Someone has set himself ablaze in the center of downtown Seoul, demanding that professor Hwang Woo Suk be allowed to start his research again. It is just shocking, but it should not be written off as just the problem of one individual. On January 19 someone in Daegu tried to take his life by drinking poison while demanding that Hwang be "spared." Both men are victims of some of the excesses in our society.
More than a few people are feeling similar urges. There are some 2,000 statements of condolence at the online club "I Love Hwang Woo Suk" for the man who committed self-immolation. Some 2,000 supporters showed up at a candlelight protest in Seoul's Gwanghwamun calling for Hwang's research to continue despite bitter cold weather.
The more complicated things become in society the more people tend to see, hear, and feel only the things they want to. They do not see as much as they know and they do not feel as much as they see. They do not take reality for fact, and instead reinterpret it on faith. The Hwang affair is a fine example of that happening. From the start right and wrong was a matter of belief. Communication was cut off, and the hate and misunderstanding between the differing sides went overboard.
One netizen compared this incident to the actions of believers in the Yeongsaeng cult when their spiritual leader was arrested. What happened symbolizes the disconnectedness we feel today. The man who took his life did not make the choice he did for salvation or personal interest. In his suicide not he said, "Korea is a disappointment." The Hwang affair hurt everyone, and the hurt cannot be healed as long as everyone continues to feel hate or support. The disconnectedness can be overcome and the injury healed when people make their escape from belief and acknowledge the truthfulness of others.
The Hankyoreh, 6 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Victims of Excessive Belief |
