What we must never forget

By Lee Dong-hui

In 1945, World War II ended. As news of the surrender of Germany and Japan spread throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, rejoicing at the tidings of peace. For many, these were also tidings of freedom, as occupied territories and colonies of Axis powers were liberated or achieved independence, as Korea did.

But as people contemplated what they had gained, they also became conscious of what they had lost. The freedom that people around the world had earned had not come free. Indeed, it had come at a heavy cost: over 60 million dead, trillions of dollars of damage and lasting wounds in the hearts of a generation.

Today, 70 years after the end of the tragedy that was World War II, we commemorate the events, remembering the dead and honoring those still living. Yet, a question still haunts us: What will be the ultimate legacy of World War II? How should it be remembered decades or even centuries from now?

History is a mirror through which we see the past. It teaches us lessons by showing some examples to follow, others to avoid. This is why it is often said that we learn history to avoid repeating past mistakes, especially the worst of mistakes in human history: War.

To this end, Europe’s tormented history could provide us with some excellent models. The year 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre, an episode of the Bosnian War where over 8000 ethnic Bosnians were murdered by Serbs in one of the worst mass murders since the Holocaust.

Twenty years after, relations between Bosnians and Serbs are still tense. While the Serbian Prime Minister was attacked by an angry mob during the commemorations in Bosnia, some Serbs are denying that a massacre ever happened. It’s a situation eerily echoing the controversy surrounding the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. However, another European example shows that the opposite can also happen.

After 1945 a wind of solidarity blew through devastated Western Europe, states cooperating in reconstruction and eventually building the European Union out of the ashes of World War II, an achievement which is to this day widely praised as a feat of cooperation and unity.

At the heart of this integration was Franco-German reconciliation. Instead of drenching themselves in mutual hate, Germany and France, two powers who had been locked in bitter enmity for over 300 years put aside the rivalry and resentment they had previously held for each other.

This newfound friendship paved the way for true cooperation, the two countries forming the core of the new EU. The once arch-enemies now hold one of the closest relations in the world.

These examples and many others throughout history prove time and again that hate only bears hate and that reconciliation is the sole way to peacefully resolve conflicts in the long term.

The countries of Northeast Asia, who share a common history, one of war but also of peace, of tensions but also of friendship, should take heed of the good lessons of history and come together in reconciliation, striving to overcome the differences that divide them and seek the common bonds that unite them.

But in no way should reconciliation simply be a matter of forgetting the past or paying lip service; on the contrary, it’s about accepting it, no matter how painful or shaming it may be. Hiding and denying the past will not make it any less painful; like a wound it will fester if it is covered up without being treated.

True reconciliation involves all parties to come together in good faith, with everyone recognizing one’s own wrongs, while truly acknowledging others and forgiving their faults. It is only then that the final process of mutual healing and reconciliation can be achieved. This is the lesson that we should learn from history.

Instead of being a divide that cuts us off, history should become a focal point for reflection, remembering the past tragedies and vowing never to repeat them. It is in that way that humanity advances, learning one step at once, slowly but surely. In this spirit, the 70th anniversary commemorations should serve as a starting point for new cooperation in Northeast Asia, becoming a moment of reconciliation and remembrance.

One should forgive, but must never forget.

The writer is a student at Pusan Foreign Language

High School.