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Quotations
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| Q : In your statement in the past, you referred to a specific party as a group of national traitors like Iljinhoe. But here's what I don't understand. If the this party is indeed a traitorous group, it is completely unacceptable to entrust them with state affairs, so why did the Provisional Government in Chongqing collaborate with them, and why did you not express such intentions earlier, more than two years after your repatriation, but only today did you make such a statement?
A : I did not say that this certain party alone is a traitorous group like Iljinhoe. If there is a group that sells out the people and ruins the country in its actual behavior, regardless of the party, it is just like Iljinhoe. Therefore, I trust that the wise people will judge for themselves the true meaning of my words. And to say that it is wrong to collaborate with traitors is a very superficial observation. It is true that at the time of the Chongqing Provisional Government's return to Korea, we were in a state of excitement so there was no room to pick and choose, and above all, it was difficult for those of us who were not familiar with the domestic situation to discern who was a traitor and who was a patriot. Part of it is because of my belief. You can't insist on harsh rules, exclusion and punishment just because someone is pro-Japanese. This is especially true at a time when a strong promotion of national unity and political unity is called for. Therefore, we thought it was right to include them, unless they were extreme scoundrels, so that they could help in the work of building the country. Also, the conditions at that time were not such that pro-Japanese national traitors could be defined and dealt with. You cannot call someone a pro-Japanese national traitor with your mouth when there is no trial and no law has been enacted. Those who are willing will remember that I repeatedly exhorted the certain party to be merged unconditionally to the Korea Independence Party. Revolutionary forces can and should purify the muddy stream. Even if they are rebellious, it would be dangerous to attempt to break them by force. Unfortunately, external forces have encouraged them, and the situation surrounding us was fundamentally crooked, so that our original attempts have not succeeded, but rather, they have brought about a national disaster, and it is as if we have nourished a snake in our bosom as a result. But we are not helpless, nor are we only lamenting. Their past sins are clear, and their present errors are clearly visible to 30 million people, so it is easily understandable without asking. Q : You are currently rejecting the separate government and fighting for the establishment of a unified government, but I have some doubts about this as well. First, how did you come to oppose the sole government? In January of last year, when Dr. Rhee flew to the United States and started a movement for the separate government, you remained silent. Then, right after Mr. Cho Soang announced that he was "pausing" the inter-Korean negotiation movement, you showed an attitude that you were willing to join with Dr. Rhee and participate in the separate government. As such, your path is a bit unclear. Some say that you are not opposing the separate government out of justice, but because the foundation is still weak and you cannot take power. In other words, you are using this opportunity to call for the establishment of a unified government in order to strengthen the foundation by gaining popularity among the public. A : When Dr. Rhee flew to the United States and carried out his campaign, I did not make a public statement, but urged my comrades to do their best to prevent the situation from deteriorating by pointing out the injustice of the situation, and I thought I would meet with him personally when he returned to persuade him to stop. Of course, I could have issued a statement and carried out a more active opposition campaign, but it would have been too painful for me to do so, because it was clear that if the conflict between me and Dr. Rhee surfaced in the midst of an extremely chaotic national situation with hundreds of political parties, it would have a profound effect both at home and abroad. And Dr. Rhee had devoted his life to the liberation of his country, and even if he had gone into the wrong path through a temporary mistake, he would realize it well if he met me personally and discussed the cause with me sincerely. I met him as soon as he returned and told him what I thought. Not only that, but I even went out to the airport because I did not want him to say anything to the reporters even when he got off the plane. But he did not listen to my advice and finally rushed to the path of the sole government. If someone calls me a tainted person although I have always lived based on good cause and maintained harmonious spirit, who in the world would respect the cause and who would praise the virtue of modesty? And when the South-North conference was at a standstill, I was considered to be standing with Dr. Rhee, however, it was in fact my last resort for the movement of reunification. Anti-trusteeship movement and establishment of an independent government are inseparable, so how could we say that the spirit of anti-trusteeship to save the nation is contrary to the spirit of sovereign unified independence? I cannot believe this, and even if it was a cold reality, I could not simply ignore it. What is most sad and bitter of all is the fact that Dr. Rhee is only going into a ‘trap’ from which he will not be able to come out again All people who truly care for Dr. Rhee and truly concern the path of the nation know what kind of forces are besieging Dr. Rhee and what he will be encountered with eventually. I made up my mind, even if I fail in my endeavors, to meet with Dr. Rhee to change his mind with all my efforts before the United Nations Commissioners arrived. So I have tried to make him changed on the occasion of a joint operation of the National Congress and the Korean National Congress. This is why I was seen standing with Dr. Rhee. If I am opposed to a separate government in order to expand my party’s influence or take a position rather than motivated by justice, and thus if I am truly such a nasty person, how could I oppose it at the last minute? It is said that the core of political maneuver depends on how to take an opportunity, if so, do you think that, because of my ignorance, I chose such a stupid strategy of opposing a separate government after waiting until the UN Commission’s launching its work and a campaign for the separate government to be galvanized? Of course, I need not make excuses for this discussion, but I wish to point out the injustice of the separate government, and to declare what is truly the way to save the people and secure the stability of the nation. As for the half-government, as I have said repeatedly, first, we must penetratingly realize the sophistic scheme to implement a one-state trusteeship in the name of the United Nations. Second, they, half-government advocates, are going to internationally legitimize the 38th parallel drawn by the U.S.