British Ambassador Speaks Out on MacArthur Controversy

British Ambassador to Korea, Warwick Morris has now spoken out in regards to the current General MacArthur statue controversy in Inchon by sending this letter to the Chosun Ilbo:

“I have been saddened to read that a group of protestors attacked and called for the removal of the statue of the U.S. general MacArthur in Incheon. The statue was erected to commemorate the Incheon Landing, which he led, and which was one of the most decisive interventions of the Korean War. British naval vessels were among those involved. By attacking his statue and his memory, these protestors are also denigrating ALL those foreign soldiers under the UN command, who came to fight alongside South Korea in that war. There were men and women from more than 20 nations involved, including my own. Tens of thousands of them gave their lives so that South Korea should remain free and independent. Without the fierce allied fighting that followed there was a real chance that South Korea, by then pinned down to Busan, would have been overrun.

“None of us can change our country’s history. What happened, happened, and we should respect the right for people to demonstrate peacefully, but these protestors risk alienating more than just American friends. I am glad there have been some firmly-worded editorials, and that a number of leading figures, including Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, have spoken up. They need to, and strongly, if good friends of Korea and war veterans from many countries are not to feel insulted.”

The good ambassador is absolutely right about this. These protesters shame all the soldiers from all the countries involved in the UN force that came to the aid of South Korea during the Korean War. Notice however in his letter he only mentioned Foreign Minister Ban speaking out strongly against the hate groups. He did not mention President Roh Moo-hyun. President Roh has only spoken out vaguely against the protesters and it appears Ambassador Morris may be hinting that the President should take a tougher stand against these hate groups. I would be surprised if President Roh did that however, because these hate groups form part of his political base. It would be like Howard Dean speaking out against Moveon.org, PETA, and the evironmental wacko groups. It would be political suicide for him.

It may be political suicide for President Roh anyway because these hate groups may have made a big error in going after the MacArthur statue. Average Koreans are embarrassed and getting fed up with the actions of these hate groups. Look what some Koreans had to say in this LA Times article reprinted on Newsmax:

The imposing statue was erected in 1957 in Freedom Park atop a pedestal with the inscription, “A man to hold eternally in honored memory.”

Freedom Park is not a usual venue for protests; it is a place where retirees play mah-jongg and toddlers chase pigeons.

“These protesters are just stupid kids who don’t know what happened during the Korean War. Because of them, our park is full of riot police,” said a 51-year-old hairdresser, Lee Jong Sun, who wandered off muttering under her breath: “Crazy! Idiots!”

Jeon Gap Su, a 72-year-old retired military officer, recalled being among the onlookers on Sept. 15, 1957, when the statue was dedicated.

“Back then, if anybody had protested they would have been shot instantly. It would have been clean and easy,” Jeon said. “It was clean and easy in those days.”

I don’t advocate shooting the hate groups and actually don’t care if they protest. What they shouldn’t have the right to do is assault policemen and destroy property. These people should be jailed and given stiff fines. Why this is not happening I can only ponder is because of political reasons.

It is definitely not clean and easy anymore.