2024-04-10 18:31:14
Professor Pardo, author of ‘From Shrimp to Whale’
Highlighting major events in Korea from 1948 to 2023
“Equality-accepting diversity and taking a different path from North Korea
“Korean culture is popular for its appropriate harmony with foreign cultures.”
“The biggest event that changed Korea was the Miracle on the Han River and the subsequent transition to democracy.”
Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korean studies expert and professor of international relations at King’s College London, who published the new book ‘From Shrimp to Whale’ (Open Books, Photo) this month, said this in a written interview with the Dong-A Ilbo.
A native of Spain, he has been concurrently holding the ‘Korea Chair’ specializing in Korean issues at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium since 2017. The new book chronologically examines the major events in Korea’s modern and contemporary history from 1948 to 2023 and sheds light on Korea’s growth from a ‘shrimp’ to a ‘whale’ on the international stage. He analyzed from an outsider’s perspective the process by which the world’s poorest country joined the ranks of developed countries after the Korean War through rapid economic, social, and cultural growth.
He said, “Without it (the Miracle on the Han River and the transition to democracy), Korea would not have been able to achieve technological development like it does today and have a mature democracy that serves as an example to others,” and “It could have remained a dictatorship like North Korea.” “He said. The book highlights both the light and dark side of Korean society, which achieved in just 20 or 30 years what Western countries achieved over 200 years. He said, “One of the reasons why Korea was able to grow so rapidly is because of the unique temperament of Koreans. Korea could have given up (on growth) due to its unstable geographical location and lack of resources, but it did not.”
Professor Pardo explains that after economic growth, a wave of ‘civic nationalism’ spread in South Korea, allowing it to take a different path from North Korea. They rejected the traditional way of thinking based on Confucianism and developed an accepting attitude toward equality and social diversity. He said, “Civic nationalism is the concept that if someone contributes to society and the country, that person should be accepted equally regardless of race, region, or nationality.” He added, “Many Koreans are unwilling to accept people who want to improve the country as members of that country. “I do it,” he said.
He became very attracted to Korea when he came to study there in 2003. Like its native country, Spain, it experienced a civil war in the late 20th century, but achieved economic growth quickly enough to host the Olympics. He said, “Spain and Korea have very dynamic democracies,” and “The ways of spending leisure time, such as eating, drinking, and singing, are similar, so I felt comfortable in Korea.”
He said that the secret to the recent popularity of Korean culture lies in the appropriate ‘harmony’ between Korea and foreign countries. “In the past, the most popular Asian culture in Europe was Japanese culture, but it just felt ‘exotic,’” he said. “Korean artists are good at combining their roots with what they learned abroad.” He said, “Many countries have made movies that criticize the gap between the rich and the poor, but what sets the movie ‘Parasite’ apart is that it is ‘really well made,’” adding, “Koreans can be proud of their country’s cultural achievements.”
Reporter Sa Ji-won [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m so sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news now
2024-04-10 18:31:14