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The Korean military is an advanced force defending the South Korean people and sharing in the regional and global advance of democracy. Its members carry forward a tradition of excellence for the Korean people. In an era of regional instability with emerging flash points and the failed brother in Pyongyang, its mission is robust and ever important. The pivot to Asia means Korea's military is growing in importance and responsibility.
Also, the modern Korean military has a 50-year practice of requiring national service by Korean sons, the next generation of citizen-leaders. National service molds young minds and bodies into adults who respect the elders on whose shoulders their efforts stand. Without our fathers' sacrifices, including the trials of the Korean War and South Korea's developmental phase, we'd be servants of the North. The chain of Korean progress depends on sober, reasoning and caring men and women in military service.
I read with sadness and anger about the death of Private Yoon Seung-joo. This young man signed up for his military service like tens of thousands of other Korean young men. I've viewed images of him, appearing happy to be joining in this duty. I've viewed video footage of his grieving mother. I thought of my Korean friends and their sons who've served honorably, some as KATUSAs. Their younger brothers in service have disappointed them.
Have you seen the classic movies "Full Metal Jacket" and "A Few Good Men"? They deal with harassment, brutality, bullying, and their effects in military settings. I remember the riveting scenes in these films where soldiers committed suicide as a result of violence. I remember how the films depicted the hard work it takes to unveil the cloak of silence, "honor" and "code" that shroud the death of a comrade. Sadly, a real-life Korean drama unfolded this summer that featured similar themes.
Scapegoating, hazing and bullying characterize many social settings and institutions. Tight-knit institutions such as the police and the military are especially prone to them because their cultures are cloaked in discretion and secrecy. But we can't tolerate violence committed under the guise of discipline, training or courage. It corrupts institutions and compromises human decency.
Perhaps the perpetrators of Yoon's death suffered from the pressures of training. Perhaps they had also experienced bullying in the service, or in their private lives. Perhaps their attitudes, opinions and prejudices found something to mock in the way Yoon walked, talked or acted. Scapegoating and bullying occur for many reasons _ sadly, elementary school behaviors often stick with human beings into adulthood. Identify, study and understand their contemporary faces.
I've read Moon Seung-sook's work on Korean ethics and the "hwarangdo" (noble youth corps) or "uibyeong" (righteous soldiers). Yoon's death shows that the leadership and the rank and file must guard their morals first. After all, a key value of Korean military life is friendship among comrade soldiers, not beatings.
Criminally, Yoon's service earned him betrayal, violence and degradation. The perpetrators should meet with severe punishment. Any supervising officers who sanctioned this conduct must see similar justice.
I'm confident that the Korean authorities will address the crimes committed. They also will look into the culture underlying national service to root out hazing and bullying. The Korean military won't make an outstanding fighting force if Yoon's death goes for naught. An advanced corps doesn't turn "jeong" (loyalty to Korea) and "hyo" (obeying authority) into organized thuggery.
Real men care for one another. While teaching respect for military necessity, don't disrespect yourselves as Koreans and human beings. Yoon's comrades failed to remember the first lessons of Korean culture. Korean men and women love life. You must learn to live what your actions forgot. May all Koreans support Private Yoon's family now.
All military service units should undergo specialized training. Include topics on the dispositions and behaviors of bullying. Honor means upholding each soldier's welfare as a modern-day "hwarang." The Korean military will address this cancer in its midst.
Finally, President Park ought to look into bullying, hazing and scapegoating in other institutions. Too many children and youths in Korean schools and other places learn how to torture and maim before they've reached adulthood. It's time to invest national energy to address this scourge of advancement. Not that it's only a Korean problem, mind you. But the problem in Korea remains for Koreans to address and resolve. Pray do so.
Bernard Rowan is assistant provost for curriculum and assessment, professor of political science and faculty athletics representative at Chicago State University, where he has served for 21 years. He can be reached at browan10@yahoo.com.
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