A national narrative of collectively shared political violence that reflects all cases of violence during the Korean War would only be produced with the state’s approval and the endorsement of investigations into civilian massacres and political executions and purges throughout the country. By viewing the Korean War as a continuum of political tension and clashes with origins that date before 1950 can appropriate investigations be launched in the hope of fostering reconciliation, mutual understanding and forgiveness. As for South Korea, innocent victims of civilian massacres and other forms of violence must be properly acknowledged by its perpetrators. Victims of the Jeju 4.3 Incident, for instance, should receive proper recognition of their victim status and the role of the state in creating a brutal history among fellow South Koreans. The voices of the victims of leftist guerrilla groups must also be heard and recognized.

Thus, the word “national” would refer to the shared history of ordinary South Korean civilians, incorporating even state atrocities, contrary to the previous dominant and nationalistic narrative of the state. The “narrative” of the tragic Korean War would be reconstructed via the memory of the sociopolitical events that occurred before, during, and after the outbreak of the war. This would create several narratives that provide Korean descendants and historians with the opportunity to grapple with the complexity of historical interpretation and enable them to properly assess violence during this time period without the interference of emotion or ideological views. The inclusion of multiple perspectives is also likely to foster toleration and understanding between different sides of the war and prevent the distortion or fabrication of war narratives. Most importantly, the exclusion of an ideological lens when examining the Korean War would help everyone to realize that it is impossible to define a single winner or loser in the aftermath of the war since there is no single narrative that encompasses the actualities of war.

Hyunjae Lee is currently an undergraduate student at Yonsei University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies, with a focus on international relations and regional studies.

Image: Reuters