Time to revive traditional values

By Lee Seon-hee

As a continuation of globalization into the 21st century, a cultural community is flourishing among the entire global village. We see public anger brewing over the totally inappropriate handling of the Sewol ferry tragedy.

We need to make concerted efforts toward harmonious coexistence and overcoming the national tragedy.

Surrounded by many peoples in Northeast Asia, the Korean people have been attacked by outside forces for a long time.

Despite such a vulnerable geographic location, we have managed to establish dignity based on high ethical standards. Such merits originate from “in” and “deok,” which mean benevolence and virtue, respectively, and inspire a righteous mindset to fight against and cope with hardship and adversaries.

The recent mishap is largely due to a failure to follow traditional values of cherishing human affection, yielding, consciousness, cooperation, maintaining order and policy. The absence of such values has led to a failure in harmony and communication in Korean society.

Now, it is high time for us to revive the merits of the Korean tradition. This is all the more urgent for the ruling class and wealthy people to achieve.

It is not too much to say that Korea, notwithstanding its OCED membership, has become the object of cynicism in the international community with the recent disaster which would not have taken place in other countries around the globe, including the least developed nations.

There is an old saying, which means one cannot construct a wall with only feces and soil and, though once constructed, the wall may soon collapse. There is another saying that one cannot make a stamp with rotten wood.

To properly use a stamp we may need to remove the rotten part and carve another one. Likewise, we can build new society only by getting rid of the irregularities and wrong practices accumulated from a long time ago.

Mental culture based on high ethical standards may provide momentum for growth in the future.

To address the current difficulties facing the nation, we need leaders with strong morality besides the capacity to deal with economic affairs.

To promote an atmosphere of social integrity, parties from all sectors of work _ politics, economy, society, culture and religion _ we need to make harmonious efforts. The government, for its part, needs to cultivate an atmosphere with respect to Korea’s desirable traditional values.

Against this backdrop, the Korean Traditional Culture Promotion Institute has been seeking to construct the tentatively-named Korean Traditional Cultural Industry Complex with the goal of creating jobs, contributing to the national economy, promoting culture and creative economy and resolving ethical problems.

The organization will also help inspire human affection and energy into the whole society, which will consequently lead to help enhance living quality of the people.

Morally healthy society can produce a desirable public spirit. Politicians must bear in mind that politics should focus on ethics for the sake of the people rather than on winning over opponents. I honestly hope the government may carry out in-depth education policies so that students can learn ethical values in their hearts from elementary school days.

An old saying tells us that “100 dogs bark at a sound while one dog barks at something that appears.” National leaders should not wonder any longer as if they are lost in the middle of the road. They need to question to get the right path to rebuild the nation toward the right direction.

The writer is chairman of the Korean Traditional Culture Promotion Institute.