Preface_Your own eyes to see history

1.
There was no thrill of victory.

Never once has a king been beheaded...17
Why was Wang Jeong bullied?...27
It speaks of the legal tradition of the Republic of Korea...38
Is the Taegeukgi truly a symbol of the nation?...50
Are we all descendants of Dangun?...62
"The General's Son": No Myth...73

2.
We stand on the grave

The Shadow of Manchukuo...89
Meditations on "Pro-Japanese Collaborators"...100
Lee Geun-an, Park Cheo-won, and Noh Deok-sul...110
We stand on the grave...121
Shedding the "Memories of Eradication"...131

3.
Another way to survive: 'dividing the pieces'

Do you know 'true conservatism'?...143
Who is inciting "left-right confrontation"?...154
The label may be different, but the method is questionable...163
The recurring specter of collective punishment...174
Strange, truly strange...186

4.
What if I have some anti-American sentiment?

MacArthur is a benefactor?...201
The 'Cursed Legacy' of the Armistice Agreement...212
US Forces Korea: Do They Have the Right to Be Shameless?...223
The origins of anti-Americanism were pro-Japanese collaborators...236
What if I had some anti-American sentiment?...247

5.
Republic of Korea, a garrison state

The Birth of a Brilliant "Barracks State"...261
Why didn't they drive the stakes...272
Now let's prepare for the conscription system...282
Jeong Yak-yong also raised both hands and feet...289
Is the Ivory Tower a Tower of Military Corruption?...300

Are the issues that have heated up our society—anti- or pro-Americanism, the debate over military service evasion, discrimination against foreign workers, and the far-right media like the Chosun Ilbo—just problems of today? What about the deep-rooted ideological debate between conservatives and progressives, and the issue of liquidating pro-Japanese collaborators? This book traces the roots of these Achilles' heels in our society's modern and contemporary history, and sometimes in the history of other countries, and seeks solutions.
The author examines the past 100 years of modern and contemporary history through 26 themes, dividing them into "eyes that reject bias," to explore how we must view history in order to transform the Republic of Korea into a true Republic of Korea, not a Republic of Korea in slogans.
So, I titled it ‘History of the Republic of Korea.’

It is said that the 'objective narrative' of history is a 'lofty dream' that most historians cherish in their hearts.
This is because there can be no such thing as an objective viewpoint that most, if not all, people can sympathize with.
Therefore, the author emphasizes ‘his own eyes to view history.’
In the author's view of the major issues of history, we discover a broad perspective that rejects bias.

In this book, the author boasts a 'good-natured' writing style that is not typical of a historian.
While he does not easily judge historical truth and maintains a broad perspective, he also shows his characteristic wit by being harsh at certain points.

Speaking of May 16, "Have the remnants of military dictatorship truly been eradicated from this land? Is the military culture that has been constantly reproduced through military dictatorship and conscription disappearing? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
It is not that the remnants of military dictatorship are very well-off in this land.
No, not the remains, not the dregs, but the entire body remains intact,” he laments.
He also talks about the long history of draft dodging, and after reciting Jeong Yak-yong's "Aejeolyang (哀絶.陽)", he vents his anger by saying, "Oh, the Republic of Korea, a republic of virility that is on the verge of extinction because everything that is said to be good for virility has been eaten up! Oh, the terrible draft dodging of our poor ancestors!"
As for the difference between conservatives and conservatives, "You can make poop or soybean paste with the same soybeans.
However, he rebukes them, saying, "Although the materials and colors may seem similar, the difference between a water purifier and a water purifier is as great as the difference between poop and soybean paste."

This popular historical story by historian Han Hong-gu, who "speaks out," as Park No-ja (Professor of Korean Studies at the University of Oslo, Norway) said, "will arouse the viewer's boundless curiosity about history, and will surely be a panacea for our society, which has not been able to overcome the 'chronic illness' of historical perception, such as the Park Chung-hee syndrome."