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Quotations
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| Dear 30 million sisters and brothers!
The domestic and international circumstances actively surrounding us are in crisis. In World War II, the allies sacrificed tens of millions of lives for democracy, freedom, and peace, and won the final victory. But as soon as that war ended, the world split in two again. Thus the Third War is being fomented. Behold! The wife who has seen her husband, whom she thought dead, and the mother who has seen her son, whom she thought dead, are in imminent danger of having to send him and his son to the battlefield once more. Who in his right mind would wish for such a war? In the past, it was only the "fascist" bandits who loved war. Even now, it is only the "fascist" bandits of Japan who are waiting for the war to explode. That's because they believe that only a war will bring them back to life.. Even in our own country at the present time, Some people in our country who are flattering the foreign powers assert to take a military campaign against the South or a strike against the North, but it is far from reality, but even if war were to break out, the result would be nothing but the destruction of the peace of the world, and giving benefits to the enemy, Japan, at the cost of shedding of the blood of our own people. This will be encouraging the fighting spirit of the new masters, and they will be able to win back the favor of the old master. They believe that in the event of war their sons and nephews will be exempted from conscription for military service and labor, as they were given the same benefits under the Japanese rule. Korea has been at war with Japan for decades. Therefore, when the allies at war with Japan were victorious, we thought we would live free and happy. But the Japanese are passing their days cheerfully in rejoicing even during the repatriation, while we, the people of the land, are passing our days like sinners in terror. If these were our words, some would censure us as ungrateful. But as they come from the lips of an American journalist, Mr. Richard, how fair are they? The emancipation for which we have been waiting has bisected our country, and threatens to make it forever the territory of two nations. The liberation of Korea has now become a dictionary term, with a new interpretation added. The United Nations is organized to redress these injustices, to promote the happiness of mankind, to prevent the danger of war, and to establish peace in the world. Therefore, the United Nations has sent a temporary commission to Korea to fulfill its mission, which promises to give us complete sovereignty and independence of the unified Koreas and to withdraw both U.S. and Soviet troops, under conditions of no trusteeship and no interference in our internal affairs, by their impartial observation, and by our free election. Now, unfortunately, the Soviet Union's boycott of the commission has hindered its work, but the Commission will do its utmost to strengthen the prestige of the United Nations, to advance the cause of world peace, and to establish a lasting bond of goodwill between the Korean people and all other oppressed peoples by preserving the brilliant achievement of the commissioners in the history of the Korean independence movement. If their efforts are insufficient to fulfill their purpose, they will invoke the power of the entire United Nations to achieve success. This is how the light is shining for us. The ignorant thugs who perceive the extension of the U.S. military presence as an extension of their own lives do not have the interests of the national people in mind and fear the establishment of a unified government in the same way that 'bacteria' hate the sun. Therefore, they are exerting efforts wholeheartedly to mislead the UN commissioners by inciting the people to a separate election and government by constantly manufacturing rumors. Nurtured by the U.S. military regime, they are using the police to monopolize elections and violate people's freedoms. Nevertheless, they continue to present themselves as visionaries who recognize reality and see the future. Such visionaries are those of Iljinhoe, pro-Japan faction who betrayed people and nation. The international situation at the time of the enemy's annexation of Korea was such that the annexation could not be avoided. No matter how many the patriots protested with their lives, annexation was inevitable. Realizing this reality, Iljinhoe members went to Tokyo to petition for annexation. However, they have become traitors forever, not visionaries. If the UN Commission establishes a separate government in the South of Korea according to the people dreaming of a separate government today, the Korea will have no place to appeal to again, and the UN Commissioners may never be friends of Koreans, and the neo-Iljinhoe who caused the permanent division will be sinners for generations to come. It is an ancient principle that united we live, divided we die, so prolonging the division of the country in order to prolong one's own life is a terrible and dangerous thing that push the whole people into a death pit. In such a crisis, we need to revisit our supreme and unique ideology and recognize it at home and abroad. My submission to the UN committee was born out of this need. We will first establish a unified government of sovereignty and independence, and in order to accomplish this, we will simultaneously release political