Published on August 29, 2019.
This article continues the interview with Lee Woo-youn, “South Korea’s Conscience,” published in the monthly magazine WiLL.
It discusses the current state of conservative intellectuals in South Korea, the danger of criticizing anti-Japanese sentiment, the Moon Jae-in administration’s anti-Japanese diplomacy, the reasons why comfort women and wartime laborer statues distort history, and Lee Woo-youn’s warning that anti-Japanese tribalism will lead South Korea into economic, social, and historical crisis.

August 29, 2019.
One reason I oppose the installation of the statues is that they distort the history of the comfort women and wartime laborers.
The comfort women were not forcibly taken away, and they were not “sex slaves.”
The following is the continuation of the previous chapter.
Correct anti-Japanese tribalism.
Matsuki.
By the way, what has happened now to South Korea’s conservative intellectuals?
Should they not courageously assert their presence?
Lee.
Many conservative intellectuals are also inclined toward anti-Japanism, and conservatives who criticize anti-Japanese tribalism are a minority.
Moreover, even for them, it would be difficult to have the courage to come out.
In South Korea, criticizing anti-Japanese tribalism is extremely dangerous.
In the case of politicians, they must stake their political lives on it.
Also, anti-Japanism is the best card for South Korean politicians, because it allows them to gain maximum support at minimum cost.
Therefore, they cannot stop anti-Japanism.
The same is completely true of conservative intellectuals.
Matsuki.
In that case, it seems unlikely that they are willing to hold a joint press conference together with you, Professor Lee.
Lee.
There are no people who have such a will, and there probably will not be any in the future either.
If there is an exception, it is that around ten conservative politicians participated in the book concert, a symposium and signing event, that we held for Anti-Japanese Tribalism, published this time and co-authored by Lee Woo-youn and others from Mirae Publishing.
Matsuki.
For you, Professor Lee, where is the immediate enemy?
The media, or speech, labor unions, the Moon administration…
Lee.
The most important thing is to make the Moon administration abandon its anti-Japanese foreign policy.
However, in the long term, only by correcting the historical distortions of South Korean society as a whole will problems like the present one no longer arise again.
Matsuki.
Professor Lee, you speak openly and call for opposition to the installation of comfort women statues and wartime laborer statues.
Why is that?
Also, what is the true meaning of the words “anti-Japanese tribalism is what will destroy South Korea”?
Lee.
One reason I oppose the installation of the statues is that they distort the history of the comfort women and wartime laborers.
The comfort women were not forcibly taken away, and they were not “sex slaves.”
The laborers were not forcibly taken away either, and it was not slave labor.
In other words, these statues distort history to that extent.
The second reason is that if history is distorted to such a degree, a society cannot obtain lessons from “history,” which may be called the “best textbook” for a society, that is, lessons and guidelines for present and future development.
The distortion of history is an act of suicide that obstructs our development in the long term.
The third reason is that, in the short term, worsening relations with Japan harms the economy, the military, society, and other areas.
In such a grave situation, actions that deliberately worsen relations with Japan, attitudes that refuse to learn from history in the long term, and attitudes that distort history will bring crisis to South Korea.
When I say that “South Korea may perish,” in the short term it means that an economic crisis will come in the near future.
In the long term, it means that a country that distorts history and willingly tells nothing but lies both at home and abroad will perish.
Matsuki.
Frankly speaking, how do you view the actual situation of the comfort women and wartime laborers?
Also, although the “review of the past” should have ended, why do they repeatedly bring up irreversible promises again?
Is this South Korea’s dependency, or is it extortion?
Lee.
South Koreans believe that South Korea is an angel of “absolute good,” and that Japan is a demon of “absolute evil.”
Therefore, the fundamental idea of South Korea’s anti-Japanese tribalism is that “South Korea may do anything to Japan, and Japan has no choice but to accept whatever is done to it.”
If South Korea cannot escape from anti-Japanese tribalism, this kind of thing will continue in the future as well.
This article continues.