Aesthetics Of Surrender
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In the flood of the disappointing and depressing news that are related with the poor performance of president Kim Young-sam and his administration, the recent election of the presidential candidate made the first refreshing news in a long time not only for his New Korea Party but also for the country. Despite so many skeptical and negative rumors, views and opinions expressed by the public as well as by some candidates themselves over its goings, the primary election in which the six presidential hopefuls competed in quite fair conditions was the first political show in our history with the almighty power of the incumbent president being excluded. Quite unexpectedly we came to enjoy this kind of political show for the first time in Korea, and could not but be happy and pleased to see that democracy in our country has taken one step forward in the right direction.
From the beginning the focus of the public attention was directed to the role of president Kim in the process of determining the candidate. Earlier he made it public and clear that he would exercise his influence on the choice of the next presidential candidate for his party in one way or anther in the capacity of the party's leader. But very fortunately for us and for some of the candidates, while very unfortunately for Mr. Kim himself and for his undeclared favorite in his mind, his remarkably weakened authority, and the bottom-hitting popularity made it impossible for him to interfere in the matter. Ironically enough, we came to enjoy more political freedom and democracy in our country owing to his negative as well as unsatisfactory credits and performance as president.
However, the pleasure and happiness such a good show brought to us was undercut abruptly by the unexpected acts and words of the defeated candidates in the competition after the show was over. Quite contrary to their public pledge before the election, three of them began, immediately after the election, to say and do something very strange and funny that totally confused the audience. Judging by their words and actions they had no intention at all to honor the result of the ballot. In other words, they would not accept their defeat in the primary election. We expected innocently to have only one winner and five losers after the show, and hoped to live in a much more simplified world, but now we find ourselves in a world more complicated, simply because there are no losers who admit defeat and give up their struggle. In short, they do not surrender.
Surrender is not an easy word for the strong man of ego to swallow. But for the wise and truly good man who think more of others than of himself, it is not that strange and abominable one. It is very often a word of wisdom and an act of mercy and justice. History shows many cases of beautiful surrender that saved not only the individuals who made it happen, but also so many innocent people from the unnecessary and useless pains, sufferings, sacrifices and deaths.
On the morning of April 19, 1865, during the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the southern troops, seeing his Confederate army hemmed in on all sides without much resources and outnumbered by the Union soldiers, surrendered to General Ullyses Grant, commander of the North, and ended the 4-year Civil War. General Grant was also very generous conqueror. He refused to take Lee's sword and allowed all the confederate officers to keep their horses. "They will need them for the spring plowing," he said simply. Lee told Grant that his men had been living on parched corn for several days, and so the Union soldiers shared their rations with Lee's half-starved veterans. Then General Lee again mounted his horse and rode back to his army. As he rode slowly along the lines, his devoted soldiers pressed around him, their bronzed faces bathed in tears. General Lee, with head bare and tears flowing down his cheeks, bade them farewell in a few words: "men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have done my best for you. My heart is too full to say more."
An act of surrender can also be made and done in the mood of celebration and festivity. Recently the world watched with wonder, awe, and sense of divine retribution, the return of Hong Kong to China from the British hand after 156 years of the colonial rule and possession. Outwardly the ceremony was a great celebration for the world and China, but for the British it was a plain surrender. When China was defeated in the so-called Opium War with the British and surrendered in 1842 and ceded Hong Kong to the British for 99 years' use, they had to swallow the agony of defeat, and at the same time few people on earth would have imagined the time of its return would come with so much thrill of victory, glory and wealth for the Chinese, while the Union Jack would be lowered silently for the last time at midnight of June 30, 1997. Indeed, the British knew how to win in 1842 and know how to surrender in 1997. China too. They knew how to surrender in 1842, and know how to conquer in 1997.
We are taught from early childhood not to surrender under any circumstances once we are in a struggle, fight or war. We know well that to surrender is to put you to shame, ignominy, and contempt, and even to death. We are very ashamed of it, afraid of it, and feel our pride and dignity greatly injured or wounded beyond recovery, if we surrender.
Surrender is a word that has good and important meaning only for well-educated and civilized people. Not to surrender is instinct; to surrender is rational. Being rational is always much more difficult than being instinctive. Deep down under our subconsciousness there lies the primitive and animal instinct to persist, continue to fight, not to yield, and not to quit, even before an inevitable and apparent result. For the primitives there is no such thing as surrender. For them there is only fighting to death.
The time has at last come for us to learn and realize the virtue of admitting defeat, and make an act of surrender look more beautiful and dignified. Our hunger is fed. We live in a time, very fortunately, when beauty in every aspect of life can and should be prized and savored, not only in our furnitures but also in our failures, defeats, and surrenders. We have had enough of the victors and winners. Now we want to see real courage demonstrated by the defeated and the surrenderers. So long as our political leaders, and those would-be leaders do not know and show how to lose beautifully and gracefully, democracy in our country would always lie and writhe in the ugly mud and slime of old faces, obsolete ideas and bigotry.
