History often clashes with individuals, on various circumstances. So the proud heritage of Gereral Paik once crashed with me, back in my military service. I was kind of shaming, away from my daily routine which really sucked, passing series of military knowledge contests-they called it a 'board', company board, battalion board, division board, and, whatever. Instead of just fuckin' around the barracks and working areas from the early morning, I just read and memorized every single military regulations and various bullshits, and practiced military drill to be selected as 'an exemplary soldier.'
Preparing for boards, I was exempted from field traning excercises, regular physical training sessions, and various duties that I had to do if it were not for the board. I went up to the division level. Then the chance to participate in the General Paik Board came. It was another good chance to get away from the headache of military bullshit.
But.
This General Paik guy made so sick, and I could not even think of participating in the board.
I had to memorize his personal informations like how many sons and daughters he had and when he was born. Plus his magnificent military career as a Korean soldier, not as a member of special team named Gando Special Force who liquidated Korean independent army in Manchuria before he suddenly changed his identity as a (South) Korean war hero. I dropped the chance. I dumped it.
He certainly was, and is a war hero in a way. He won many famous battles of Korean War, and he became the first 4-star general in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. He was not older than 35 when he accomplished all those proud military achievement. After the war, he was appointed as a ambassador to numbers of countries, and he even served as a Minister of Transportation. He was a CEO of one of the goverment-led companies in 1970s. In 1990, still alive, he participated in the construction of War Memorial at Yongsan.
He is not dead yet, and he is recognized officialy by the US Department of Defense as a "War Legend."
Sick.
So sick even to mention things about him
A symbol of irritated history.
An effective and succesful erasure of the past.
History, for one's own sake.
Mass murderer, at the same time a national hero.
Invitations from America.
War legend, as DOA says.
Change of identity.
Transformation of nationality.
A Korean killing Korean rebels for Japanese Imperial Army,
A South Korean killing North Korean Commies for... what?
(He is better than his friend, General Park, or, the President Park.
Paik is still alive, not like his friend Park, who was shot by his men.)
Today,
I read an article about him.
He is to appointed as an honorary general of the army. What the fuck?
"Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, the department of defense is considering to appoint this Paik guy as an honorary general of the army? (Ain't he dead yet?)"
A bitter clash of distorted history and an individual memory. And the guy is admired, adored, and praised by the blind war veterans. Official history records him as a war hero, not a mass murderer of his own people. He is rich, he is powerful, and he is still alive. He will get 5 stars on his forehead as an honorary general of the army soon. 5 stars and his forgotten career as... a (imperial) war hero.
Sick.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paik_Sun-yup
http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B0%B1%EC%84%A0%EC%97%BD
http://bluecabin.com.ne.kr/split99/bsy.htm
http://search.daum.net/search?nil_suggest=btn&nil_ch=&rtupcoll=&w=news&m=&lpp=&q=%B9%E9%BC%B1%BF%B1+%B8%ED%BF%B9%BF%F8%BC%F6