-----
(5) FacebookYoung Kim
탈고! 논픽션 '김일성의 아이들'
작년부터 조금씩 써왔던 신간 <김일성의 아이들> 원고를 방금 마무리지었습니다. 처음 생각보다 쓸 내용이 많아져서 책이 5장까지 나왔습니다. 글을 마무리 지으면서 참 많은 생각들이 스쳐갔습니다.
작가에게는 글을 써야 하는 이유가 있을 때가 있습니다. 마음속에서 뭔가 용암처럼 꿈틀거리며 넘쳐날 때가 있는 것이죠. 저에게는 1950년대 동유럽에 살았던 북한 전쟁고아들에 관한 이야기가 그런 것 같습니다.
이미 영화로 나온 이야기를 왜 또 굳이 책으로 쓰려고 하는지 묻는 사람도 있을 것 같습니다. 글쎄요... 책에는 영화에서 담지 못했던 이야기들이 참 많았습니다.
저에게 책과 영화를 가르는 기준은 명확했습니다. '증거'와 '증언', 그걸 입증할 수 없는 이야기들은 모조리 책으로 넘겼습니다. 영화에서만큼은 철저하게 객관적 사실로 입증된 것만을 모으려 했기 때문입니다. 그래야 논란도 피할 수 있을 테니까요.
하지만 버리기엔 너무 아까운 이야기들이 많았습니다. '그럼 책으로 기록을 하자'라는 생각이 들었던 것은 그런 이유였습니다. 벌써 작년 겨울의 일입니다. 저에게 책은 거창한 기록이라기보다는 일상의 작은 기록들이었습니다. 영화를 제작하면서 만났던 많은 사람들과의 추억도 한몫을 했습니다. 힘겨울 때마다 기적처럼 짠하고 나타났던 천사와도 같았던 사람들. 책에는 그런 이야기들을 담았습니다.
마지막 탈고를 하면서 속이 후련할 것 같았는데, 솔직히 마음이 많이 아프네요. 글쎄요. 무슨 이유가 있겠죠.
돌이켜 보면 한 편의 영화를 만드는 과정은 1950년대라는 시간 속으로 북한의 전쟁고아들을 만나러 떠난 여행과도 같았습니다. 어디 숨어 있는지도 모를 정도로 막막했던 그들의 존재를 하나하나 찾아내는 것은 마치 숨바꼭질이라도 하는 기분이 들 정도로 흥미로운 순간들이었습니다.
그 길고 긴 시간 여행이 한 권의 책으로 마무리가 되어가고 있네요. 시작이 있으면 끝이 있고, 만남이 있으면 헤어짐이 있듯이 아이들의 숨겨진 역사와 나의 인연도 언젠가 끝이 있겠죠. 하지만 자연과 생명의 이치에서 죽음은 끝이 아니라 새로운 시작을 위한 준비입니다.
그렇게 계속해서 누군가 이들의 행적을 추적하길 바랍니다. 제가 쓴 책은 그 밑거름이 되었으면 좋겠습니다.
제목을 뭐로 할까 고민이 많았는데, 그냥 영화 제목에 '논픽션'을 추가해서 '김일성의 아이들'로 계속 가기로 했습니다. 지금 마지막 편집이 진행 중이고, 대략 11월 말쯤에는 한 권의 책으로 모습을 드러내지 않을까 생각됩니다. 그때까지 많이 응원해주세요.
===
OCT 25
Ok-kyung Pak
Sejin, I don't know if you have been following this man. He made a documentary film 김일성의 아이들 which has been shown in korea and has been invited by many international documentary film festivals.
Ok-kyung Pak
sent 7 hours ago
I saw the film and was very much touched by what was portrayed in the film about north korea. But his out spoken position turns out to be the opposite ( cruel, dictatorship.. presented by a journalist of 조선일보' supported by the ameriican ambassor Harris) to what i understood from the film, which came as a great surprise! In other words, north korea bashing....
If you have an opportunity, please watch the film or pay attention to the fliw of discourse...
---
---
Facebook Messenger correspondence between OK and Sejin below
from May to September
---
Sejin
Sejin
Yes, but I haven’t read this article. But it appears to lean toward the “rightwing” , ie against 민족주의
Will read later
Korean wikipedia is useful to check any historical issues.
English wikipedia is linked to Korean, so you can check both
You should instal wikipedia app on your phone, and use it all the time like a dictionary
There is a NK book and TV drama on the NK land reform too.
The drama was good, may be 10 parts
Youtube
I have the NK book
Thank you.
I will read the wikipedia and install it.
This article is by a man ( on his fb) who made the documentary film (김일성의 아이들) on north korean children sent to eastern europe(poland, rumania...) for temporary adoption during the korean war.
