"When It Is Time for a Comprehensive Social Discussion to Reassess Exercise"
Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon is speaking at the discussion forum "Talking about the 21st General Election! Lost Conservative Politics, What is the Solution?" hosted by Future United Party lawmakers Yoo Ui-dong and Oh Shin-hwan at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Jin Joong-kwon, former professor at Dongyang University, commented on the controversy surrounding Yoon Mi-hyang, the elected proportional representative of the Democratic Party of Korea and former chairperson of the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeondae), saying, "I hope this incident becomes an opportunity to rescue and preserve more purely the essence of the movement carried out by the true heroes, the grandmothers."
On the 26th, Jin posted on his Facebook, stating, "I believe that is the will of the grandmothers who have already passed away and the few remaining grandmothers."
He added, "Walter Benjamin once spoke about 'rettende Kritik' (redemptive criticism). Criticism is not meant to annihilate the other but to rescue and preserve what should be saved even within their errors," emphasizing, "I believe criticism of Jeonguiyeondae should also be of that nature."
He continued, "Unconditionally defending Jeonguiyeondae's 30 years of activities is a way of discarding what should be rescued, and completely denying all 30 years of their activities also deviates from principles," explaining, "Grandmother Lee Yong-soo has repeatedly expressed that this is not a call to end the comfort women movement at this point."
Grandmother Lee Yong-soo (92), a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, is holding a press conference on the afternoon of the 25th at the Inter-Burgo Hotel in Manchon-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu. Photo by Yonhap News
He said, "We should not play our own games based on party interests but humbly listen first to those voices," adding, "In fact, the grandmothers have given us a very difficult task. It is time to reflect on the movement so far and have a comprehensive social discussion to reexamine this movement."
He further noted, "While accounting issues are certainly important, I hope we do not forget that this point is even more crucial."
Earlier that day, Jin also posted another message strongly criticizing women's organizations that defended Yoon Mi-hyang, saying, "They have thoroughly failed to accept the message that Grandmother Lee Yong-soo is sending."
Jin stated, "The women's organizations siding with Yoon Mi-hyang have no idea 'what the problem really is.' They probably believe that once the situation is somewhat settled and time passes so everyone forgets this incident, the problem will resolve itself. What disappears there is the grandmothers' voices. They will be buried again," he pointed out.
He criticized, "They often talk about the '30-year movement,' but those 30 years belong to the grandmothers' history, not a history to be hijacked by themselves," adding, "Even if those 30 years were entirely theirs, the 30 years of activists' efforts do not seem heavier than the grandmothers' 80 years of suffering."
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