[KS] Collaboration

Thu Feb 4 19:27:32 EST 1999

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Gari Ledyard's sensible words struck a family chord.  Many missionaries,
including Underwoods, were in Korea during the Japanese colonial
period.  Missionaries, of course, varied in their attitude toward the
Japanese.  But NO foreigner stayed in Korea without the permission=20
of the Japanese, i.e. without the foreigner in some way recognizing=20
and accepting the Japanese administration.
=20
In the "worship-the-emperor" issue, in 1938, Soongsil College
closed rather than have the student body worship the emperor.  The=20
family story is that my grandfather said to the Yonhi College community=20
that all should bow to the Emperor in respect as the de facto civil
leader and that whether anyone was "worshipping" the Emperor
or just showing "respect" was between that person and God.
Some purist missionaries condemned my grandfather for such an
"unChristian" (collaborative?) response, but Yonhi College
stayed open and trained Koreans for three more years, while
Soongsil remained closed.
=20
I myself didn't like the Park Chunghee regime (nostalgia for his reign
seems to me among the blinder of the current reactions to economic
crisis), but I accepted a residence permit issued by his government,=20
and I kept my mouth shut in public (mostly) as his government required,=20
and I stayed and worked in Korea.  I knew people who were not quiet,
who were kicked out of Korea as a result, and who critized the
keeping-quiet-ones as complicit.  But the ones kicked out of Korea
were NOT able to serve in Korea for those years.  (After the struggle
is over, the pure, the exiles, get better press than those who "stayed
in the struggle"/"compromised.") (choose your spin.)
=20
All this is to agree with those like Mike Robinson who have been saying=20
that collaboration is a very complex issue.  If even I bring to this =
issue=20
so much intense emotional baggage, how much more those who lived
through the Japanese occupation or the Korean war.
=20
Horace H. Underwood

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Gari Ledyard's sensible words struck =
a family=20
chord.  Many missionaries,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2>including =
Underwoods, were=20
in Korea during the Japanese colonial</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>period.  Missionaries, of course, varied in =
their=20
attitude toward the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Japanese</FONT><FONT size=3D2>.  But NO =
</FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2>foreigner stayed in Korea without the permission </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>of the Japanese, </FONT><FONT size=3D2>i.e. without =
the=20
foreigner in some way recognizing </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and accepting </FONT><FONT size=3D2>the Japanese=20
administration.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>In the "worship-the-emperor" issue, in =
1938,=20
Soongsil College</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>closed rather than have the student body worship the =

emperor.  </FONT><FONT size=3D2>The </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>family story is that my grandfather said to the =
Yonhi College=20
community </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>that </FONT><FONT size=3D2>all should bow to the =
Emperor in=20
respect as the de facto civil</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>leader and that whether anyone was =
"worshipping" the=20
Emperor</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>or just showing "respect" was between that =
person=20
and God.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Some purist missionaries condemned my grandfather =
for such=20
an</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2>"unChristian" =
(collaborative?)=20
response, but Yonhi College</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>stayed open and trained Koreans for three more =
years,=20
while</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Soongsil remained closed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I myself didn't like the Park Chunghee regime =
(nostalgia for=20
his reign</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>seems to me among the blinder of the current =
reactions to=20
economic</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>crisis), but </FONT><FONT size=3D2>I accepted a =
residence permit=20
issued by his government, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and I kept </FONT><FONT size=3D2>my mouth shut in =
public=20
(mostly) as his government required, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and </FONT><FONT size=3D2>I stayed and worked in =
Korea.  I=20
knew people who were not quiet,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>who were kicked out of Korea as a result, and who =
critized=20
the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>keeping-quiet-ones as complicit.  But the ones =
kicked out=20
of Korea</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>were NOT able to serve in Korea for </FONT><FONT =
size=3D2>those=20
years.  (After the struggle</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>is over, the pure, the exiles, get better press than =
those who=20
"stayed</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>in the struggle"/"compromised.") =
(choose your=20
spin.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>All this is to agree with those like Mike Robinson =
who have=20
been saying </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>that </FONT><FONT size=3D2>collaboration is a very =
complex=20
issue.  </FONT><FONT size=3D2>If even I bring to this issue =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>so much intense emotional baggage, </FONT><FONT =
size=3D2>how=20
much more those who lived</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>through the Japanese occupation or the Korean=20
war.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Horace H.=20
Underwood<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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