(August 8, 1997)
From the beginning the focus of the public attention was directed to the role of president Kim in the process of determining the candidate. Earlier he made it public and clear that he would exercise his influence on the choice of the next presidential candidate for his party in one way or anther in the capacity of the party's leader. But very fortunately for us and for some of the candidates, while very unfortunately for Mr. Kim himself and for his undeclared favorite in his mind, his remarkably weakened authority, and the bottom-hitting popularity made it impossible for him to interfere in the matter. Ironically enough, we came to enjoy more political freedom and democracy in our country owing to his negative as well as unsatisfactory credits and performance as president.
However, the pleasure and happiness such a good show brought to us was undercut abruptly by the unexpected acts and words of the defeated candidates in the competition after the show was over. Quite contrary to their public pledge before the election, three of them began, immediately after the election, to say and do something very strange and funny that totally confused the audience. Judging by their words and actions they had no intention at all to honor the result of the ballot. In other words, they would not accept their defeat in the primary election. We expected innocently to have only one winner and five losers after the show, and hoped to live in a much more simplified world, but now we find ourselves in a world more complicated, simply because there are no losers who admit defeat and give up their struggle. In short, they do not surrender.
Surrender is not an easy word for the strong man of ego to swallow. But for the wise and truly good man who think more of others than of himself, it is not that strange and abominable one. It is very often a word of wisdom and an act of mercy and justice. History shows many cases of beautiful surrender that saved not only the individuals who made it happen, but also so many innocent people from the unnecessary and useless pains, sufferings, sacrifices and deaths.
On the morning of April 19, 1865, during the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee, commander of the southern troops, seeing his Confederate army hemmed in on all sides without much resources and outnumbered by the Union soldiers, surrendered to General Ullyses Grant, commander of the North, and ended the 4-year Civil War. General Grant was also very generous conqueror. He refused to take Lee's sword and allowed all the confederate officers to keep their horses. "They will need them for the spring plowing," he said simply. Lee told Grant that his men had been living on parched corn for several days, and so the Union soldiers shared their rations with Lee's half-starved veterans. Then General Lee again mounted his horse and rode back to his army. As he rode slowly along the lines, his devoted soldiers pressed around him, their bronzed faces bathed in tears. General Lee, with head bare and tears flowing down his cheeks, bade them farewell in a few words: "men," he said, "we have fought through the war together; I have done my best for you. My heart is too full to say more."
An act of surrender can also be made and done in the mood of celebration and festivity. Recently the world watched with wonder, awe, and sense of divine retribution, the return of Hong Kong to China from the British hand after 156 years of the colonial rule and possession. Outwardly the ceremony was a great celebration for the world and China, but for the British it was a plain surrender. When China was defeated in the so-called Opium War with the British and surrendered in 1842 and ceded Hong Kong to the British for 99 years' use, they had to swallow the agony of defeat, and at the same time few people on earth would have imagined the time of its return would come with so much thrill of victory, glory and wealth for the Chinese, while the Union Jack would be lowered silently for the last time at midnight of June 30, 1997. Indeed, the British knew how to win in 1842 and know how to surrender in 1997. China too. They knew how to surrender in 1842, and know how to conquer in 1997.
We are taught from early childhood not to surrender under any circumstances once we are in a struggle, fight or war. We know well that to surrender is to put you to shame, ignominy, and contempt, and even to death. We are very ashamed of it, afraid of it, and feel our pride and dignity greatly injured or wounded beyond recovery, if we surrender.
Surrender is a word that has good and important meaning only for well-educated and civilized people. Not to surrender is instinct; to surrender is rational. Being rational is always much more difficult than being instinctive. Deep down under our subconsciousness there lies the primitive and animal instinct to persist, continue to fight, not to yield, and not to quit, even before an inevitable and apparent result. For the primitives there is no such thing as surrender. For them there is only fighting to death.
The time has at last come for us to learn and realize the virtue of admitting defeat, and make an act of surrender look more beautiful and dignified. Our hunger is fed. We live in a time, very fortunately, when beauty in every aspect of life can and should be prized and savored, not only in our furnitures but also in our failures, defeats, and surrenders. We have had enough of the victors and winners. Now we want to see real courage demonstrated by the defeated and the surrenderers. So long as our political leaders, and those would-be leaders do not know and show how to lose beautifully and gracefully, democracy in our country would always lie and writhe in the ugly mud and slime of old faces, obsolete ideas and bigotry.
(August 8, 1997)
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