wisdom but of warfare. In Roman myth, Athena is called Minerva, and she is frequently depicted with her owl. Owls are predators, but at the same time, they appear meditative. Thus, the “Minerva owl” symbolizes wisdom and strategic warfare.

The epic Old English poem “Beowulf” is about an ancient hero who courageously fights and kills Grendel, presumably a two-legged dragon, and its mother. The name Beowulf means “bear and wolf,” which symbolizes courage, strength and hunting skills. In the 2022 American film “The Northman,” the warrior protagonist’s nickname is Bjornulfr, which also means “bear and wolf.” In ancient times, people seemed to think that the strength of a bear and the hunter’s spirit of a wolf were the traits of a hero. Indeed, to fight and subdue formidable dragons, a hero needs wisdom, strength and courage.

Once again, Korea is caught up in a struggle between mighty adversaries — the oceanic civilization and the continental civilization. Perhaps we can learn from our well-known classical folktale about a rabbit that is not intimidated by the power struggle between a whale and an elephant and make the most of the situation wisely.

As in the folktale, the rabbit becomes safe from and triumphant over the two huge, intimidating animals as they show off their muscles. Caught in the hostile clash between these two strong rival countries, Korea’s diplomacy should be based on wisdom, strength and courage.

For the sake of our survival, we should have global perspectives, not parochial or myopic ones. We also need to choose wisely between the Free World and socialist countries, between liberal democracy and people’s democracy, and between future-oriented leaders and past-obsessed ones. We should shun both the far left and the far right and seek the middle ground because extremism will severely damage our country. If we choose unwisely, we will end up irrevocably ruining our future.

We should also act wisely in our relationship with other countries. Recently, the Korean people were appalled and embarrassed by the news that 316 Koreans, who were helping Hyundai Motor/LG Energy Solution build an electric car battery plant in Bryan County, Georgia, were arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other related US federal agencies. They all returned to Seoul by charter flight and reunited with their families, who were anxiously waiting for their safe return.

Many Koreans wondered how it was possible that the US government authorized such a massive immigration raid to arrest Korean engineers after it had asked Korea to build factories in the US. However, in the US, it is a violation of immigration laws if someone on a visitor’s visa works in the US without permission.

Given this situation, Korean politicians or businesspeople should have argued for a package deal when the White House had asked them to build factories on US soil. They should have proposed that Korean engineers perform the necessary preparations to open a factory in Georgia that would eventually create about 8,000 jobs for American workers.

In America, there is a famous maxim: “There is no rule without exceptions.” Indeed, if there is a logical and convincing reason to do so, Americans easily bend the rules or find alternative ways. If they tried and heard nothing from Washington, then our politicians or businessmen must have failed to convince US policymakers.

Although it had been a customary practice in the past, it was unwise to continue it, especially at a time when ICE was conducting massive crackdowns on factories and discount stores such as Home Depot and Costco, arresting numerous illegal workers throughout the country. Obviously, the Korean company executives were not sufficiently aware of what was going on in the US, or they did not heed the warning signs.

Now, our political leaders and Hyundai/LG executives, who are responsible for dispatching the Korean engineers to the factory construction site in Georgia, should do their best to make sure that those who self-deported in this case are not denied in their future US visa applications.

The same goes for the MASGA or “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” project. To make the project successful and mutually beneficial, our delegates should also act wisely and courageously. Korea is no longer a weak, underdeveloped country, but a strong, proud, advanced nation that can help or collaborate with other countries.

Currently, Korea is caught amid an unprecedented storm in many respects. To survive and overcome the crisis, we should be wise like an owl, strong like a bear and courageous like a wolf.

Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer's own. -- Ed.