(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
18. In May, President Moon met with survivors and relatives in Gwangju to mark the 39 anniversary of what can best be described as the country's Tienanmen space massacre. A heavily affected Moon met the crowd in the large memorial grove. Crying witnesses were occasionally interrupted by counter-protesters who wanted to "crush the Communists". Large police forces flanked the crowd, but did not intervene.
The contrast between the cheer at Castle Square and the mind and grief of Gwangju could not have been greater. To understand the significance of Moon's visit to Norway, we should stop for a moment by this contrast.
18. May 1980, 236 people, mainly students, were killed or abducted in Gwangju. A peaceful demonstration was met by machine guns and tanks. The head of the country's CIA, Chun Doo-hwan, had come to power by killing dictator Park. Behind South Korea's dictators, murder and intrigue stood the United States. The demonstrations were brutally turned down after nine days, supported by President Jimmy Carter's adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski. The blood flowed in the streets. The churches were filled with corpses, and thousands were wounded in what is later called a massacre. Parliament does not yet agree on the composition of an investigation team for the incident.
Crime Thriller
Unlike us, Koreans do not live in post-war times. They live with an old war tension that is reflected in people's lives, in parliament and in local politics. Koreans do not often speak highly of the past and suffering. Memories of nightly arrests, killings, abductions and revenge are far too fresh. They know how fragile today's democracy is. Behind it all, the nuclear threat and excitement haunt the relatives in the North. Still, the great American bases are being built.
Moon was chosen on a wave of demonstrations as 6 million in the "candle revolution" in the spring of 2017 filled the streets demanding change and peace process against North Korea. It is perhaps ironic that ordinary Koreans hope that US President Trump will be re-elected as the policy of relaxation continues. Moon moves diplomatically sensitive between increased openness towards North Korea and a US use of South Korea as a spearhead against China and Russia. But behind Trump's peace front hovers hawks as adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Democrats who criticize Trump's peace policy.
[ntsu_box title = ”Korean War” style = ”soft” box_color = ”# fdf4f4 ″ title_color =” # bbf2f9 ″] The Korean War from 1950 to 1953 has not yet been formally ended. For almost 69 years, the country has been divided between North and South Korea. Today, there is a ceasefire between North Korea and the United States, which has 28 soldiers in the country in addition to their families and support personnel. President Moon was elected after major popular celebrations in the spring of 500 in the so-called candle revolution. The daughter of a former dictator, Park Geun-hye, was Moon's predecessor in the presidency. She was sentenced to 2017 years in prison for corruption and neglect. Moon has had three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. [/ Ntsu_box]Positive peace
In Oslo, Moon elaborated on what he meant to replace the "structural violence": a "positive peace". That he just chose the words "structural violence" and "positive peace" was hardly coincidental. He will be familiar with the Peace Research Institute's PRIO terminology, where Johan Galtung's concepts are still alive.
The Koreans live with an old war tension that is reflected in people's lives, in parliament and in local politics.
Moon has previously outlined what "positive peace" is all about: failing to set demands for the removal of nuclear weapons at the top of the agenda, and not as demands before talks. First, trust, trade, infrastructure and the like must be developed between all countries in the region, including Russia, China and Japan. The countries must be bound together by an intentional interest. Then one can step down the tension – and the dependence on the military. Peace and trust create security, not the other way around.
In April 2018, the relaxation invitation to North Korea had prompted Kim to move from his "parallel strategy", on nuclear weapons and economic growth, to focus on the economic – a sign that Moon's "sunshine policy" worked.
As one of few top executives, Moon has a good relationship with President Trump. "I am pushing for new talks between Trump and North Korea's leader," Moon said in Oslo. "As soon as possible!" He knows that the United States is crucial to the country's future. Then we can cross our fingers. For Koreans, this is not just smart or pragmatic politics. There is seriousness in the shadow of Gwangju's history. And Moon does not intend to let the Hawks rule the ground alone.
