ed $4 for war dead?

Bereaved families deserve proper compensation

It is nonsense for the government to pay 5,000 won ($4.3) to the family of a soldier killed in action during the Korean War. It has belatedly become known that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) decided to pay the pittance to a sister of the deceased in April.

The decision came after the sister won a lawsuit against the ministry which refused to pay any compensation for her brother’s death. The reason for the refusal was that such a compensation claim should be filed within five years after the death of soldiers. After losing the court battle, the ministry offered her 5,000 won.

Has anyone ever thought that the death of a soldier fighting to defend freedom and the nation during the Korean War is only worth the value of a hamburger or two? Judging from common sense, the answer is definitely no. However, the ministry defied common sense. Citing its outdated and rigid regulations, it claimed that the sum is legitimate.

The decision is reminiscent of the Japanese government’s 2009 decision to pay 99 yen (less than $1) to each of the forced Korean laborers who were mobilized to work at factories in Japan during World War II. South Koreans became angry about the meager sum Japan’s Social Insurance Agency (SIA) offered as part of a welfare pension refund to seven Korean women who were forced to work during Japan’s colonial rule.

What’s the difference between the decisions made by the MPVA and the SIA? In both cases, the calculated sum did not reflect inflation and interest rates of the past decades. One may argue that Japan intentionally offered the unreasonably low sum due to its sheer reluctance to admit its past atrocities and its refusal to pay compensation for them.

But, why has the Korean government become stingy on the compensation for soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the nation? The problem stems from a lack of recognition of the war dead and their dedication to the nation.

It is a shame that government officials do not know how to sort out and treat patriots and veterans for their contribution to protecting the country from North Korean aggressors. They are bureaucrats who only stick to irrational regulations that no longer work to properly honor and respect patriots and veterans.

The government should accept a recommendation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission that it should raise the absurd amount of compensation to a sensible level. Many soldiers made invaluable sacrifices during the war. We Koreans owe so much to them. The government should do its best to relieve the pain and sorrow of their bereaved families.