Sejin
I know
Sejin
I can see that the author is basically quoting from the book: ????????? ????????? ??????, ?????????. ????????? is a part of a group of authors who wrote a well known rightwing book. Actually, I support a significant part of what they criticize about Korean nationalism.
Korean nationalism is sympathetic to the NK view.
1So the film director is more or less rightwing.
May be you were surprised to discover this.
So, what needs to be understood is not about the NK landreform, but the contending perspectives on Korean history.
1That is the big picture.
What is the title of the book?
You are going too fast. What do you mean
1) "i support a significant part of what they criticize about korean nationalism"?
2) korean nationalism is sympathetic to the north korean view ( on what)?
If i don't know anything about the north korean land reform, how do i underatand (interprete) the contending perspectives on korean history?
Sejin
the land reform issue would be one of 100 issues.
It would be good to read a book that discuss the perspectives. The book will discuss major historcal issues. Actually, ????????? is one of the major issues.
Landreform would also be one.
But they are all related.
What is ???????? In your message?
Sejin
Need to understand the contending perspectives.
Is the NK land reform that is your priority?
to undestand?
Yes
Sejin
Well, then, you read on that alone. But as I said, the film director was quoting from a rightwing book about Kim Ilsung.
May be you read that book yourself.
What is that book - right wing book about kim il sung?
Ah...ok. good. I will read it.
Sejin
The article that you sent me. Look at the end of the article where I put in bold. https://pan-asian.blogspot.com/2020/07/young-kim.html
I do not have this book in my Aladin bookshelf. But I have several books there on North Korean history that would cover the landreform.
But everybook has some perspective.
Which one in your aladin list ?
I don't see " bold part".
This fellow Young Kim is rather strange.
When I watched the film , i did not have the same understanding as his - north korea abandoned its children.
Sejin
The second last paragraph of Young Kim's article: 흥미로운 점은 이런 개혁을 밀어부치기 위해서 만들어졌던 북조선 임시 인민위원회 핵심 간부 17명 중에서 13명이 개혁 이후 숙청 제거됐다는 점이다. 국내파 공산주의자, 민족주의자, 남로당, 연안파, 소련파들의 시체를 딛고 성사시킨 그들만의 ‘민주개혁'이었다. ('김일성 신화의 진실, 김용삼)
Sejin
I put bold on the book author and title.
where did you watch the film?
He said "abandoned the children"?
Compared with south korean approach of selling the orphans, n. Korea sent children with teachers and made it clear that it is a temporary measre and they will take back the orphans , and they did.
Sejin
And?
You mean that he said NK abandoned the children?
Some children did not want to go back.
They had difficulty in the beginning to adjust to the new environment , but after a number of years they saw a different system- society.
Sejin
What did the direct try to say?
director
Yes. That's the sense he conveyed in his folliwing discussions.
Sejin
abandoned?
Where can I watch the film?
It is 2am, need to go to sleep.
Yes.
In the film the director' voice is much more neutral, but started. changing in his discussions
Sejin
bye
Bye
Sejin
Basically, the director is critical of NK, and also critical of anyone in SK sympathetic to NK.
I gave donnation 15만원, when i read the scenario (advertisement) of the film and i tought his film presents a completely different situation from south kirean foreign adoption. But gradually his statements and media contacts ( 조선일보, 태영오) were turning to a direction that i did not expect.
Because of my donnation, he allowed me to watch with pass word on Vimeo.
But i did not take notes! When i asked to watch for the second time, he did not allow, because i already told him that he is twisting his position from the film.
Sejin
I see.
He is faced with criticisms from the leftwing in SK
I can see it from his Facebook articles
His article on the NK land reform should be seen from this larger picture.
In general, he would be critical of anything about NK
OK, will talk to you later. Bye.
I did not expect this turn of the event.
His film is neutral and humanitarian perspective. But he seems to be pressured to make his career and his first media contact/ report was 조선일보..
I cannot remember exact wording in 조선일보.
I asked him if that was what the reporter said and if the reporter watched the film. He said yes. And i told him the reporter is twisting the message of the film and we argued and he did not like what i told him.
1Good night
Sejin
thanks. does it need a password?
it costs $21 Australian to watch
I think it is the price of subscription of vimeo on line for one month. It is commercial.
I would be very interested in knowing what you get out of the film, not what he says about the film.
I paid 15만원 not for the film but a donnation.
Sejin
That is a big donation. I will consider watching it, but a bit expensive to me. The fee is not for month but for two hours.
Today I need to spend some time on something else.
Oh.that's expensive.
I made a big donation because i thought he was praising north korean approach in dealing with the orphans. I wanted to help his perspective to be known, bur it turns out the contrary .
I do not undersrand how and where i went wrong....
When yoy watch, di take notes.
Sejin
About “going wrong”, that is “understanding” the person’s political and historical perspective.
Yes. ...
Sejin
Oh, just for me?
