'Excessive' remarks deepen schism in society

By Jeon Su-mi

The Aug. 15 speech by President Yoon Suk Yeol has ignited significant discussions. The crux of the matter lies in President Yoon's mention of “communist totalitarian forces disguising themselves under the banners of democracy, human rights and progress.” This has sparked great interest.

In fact, the term “totalitarianism” has been invoked in the context of interpreting North Korea, which President Yoon considers a potential opponent and is contemplating preemptive measures.

While North Korean children warmly smile and tell foreign visitors in Pyongyang, “We are happy” or “We don't envy the world,” it remains challenging to discern the personal emotions of these children as opposed to the staged emotions they display. The totalitarian nature of North Korean society has consistently raised concerns about human rights in North Korea and this discourse has extended to highlighting the value of “freedom” in the Republic of Korea, emphasizing it as a precious principle that must be safeguarded.

It cannot be said that we, as South Korea, have not experienced totalitarianism. The modern history of the Republic of Korea is intertwined with a dark narrative of abuse of power, where under the cloak of safeguarding “liberal democracy,” innocent individuals have been subjected to torture and even sentenced to death. Former President Kim Dae-jung, who passed away on Aug. 18, 2009, was also subjected to a death sentence under the pretext of the totalitarian Republic of Korea. However, with the intervention of the United States and Japan, he managed to save his life. In order to maintain the military dictatorship regime, the history which is labeling pro-democracy activists and innocent citizens as 'anti-state forces,' remains vivid.

The fundamental nature of totalitarianism can be characterized as dehumanization. The ultimate goal of totalitarianism is to immortalize absolute power. Such characteristics are present in North Korea, where the people are indoctrinated, their inner spirits are captured and they are controlled, leaving no room for any deviation. The official name of North Korea is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The fact that past dictators have referred to their dictatorships as a “liberal democratic regime” is an expression of this falseness.

However, unfortunately, it seems that a resurgence of a totalitarian society is again underway within our time. Hannah Arendt analyzed totalitarian domination as a method that employs investigative institutions such as the police, rather than governance through ideologies or bureaucratic systems, in order to identify the “internal enemy” and accordingly, this portrait aligns with the all-encompassing domination observed in the current Yoon government. As totalitarianism entails the transformation of individuals into beings adapted to state violence by eliminating their inherent qualities of uniqueness and diversity, the practices of the current administration present not visible differentials with this framework.

Currently, the Yoon government is creating enemies within our society under the labels of “anti-state groups” and “communist totalitarian forces.” To distract people from the Jamboree fiasco, both citizens and businesses have been mobilized. In relation to this, foreign media reported that the news of the Jamboree shutdown ceremony, coupled with the hastily arranged K-pop concert, revealed a “totalitarian mindset.”

Considering that the government reportedly asked for the cancellation of existing broadcasting music programs, some ruling party members advocated the reunion of BTS for the Jamboree concert ― some of whom are currently serving mandatory military service ― and approximately 1,000 civil servants were mobilized for the concert. Some interpreted and reported the events as indicative of a “totalitarian mentality.”

To ensure the endurance of totalitarianism, North Korea employs a strategy including the establishment of a clandestine surveillance apparatus that enables arbitrary denunciations, and subsequently, directing the accused individuals to political prison camps.

On the other hand, armed with a totalitarian mindset, the current administration utilizes tactics such as counter-accusations, lawsuits against government and ruling party critics, extensive search and seizure operations and frequent issuance of arrest warrants to psychologically undermine and subdue citizens, all in an effort to consolidate power. Currently, South Korea is moving towards alignment with “fascist totalitarianism” camouflaged as “democracy” resembling the situation in North Korea. This emphasizes the need to be cautious of totalitarianism on the Korean Peninsula and within our society.

Jeon Su-mi (sumijeon@ssu.ac.kr), an attorney, is an invited professor at the Soongsil Institute for Peace and Unification. She was a member of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation.