Justice after tears
In the 1990s, when the Chinese government initiated its Northeast Asia Project to clarify historical facts and protect that area’s stability, the Segye Ilbo newspaper sent a correspondent to the cities of Dalian and Dandong to do research. The correspondent was eager to visit the site of the Lushun Courthouse in Dalian, formerly a Japanese colonial court in that city, which the Japanese called Ryojun. Yet the courthouse, where a number of Korean patriots had been unjustly tried, was nowhere to be found. The Chinese government had long since sold the building.
My husband and I heard this report with heavy hearts. It pained Koreans to hear how the historical footprints of our heroes and heroines of the Independence Movement, who had risked their lives for Korea’s freedom, were gradually disappearing. We decided to buy the building.
To us, the Lushun Courthouse is priceless. It represents the suffering of the Korean people in modern history and the legacy of their patriotic spirit. Our viewpoint, shared by many Koreans, was that such a historic site should not have fallen into indifferent hands.
In the end, after negotiating with the owner, the Segye Ilbo Corporation bought the building and restored the Lushun Courthouse as a museum. They invited experts to visit the site and, after conducting thorough research of old documents, they recreated the original courtroom. The Lushun Courthouse site is now a must-see historic landmark for freedom for young people from China and Korea and others who visit Dalian.
As this was a project benefiting all of Korea, we invited Korean citizens to contribute money. In 1993, through the Segye Ilbo Corporation, we founded the Yeosun Patriotic Martyrs Memorial Foundation Corporation. Besides gathering historical stories about the bravery, determination and sacrifice of those who fought for Korea’s independence, the Foundation also works for peace in Northeast Asia.
Historically, relations between neighboring countries in northeast Asia have been complicated. Creating peace is like unraveling a ball of tangled yarn; it is difficult to find where to begin. But nothing will be accomplished by sitting with arms crossed. When the Segye Times Corporation reconstructed the Lushun Courthouse, it did so to capture the anguish of the past age and enable visitors to experience the history of the Korean people overcoming a national crisis. It also points to the importance of creating peace within and among nations.
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As well as launching newspapers in Japan and the United States, our movement launched Tiempos del Mundo in Latin America and The Middle East Times in Istanbul. But it was only in 1989 that the Korean government instituted the freedom of the press that allowed us to launch the Segye Ilbo newspaper in Seoul.
February 1, 1989: Founding of Segye Ilbo , Seoul, Korea
Since a religious movement founded the newspaper, we naturally faced opposition. As in the United States and Japan, mockery circulated. “Just watch it become a mouthpiece promoting the Unification Church,” people said, “It’ll be nothing but a religious tract.” The haughtiest voices predicted, “It’ll stop printing before the year is out.”
But our determination to produce a professional news source that could serve Korea by providing fair and unbiased news and opinion was unwavering. On February 1, 1989, the presses started up and 1.2 million copies of the first edition of Segye Ilbo came rolling out. We held fast to the creed that the news media must be the voice of conscience and of the truth. This conviction has remained steadfast for more than 30 years.
Our efforts garnered more than just verbal criticism. After Segye Ilbo exposed the Korean ruling party’s corruption, innocent and unrelated enterprises we had founded were suddenly subjected to overbearing tax investigations that drove some into bankruptcy. The government targeted companies such as Tongil Industries, which produced essential machine parts, and Dongyang Agricultural Machinery, which manufactured specialized farming equipment, and forced them to shut down. Various powerful interests demanded that we fire the newspaper’s chief editor.
We did not surrender to threats or enticements; instead, we raised the banner of social justice and virtue. Over time, with steadfast publishing of valuable news and opinion, Segye Ilbo has prevailed.
When my husband and I conceived of Segye Ilbo , we knew it was being born into the world at a turbulent time. Though it has stood alone as a pine tree in an empty field, Segye Ilbo has consistently defended justice while exposing fraud, corruption and other social ills. The newspaper caters to no political ideology or religious group. Its editors and reporters are exemplary professionals investing their blood, sweat and tears for the citizens of Korea and of the world.