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Gaps in Official History revealed through Oral Testimonies and the Chance of Re-writing History

  • The Review of Korean History
  • 2010, (100), pp.219-251
  • Publisher : The Historical Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

김득중 1

1국사편찬위원회

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The Yosun Revolt is still a controversial subject in the modern historiography of Korea. The official version mainly emphasizes the atrocities committed by communist rebels and makes little attempt to clarify the cause of the revolt, identify leading elements within the revolt, state whether the event was the result of a spontaneous reaction or a conspiracy, or reveal the truth about civilian participation and casualties. Although 60 years have passed, the official version is still accepted as the truth. It was only in the late 1990's that the local residents began to reveal their versions of the event. Despite the initial limited scope of the undertaking, the oral sources collected by concerned local organizations contributed much in correcting errors and bringing hitherto unknown facts to light. The oral sources contain new facts. The official version and the oral sources provide different views on how and why the atrocities were committed and by whom. It’s important to point out that differences that have arisen since the re-examination of the brutalities committed against civilians offer a clue in understanding the true nature of the Yosun Revolt. The most glaring difference between the official version and the oral sources lies in the identity of those who brutalized civilians. Most witnesses recalled that it had been the government forces which treated civilians inhumanely. It’s essential to make an effort to understand the legacy of the Yosun Revolt and its relation to what is currently happening in our country. In South Korea society, the word ‘Ppalgaengi’(reds) embodies extreme hostility and disdain harbored by the speaker against his target. Ppalgaengi is not only used to denote a person who believes in communism, but also ‘a morally wretched non-human who doesn’t hesitate to do harm to his own country and people.’ When a communist is called by such name, it usually implies that the person is someone who should be put to death for his inhumanity. In the world annals of ideological confrontations, it would be impossible to find a word which exudes more hatred and venom than Ppalgaengi. It had been essential for Syngman Rhee’s government to conjure up a common enemy of the state and a despicable group of people because the regime lacked popular support. Through such political machination, the image of communists as murderers was firmly entrenched in the minds of the Korean people. The hostility and antagonism toward communists was part of an identity building process for the Korean people as a nation. It can be said that Koreans were born out of a hatred against the reds. The Yosun Revolt has been mainly used as a pretext for anti-communist propaganda, Therefore, a reexamination of the revolt is not limited to revisiting a specific moment in history, but would require a rewriting of the entire historiography of post-war Korea. Now, we’re standing at a crossroads at which we can choose whether we’ll continue to use the event merely as a pretext for anti-communist propaganda or to use it as a medium to build a society where the others’ lives and human rights are respected and protected.

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