No. For everybody. Announced on fb.sent you just now
Sejin
Oh, ok
But you have to apply. I think
Sejin
Ok, I will watch it
Sejin
Sejin
I know this person. What do you have in mind in sending this too me?
---
I looked up his video, because
One of the images you sent me (above) by telegram was him, but there was no video.
Is this person's position what you call "anti japanese"?
To me, it seems to make sense what he says. That is, what he says corresponds to reality.
According to you, is is it a construction?
Sejin
He is not really an academic Korean historian. He is a history teacher for history exams. He stirs things up. He is not consistent in one way to be called anti Japanese nationalist, but he has that component.
Yes. I noted from
나무 위키.
Sejin
Did you read my facebook link above? Anyway, it takes to much time for me too explain. So I won’t.
It is not so black and white, and takes a long time to understand.
I read your fb comment About 백선엽
Sejin
I would not trust what he says
He is obviously wrong about 백선엽
Most people take your attitude. And are so sure they are right
You don't have to explain anything.
But i was puzzled when you said historical debates are "constructions".
Sejin
There is the notion of the “invention of tradition”. Similar.
Maybe different interpretations?
Sejin
Invention of tradition means what is often thought of as tradition is in reality a modern construction.
Imagined
So then,
what 황연필 (agreed that he is not an academic) is saying is an imagined modern construction, which never existed?
Sejin
I don’t know whether we are talking about the same thing, but what he says about 백선엽 is imagined, as stated in 나무위키.
Sejin
I don’t want to continue this because I am busy.
And, as the debate on 위안부, this is a very emotional issue for many people. They hold this strong opinion without spending a lot of time to find out, often simply by watching videos like that of 황현필. And they are so sure about what they think they know.
I will not continue.
I agree. No problem.
Let's stop here.
One last question.
If most koreans are "anti japanese" and you are not, how do you call your position?
Sejin
Actually, it is a bit more complicated than that. “Most” people in terms of percentage are actually some what neutral. They is the big debate on so called “식민지 근대화”론. To make it simple, there are two opposite sides. Some are in the middle or in the third position. These are intellectual positions. Common people who are interested in politics and history lean toward two polar positions. Still the majority of people are mildly anti Japan, but still like Japanese products and culture, and travel to Japan. 7 million Koreans travel to Japan every year!
Sejin
This is related to the position toward NK.
So, I am not anti NK, but not pro NK.
What is important is that I arrived at my position by studying many years.
I write on these issues in my facebook.
So your are not anti north korea, nor pro n. Korea.
And similarly, you are not pro japan nor anti japan.
Of course, there many in between positions.
Most scholars spend their life time and take / depend their pisition. But the number of years one has been studyng the subject does not make that position right!
I read your fb postings, But sometimes i feel puzzled, like the one you wrote about 백선엽, although i don't know much about him.
Let's stope here
And similarly, you are not pro japan nor anti japan.
Of course, there many in between positions.
Most scholars spend their life time and take / depend their pisition. But the number of years one has been studyng the subject does not make that position right!
I read your fb postings, But sometimes i feel puzzled, like the one you wrote about 백선엽, although i don't know much about him.
Let's stope here
Sejin
Another way of putting is my position is to build peace with NK as well as Japan, whatever the past. The same with so called 친일파. Not regard them as enemy to be destroyed.
About spending time to find out, it is always better to spend time rather than not spending time. That is to find out.
Sejin
If you know a better way of finding out about something without studying, please let me know.
No. I don't.
But at the same time, studying about something for many years does not guarantee one's position is "correct".
Sejin
Please let me a better way.
I just came back from a one hour walk. Very pleasant....
Sejin
Same about buddhism.
For instance
There are several big figures in anthropology/ sociology community, who spent their life time to develop their positions: Levi-Strauss (french structuralist), de Josselin de jong ( Dutch structuralist), Geertz ( (American pgenomenoligist), Wertheim (Dutch marxist).
In my ph.d. thesis i use all of their theories (positions), but at the same time i criticize some of their weaknesses. In the end i construct my own view to interprete the data i collected in indonesian village.
Of course, these big gurus dont liike me and thet did not accept to publish my papers.
Tgat is, i respect their lifetime work, but there are holes in their work and i cannot use them as they are.
Sejin
I do the best way that I know. I can do no better. I would change if I knew a better way. Do you know?
Sejin
About guarantee, I never said that. There is no such thing in anything.
Sejin
It is 2am here
I don't think there is one better way .
The only thing is that: i donot feel comfortable when you say you have been studyng for many years ...and "you know better".(implied) - "arrogance".
Sorry. Go to sleep...
Sejin
I think I know more than you about Korean history, NK and Japan, simply because I spent more time on them.
Sejin
We will not talk about Korea, NK and Japan any more in future.
It is better that way!
---
---
---
No comments:
Post a Comment