Ra Jong-yil on Korea: History, Memory, and Presidents

In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Ra Jong-yil, a scholar, diplomat, and influential figure in modern Korean politics. We recorded this conversation in his house in Seoul. Born in 1940 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Ra Jong-yil has lived through some of the country’s most defining historical moments. And, in many cases, helped shape them. We talk about his father's role in the Provisional Government in Shanghai alongside Syngman Rhee, Kim Ku, and Ahn Chang Ho. Ra also reflects on his mentorship of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, two presidents who helped usher in Korea’s democratic era, and with whom he later served in high positions as well as in the role of Ambassador of the ROK in the United Kingdom (2001 - 2003) and Ambassador of the ROK in Japan (2004-2007)

The Baekbong Political Culture Research Institute: http://bbi.or.kr/

Inside North Korea's Theocracy (book): https://www.amazon.com/Inside-North-Koreas-Theocracy-Song-thaek/dp/1438473729

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra_Jong-yil

Thank you to Han Jong-chul for helping me record on location: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/

Discussion Outline

0:00 Korea Under Occupation

9:10 Baekbong Na Yong-kyun (Jong-Yil's father)

22:30 Liberal Democracy in Korea

44:18 On Kim Dae-jung

1:07:17 On Roh Moo-hyun

1:27:05 On Compassion, Books, and Myths

 

David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.

 

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Music by Jocelyn Clark

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