By Cho Yong Jun ("Elvis")
Potentiality '99, Daejin University, English Department, pp. 130-131, 1999.
517-70 KongReung-Dong, NoWon-Gu
Seoul 139-241
November 24, 1998
Managing Editor
The Korea Herald
1-12, 3-ga, Hoehyon-dong, Chung-Gu
Seoul, 100-771
Dear Editor:
Finally, Japanese movies will be imported and be in Korea theaters for
the first time. It is so significant an issue because it is absolutely
legal, while Japanese culture has come in illegally until now. Because
of the old-fashioned character of bureaucrats, there will also be regulation
among the opening, but I am sure that it can increase the opportunity that
we can understand Japanese culture.
We must check our attitude about accepting their culture. Japanese culture
has two faces. One is a high-level that is at least over 20 years ahead
of ours. The other is, simply to say, pornography. Which one should we
choose? Most people will say we must choose the former only. But, it is
so thoughtless.
I am never going to protect pornography. Certainly, it will be harmful.
But, we should not regulate it for it is a matter of freedom to choose.
If it is regulated, we will be just like babies who eat only food their
mothers give them, and it will be the same situation forever.
Bureaucrats of the Culture Department ought to know that we are high enough
in national standards of culture to choose which one is good or not. Even
if we take the bad, we will be capable of filtering it out.
Culture is like air. It is useless to screen it out. We are living in a
democratic country, not a communist country. Goverment should trust the
people, and give them all the rights of freedom and guarantee it.
Sincerely yours,
Cho Yong Jun
Freshman
English Department of
Daejin University