12 Yi Chŏnghŭi: What does Freedom Mean for Women?

[ “Yŏja ŭi Chayu Nŭn Muŏt,” Sin Yŏsŏng 3, no. 5 (1925): 46–49 ]

In the past, our lives were governed by the Three Bonds and Five Moral Rules ( samgang oryun ). Even those who committed minor infractions of these rules were seen as criminal offenders or uncivilized beasts. In the name of the Three Bonds and Five Moral Rules, even when a king made a mistake or issued an errant command, no one would dare to say a critical word. Subjects only obeyed what they were ordered to do. It did not matter whether parents guided children well or not. Children had to follow their parents’ directions. Only through this kind of obedience were they considered loyal to the king and filial to their parents. If individuals opposed the king or their parents, they were violating the Five Moral Rules, and therefore were considered disloyal and impious. The king regarded his subjects as mere appendages to whom he denied any rights to speak against his wishes, and these subjects assumed such a relationship to be natural and good. Parents thought of their children as their toys and did whatever they wanted to do with them. Children understood their parents’ actions to be correct and accepted them as part of their duty to obey their parents. But that’s not all. The same rules of blind respect held for seniors and teachers. It has always been this way.

The trend of thought that dominates the world nowadays is likewise affecting Korea. The word “freedom” has been introduced to Korea and has become popular since its introduction. The word is on everyone’s lips. Adults, youths, even little children who do not understand what the word means let it spill from their mouths again and again. When adults scold their children for their faults, the children reject any negative comment, saying that they have their own freedom, never thinking about whether their actions were right or wrong. When parents try to teach their children, the children reject any guidance, despite the wisdom of the guidance, arguing that parents do not have the right to tell them what to do. Among friends, when one tries to point out the wrongdoings of another, the other becomes furious, getting into the friend’s face, nose to nose, and accusing the peer of suppressing his or her freedom. These people believe that they should be able to do absolutely anything they wish without restraint. To them, this is freedom. Of course, not everyone shares this view, but there are people who actually act this way. Is this true freedom? Is this the freedom we should hold dear? We need to be more fully aware of this problem, and we must think deeply about the concept of freedom.

So, what is freedom? Is what I described above freedom? I don’t think so. At the very least, a sense of duty and responsibility should accompany the quest for freedom. Freedom without an attendant sense of duty and responsibility is not really freedom; it is just self- indulgence. Can we equate indulgence and freedom? Self-indulgence is an act that shows no concern for social manners, morality, justice, or humanity. Is it freedom if a drunkard staggers through the streets, indiscriminately spitting expletives at strangers? Is it freedom if a person takes off his shirt and walks around openly because it is a scorchinghot day in June? Is it freedom if a wife asks her husband to make his own clothes and cook his own meals because it is now a free world? Is it freedom if a person seeks his or her own loving relationship, not listening to the opinions of parents and friends, hastily and casually marrying out of youthful passion, without considering the character, tastes, health, or family background of the person who is to be his or her life partner?

We have major responsibilities. We are responsible for the universe, for humankind, for society, and for our children. How much do we need to cultivate ourselves to fulfill our duties and responsibilities? We should do our best to improve ourselves and think deeply about the importance of our duties and responsibilities. I believe that true freedom is exercised when one takes action that does not violate moral ideas, justice, or humanity. To put it differently, freedom must conform to rationality. If one chooses to act as one pleases, it will result in an excessive form of individualism ( kaein chuŭi ). Such individualism ignores the suffering of others in order to exercise one’s own freedom. Its priority is self-survival, without the slightest interest in whether others live or die. It does not matter if others are starving, as long as one’s own belly is full. Ultimately, this type of individualism will destroy the individual and, potentially, the entire world.

In daily newspapers we read incredible, unfathomable, and detestable stories of great misery. The people in those stories think of indulgence as freedom. They dabble in the rampant free choice of their partners and eventually fall into a depraved state. Feeling bitter about their situations, they commit unforgivable crimes. In the end, how many of them take their own miserable lives, abandoning important duties and responsibilities as human beings? Or how many of them, indulging in excessive individualism, create miserable conditions for other people? All this happens when one tries to be free, without a strong sense of duty and responsibility to one’s fellow human beings. I am not saying here that one should not pursue one’s own choice for love. I am only saying that one should keep in mind one’s duties and responsibilities. I am not arguing that one should abandon natural individuality ( kaesŏng ). What I am advocating here is the idea that one can assert oneself and enhance one’s freedom in order to pursue a greater way for justice, humanity, and prosperity for all.

I hope my message comes through. To reiterate, blind obedience is the opposite of freedom. Careless behavior is not freedom either. At the very least, freedom can only be meaningful when one is aware of duty, responsibility, justice, humanity, and prosperity for all. We should do our best in cultivating our minds with moral ideas. Freedom in a true sense comes when one strives toward the point of mutual prosperity for all humankind, to become a decent worker for society, to become a good companion for one’s family, and to fulfill the parental duties to one’s children. Failing to do any of these things results in inhumane acts and thereby defiles the very idea of freedom. Especially in the Korean situation, we expect a lot from you, and we all have great duties and responsibilities. I sincerely hope that all of you give serious thought to freedom and cultivate your minds so that you can march toward true freedom.