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Jimmy Park's avatar

I fully understand and appreciate what Günter Grass sought to achieve through his literature in postwar Germany: challenging the culture of silence and urging the public to confront guilt, memory, and responsibility.

Before the war, Germany was one of the most advanced countries in Europe. Yet, under the distorted leadership of an extraordinary far-right leader, the entire continent was plunged into war. Given this historical context, I believe the German people in the postwar era could hardly disagree with the message conveyed by Günter Grass’s literature.

When Kim Ji-ha began his literary and political activities, South Korea was struggling to escape poverty. At that time, the country was governed by an authoritarian military regime. The military leadership was drawn from what was arguably one of the most elite groups in Korean society, and its stated mission was to overcome generations of entrenched poverty and save the nation. In this respect, Korea’s circumstances were considerably different from those of Germany at the time. I believe the Korean people gave their leaders overwhelming support.

During that period, politically engaged intellectuals in Korea, including poets like Kim Ji-ha, resisted the authoritarian government. However, through rational reflection and a consideration of historical experience, many of them could not help but acknowledge the enormous sacrifices made by the national leaders of that era, which contributed to Korea’s remarkable development into the country it is today.

Although Germany and Korea had very different historical backgrounds and followed distinct paths of development, I believe Günter Grass and Kim Ji-ha shared one important characteristic: both made significant contributions to the development of democracy in their respective countries through literature.

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