-Soviet Union, and third, it, making a half-government, is nothing but a tragedy to divide the people by bisecting our national territory, causing the tragedy of the fratricidal wars. Therefore, no one, not even the three-year-old child, will be happy to call it independence. Look! The UN commissioners are also trying to mislead us into believing that the separate election is the true independence, as if they have paid special attention to the fact that Koreans are not that stupid, or that they are sophisticated in their means and techniques. We know that among the UN commissioners, the representatives of Canada and Australia strongly opposed the sole separate government, and the representatives of France and Syria abstained. They voted in favor of justice and peace. Those who voted in favor of the decision were representatives of the four countries of India, the Philippines, and El Salvadore, including China. So, given the original nine representatives, four to two are problematic numbers. What does this mean? It is not nonsense that justice cannot be subdued by an evil reasoning. There is only one way to achieve the survival of our people and our sovereignty, no matter how many times we contemplate about it, and no matter how many times we think about it. It is to demand the immediate withdrawal of the U.S.-Soviet troops in the spirit of national self-determination, and to establish a unified government with our own hands through negotiations between the two Koreas. Q : What do you think is the concrete way to withdraw the U.S. and Soviet troops and establish a self-governing unified government? The people who advocate the separate government know in principle that it is right and should be done, but according to their logic, it is an unrealistic goal. First, the day the U.S. and Soviet troops withdraw, Korea will be in a vacuum, and a civil war will break out, creating an ethnic tragedy. There is also a side that sees the so-called North Korean People's Army as a problem, and the issue of inter-Korean negotiations alone is vague. To this day, we have called for inter-Korean reunification and actually attempted for it, but we have not achieved even a modest result. Then, what is the basis for those who expect to negotiate with the North while failing to unite the two Koreas? I think this is a point that should be clarified by those who call for the reunification of the two Koreas, the withdrawal of the two armies, and the establishment of a sovereign government. A : There are more than one or two realistic ways and means in the world. It may be said that it is more realistic to rob a bank vault and live a life of complacency than to toil in the sweat and dust, or to live a luxurious life by being the mistress of a profiteer rather than to fight poverty by being the wife of a poor but honest scholar. But we should not ask whether it is realistic or unrealistic, but whether it is the right way or the wrong way. Even if it is a winding way, if that is the right way, this is the only way to go, so whether it is realistic or unrealistic is a matter for another time. It is a national imperative to achieve independence without foreign interference and without division, so we obey this imperative. Even though we lived in exile for 30 years, we took that path even though we knew it was the most unrealistic path, because it was the commandment of the people. In the past, the pro-Japanese Iljinhoe also insisted on taking the 'realistic path'. Today, those who try to be a member in a half-government by flattering foreign powers slander the claim of a unified government, but Christians, who have never been to heaven and have never seen Jesus, believe that they can go to heaven by believing in Jesus, praying in his name and doing his will. We are convinced that we are an independent nation and a sovereign people through five thousand years of history, so our claim is not nonsense, but a consistent creed and a consistent slogan of 30 million people. If the left and right have failed to negotiate, how can we expect to negotiate with the North and South? The coalition of the left and right in the past were not the coalition of the left and right in the true sense of the word. No movement influenced by external forces can achieve results. And above all, there is no so-called right wing in Korea. In the world, the right wing usually refers to conservative reactionaries, which cannot be conservative reactionaries as a revolutionary force, and cannot be conservative reactionaries as conscientious people who know the real situation in Korea. Therefore, we should reconsider what we call the "right wing". However, a big problem is that the so-called right wing in Korea includes a group of pro-Japanese traitors. They are a group of 'dirtbags' that tarnish the right wing. 'Dirtbags' are political parties and organizations, and they are frivolously attached to the revolutionary forces. Revolutionary forces and traitorous groups cannot collaborate. This is what I am reflecting on today. If it is a collaboration or negotiation among the revolutionary forces, there is no reason why it shouldn’t be established. It is the sincere wish of our 30 million compatriots that the U.S. and Soviet troops be withdrawn. There can never be a foreign military presence in our country's territory, and the longer it is prolonged, the more it will foster all kinds of harm and wither our national fate to die. The continued presence of foreign troops in our country, which is not an enemy country, is a violation of the international charter and a violation of justice. It is all a pretext and all unscientific observations that when the two armies withdraw, there will be a vacuum, the North Korean People's Army will come in and there will be a civil war. If the South suspects the North, and the North suspects the South, the problem will not be solved in centuries. If the South is suspected, it must be the Soviet Union, and if the North is suspected, it must be the U.S. He who takes it upon himself to cast doubt on the suspicions of foreign nations will do nothing but expose himself as an unethical foreign agent. The idea that the withdrawal of foreign troops will cause a civil war is a delusion. It was only immediately after the liberation on August 15 that the fear of conflict between the most impure elements and excited crowds was acute, but there was not even the smallest friction. If armed troops are dangerous, they need only be completely disarmed when they withdraw; they will not withdraw unless both countries agree to it; and if they withdraw, it is impossible that either side will not carry it out. The time is not yet late. No matter how complicated and chaotic the current situation is, as long as we keep ‘our line’ with clear eyes and our steadfast hearts, there will be no restrictions or obstacles in our path. Whenever one decides to take one side of the U.S. or the Soviet Union, it will do nothing but encourage foreign interference and further delay the withdrawal of foreign troops. The achievements of the UN are eloquent in showing that the Korean problem cannot be solved without the cooperation of the United States and the Soviet Union. Therefore, we must seek the solution of our problem on the path of peaceful international cooperation, while holding the principle of national self-determination as a vertical axis and the pro-American and pro-Soviet diplomacy of fairness as a horizontal axis. So we’re going to go back to the revolutionary era, and start a new independence movement after tightening our shoe laces. We will follow this path to the end even though the path will be difficult, but the great power of eternal truth will follow us. |
