[The Editors' Verdict] The Language of Despair and the Language of Hope Left by Martial Law

Destructive and Exclusive Language in the Emergency Decree
Overpowered by the Common-Sense Language of Citizens and the Constitutional Court
Words Survive Across Generations

Human beings, as 'thinking entities,' are expressed and recorded through language. Language endures as a record, connecting people across generations. Humanity is made up of words. Words are a double-edged sword. The proverb, "Those who rise by words fall by words," means that while skillful speech can bring popularity, careless words can become a blade that wounds oneself.

"I do not pledge loyalty to individuals."

During the period of martial law, Kim Hyeonggi, then commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Army Special Warfare Command, returned this famous phrase directly to former President Yoon Suk-yeol?a phrase that had helped establish Yoon's reputation as a 'tough prosecutor' and propelled him to stardom. In 2013, while investigating the 'National Intelligence Service online comment scandal,' Yoon testified at a parliamentary audit, claiming that there had been improper investigative directives from superiors, and left behind these words.

On April 21, Kim appeared as a witness at the second trial hearing regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol's alleged insurrection charges, stating, "There is something I must say," and shared his thoughts. He said, "Since first enlisting as a soldier, I served in the military for 23 years, and what never changes is the duty to protect the nation and its people," adding, "I do not pledge loyalty to individuals. I am loyal to the organization, and the organization exists to protect the nation and its people." This was a roar directed at former President Yoon. It is said that Yoon listened to Kim's remarks with his eyes closed, and only looked at Kim as his statement concluded. It was a moment when the words that made Yoon Suk-yeol a prosecutor?and later a president?returned to him like a boomerang.

On the night of December 3, I reflect again on the words former President Yoon unleashed. That night, the language of the emergency decree was the most destructive weapon. 'Shameless,' 'arch-villain of all nations,' 'vicious acts,' 'immediate execution'... The words were exclusive and regressive. All state violence begins by taking away 'words.' Just as the new military regime in the 1980s stripped Gwangju of its language, the 'emergency decree' broadcast live to the entire nation that night was a plagiarism of the martial law proclamations from the era of military dictatorship. The 'fascist language,' unsealed after half a century, left a deep wound on the people.

However, in a world hyperconnected by social networking services (SNS), the statement "All media and publications are subject to martial law command" became meaningless. "We are heading to the National Assembly." From the declaration to the lifting of martial law, citizens exchanged words and took action at an unprecedented speed through SNS over the course of 150 minutes, ultimately stopping the emergency decree. The power of citizens' connected language disarmed the oppressive language of the highest authority.

What judged the emergency decree, written in irrational and exclusive language, was the 'language of the Constitutional Court,' composed in the common-sense language of ordinary people. Among the impeachment decision statements, the sentence, "The National Assembly was able to promptly resolve to lift the emergency decree thanks to citizens' resistance and the passive performance of duties by the military and police," drew particular attention. The reason people were moved by this sentence was that it confirmed, in the language of the Constitution, that the values and common sense our society has pursued were not wrong.

Language survives, making it possible for 'the dead to save the living,' and it is language that connects us even in the darkest night. This is a phrase left by author Han Kang in her Nobel Prize in Literature acceptance lecture. "While writing novels, there were moments when I felt that the past was helping the present, that the dead were saving the living. Even in the darkest night, language asks what we are made of, insists on imagining from the perspective of those living on this planet, and connects us."

Cho Youngcheol, Content Editing Team 1 Leader