prisoners in the North and the South, withdraw U.S. and Soviet troops, and convene a conference of leaders from the North and the South. and this ironclad principle will not change until we have accomplished our purpose. We must adhere to this immutable principle and overcome the rapidly changing domestic and foreign conditions. This is what President Chiang Kai-shek of China called "responding to change by unchanging." Just as we fully recognized under the Japanese that we cannot claim autonomy because independence is hopeless as long as independence is the principle, we cannot claim a separate government because a unified government is hopeless. Trying to find comfort in naming the separate government the central government is no different than calling the military government the provisional government of South Korea. We will strive only for the establishment of a unified government, because the deluded thoughts will only ruin themselves. Thirty million sisters and brothers! If we are to establish a unified government of sovereignty and independence, we must first win the sympathy of the international community, and in order to do so, we must give them their due recognition as a solid unity of the whole nation. Unfortunately, the so-called “Korean Association” under the leadership of the Korea Democratic Party, which is recognized as a front for the U.S. military government, reacted to my opinion in an unpatriotic and ungentlemanly manner, with unprincipled and illogical insults. DongA Ilbo, which has become the Korea Democratic Party’s mouth, even used a woman's name to insult me. The same newspaper that had earlier published a falsehood that Mr. Cho Soang and Mr. Um Hangseop had been arrested by the Seoul Metropolitan Police, also published a falsehood under the headline "Mr. Kim Gu Expresses Agreement with Opinion Paper Submitted by Patriotic Organization". These despicable acts only aroused the anger of patriotic compatriots, and the fury of condemnation was high on all sides. In this way, the unity I had hoped for only increased the confusion before it was realized. There is no improvement or progress in a society without dissent, so we should not prevent public opinion from being aired, but this is not the course of action we should take at this moment, when we are about to receive honored guests from afar and decide the fate of our nation and people. Let us cease all internal strife; let us forget the past and endure bravely, for it is said that if you can't tolerate small things, you won't be able to accomplish big things! Thirty million sisters and brothers! Without Korea, there are no Koreans, and without Koreans, there is no democracy, communism, or any other organization. At this time, when we are trying to establish our own independent and unified government, how can anyone go against the interests of the nation and its people for the sake of individual or group self-interest? Let us forget the past. Let us appeal to sincere patriotism, not to suspicion, not to hatred, but to sincere patriotism! Assassination, destruction, and sabotage will only delay the withdrawal of foreign troops and hinder the independence of our nation. Let us cease the unrelenting struggle and proceed with generous cordiality! Only when the 38th parallel is broken in the heart can the 38th parallel be broken on the ground. Although I am unworthy, I have sacrificed my entire life to the cause of independence. I am now seventy-three years old, and all I have left is the rest of my life. I will no longer covet goods and honor, nor will I covet a regime under a foreign military government. My support for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and my support for the Korea Independence Party are all for the independence of my country and the liberation of my people. Therefore, I will not be bound by the interests of a single person or a single party for the benefit of the nation and people, but will struggle jointly with 30 million compatriots to achieve the unity of the entire nation. For this purpose, I will not be mindful of who has insulted me. I have learned this from ‘Mahatma Gandhi’. It is said that he never forgot to put his hand to his forehead, even at the moment when he was destined to forgive the offender who sniped at him. I have been threatened with death, and I have been shot at, but I did not have the courage to forgive my enemies at that time. I am ashamed of this even now. My only desire at this time is to join hands with 30 million compatriots in the common struggle for a united and independent Korea. I will sacrifice this body on the altar as soon as the country demands it. I will not cooperate with the establishment of a separate government by adopting complacency, even if I would collapse on the 38th parallel to build a unified Korea. I want to visit the north over the 38th parallel in my lifetime, and I want to die when my compatriots from the North return to their homes. Whenever I suffer a bad day, it is as if I can hear the cries of the ghosts around the 38th parallel echoing in my ears. When I sit alone in the quiet of the night, the resentful figures of my countrymen, naked and starving, from the North and the South, appear before me. 30 million compatriots, sisters and brothers! When the brush reached this point, my heart grieves, and tears blind me, I cannot speak further. Please consider my grievances and ponder them once more for the sake of the soundness of the nation. February 10, the 30th year of the Republic of Korea |
