A Bitter Legacy while Walking the Borderlines
Song Du-Yul or The Persistence of a „Dark Cloud
Policy“


Since 37 years, Professor Song lives in exile in the Federal
Republic of Germany whose citizenship he and his family
acquired back in 1993. Over two decades now, both of us have
nourished a close personal friendship which, among others,
expressed itself in co-authoring articles, editing books and
organizing international symposia that primarily aimed at
helping to promote the democratization process in South Korea
and the peaceful co-existence on the Korean peninsula. 

As a renowned scientist and critical mind, Mr. Song has
clearly and consistently abhorred any apologetic stance,
neither in favor of South Korean nor North Korean state
politics. In this context, the allegation that Professor Song
supposedly is „a North Korean spy“ and “a high-ranking
cadre” of the nomenclature of the DPRK, is just absurd and
ridiculous. This allegation is also anachronistic considering
the fact that since several years now the government in Seoul
officially pursued a “Sunshine Policy” toward the North for
which Ex-President Kim Dae-Jung was awarded the
internationally prestigious Peace Nobel Prize three years ago.
What makes administrative and political agencies in South
Korea believe that Professor Song’s thoughts and ideas pose a
threat to national security?

Professor Song Du-Yul, his wife Chung-Hee and I had planned to
spend the days from October 15–21, 2002 in South Korea
to participate, among others, in the international conference
„International Status of the Democratization Movement in
Korea“ and to share lengthy talks with relatives and friends
alike. Instead of enjoying at least some rays of
„Sunshine Policy“, Mr. Song was then once more
victimized by a dubious „Dark Cloud Policy“. After the
long era of Cold War, he is now embroiled in its chilling
aftermath. Instead of experiencing cosmopolitan, transparent
and democratic forms of conduct, which at any rate should be
appropriate for an OECD member state like the Republic of
Korea, Mr. Song is treated like an outcast.

It is high time to also adequately honor a person like
Professor Song Du-Yul in his homeland, especially given the
fact that simultaneously in South Korea as well as in Germany
two new books authored by him were published a couple of
months ago: „Kyunggyein ui Sasaek“ (Hankyoreh Shinmun,
Seoul) and „Schattierungen der Moderne –
Ost-West-Dialoge in Philosophie, Soziologie und Politik“
(Nuances of modernity  – East-West-Dialogues in
Philosophy, Sociology and Politics; PapyRossa Verlag,
Cologne). The thoughts explicated therein and the ideas
elaborated on are worth to be studied in depth and they duly
merit academic as well as political disputes. This, of course,
presupposes direct communication and humane relationships
– a right which has not yet been accorded to Song
Du-Yul. 


Dr. Rainer Werning, PhD, MA  *  Seoul, December 1, 2003
Chairperson & CEO of Korea Verband e.V. &
Communication and Research Centre of Korea Association at Asia
House, Essen/Germany