Fight for independence or remain loyal to Japanese employer?

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Brenda Creech
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Fight for independence or remain loyal to Japanese employer?

Post by Brenda Creech »

Japan had occupied Korea for many years when the South Korean King was poisoned. Mr. Seoh worked in the Japanese Bank and had just gotten a promotion. His friend, Mr. Koo, approached him about joining an uprising to regain their independence from Japan. Mr. Seoh had a decision to make: fight for Korea's independence with his fellow Korean's, or protect his job, and probably his family. If you have read the 5th chapter, do you think he made the right decision?
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Post by Cristina Chifane »

I think Mr. Seoh's behavior is pretty duplicitous. On the one hand, he doesn't openly join his friend in his fight for independence and chooses to keep his job at the bank. On the other hand, he receives Mr. Koo in his house whenever he needs it and also gives some money to the cause every time he can. His position was not different from that of other aristocrats or middle-class Koreans of the time, who used to secretly fund the resistance movement. If you ask me, their attitude was nothing but a comfortable way to appease their guilty conscience.
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Post by cd20 »

I think he did what most people do, look out for their family and take care of self. He knew if he joined Mr. Koo he risked his job, and ultimately his home. His wife was having another baby and they needed their income. I think had he been in a different position he might have made a different choice.
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Post by Brenda Creech »

cristinaro wrote: 02 Jan 2021, 08:17 I think Mr. Seoh's behavior is pretty duplicitous. On the one hand, he doesn't openly join his friend in his fight for independence and chooses to keep his job at the bank. On the other hand, he receives Mr. Koo in his house whenever he needs it and also gives some money to the cause every time he can. His position was not different from that of other aristocrats or middle-class Koreans of the time, who used to secretly fund the resistance movement. If you ask me, their attitude was nothing but a comfortable way to appease their guilty conscience.
I agree about appeasing their guilty conscience. Also, It would be a tough decision to make for anyone! Mr. Seoh was a classic example of the proverbial saying being "between a rock and a hard spot!"
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Post by Brenda Creech »

cd20 wrote: 02 Jan 2021, 18:57 I think he did what most people do, look out for their family and take care of self. He knew if he joined Mr. Koo he risked his job, and ultimately his home. His wife was having another baby and they needed their income. I think had he been in a different position he might have made a different choice.
You are right, he did what most people would do. His circumstances were compounded not by just having a family, but with a new baby on the way. I believe he would have joined the uprising if his circumstances had been different. Although, the one thing I felt should not be significant in his decision was his recent promotion. It felt like he did not want to lose the prestige of the higher rank he had just acquired. I had to wonder which was his top priority - family or prestige? I choose to believe it was family.
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Post by Phelicia Gloria »

For me I think he could have fought for independence, this was going to save many people including the family, for me I could have fought for independence, and save my country. I might secure a job there in future.
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Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

These kinds of decisions are what I call "a rock and a hard place" decisions. One is about self-preservation (taking of yourself and your family), and the other is about the bigger picture (fighting for the future of your world). As a female, in the early 1900s, I would really only have the choice of supporting my husband's decision. I imagine that I would be conflicted and that I would probably choose self-preservation until things got to be bad. In reality, though, none of us really know what we'll do until we are actually in that situation.
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Post by Brenda Creech »

Phelicia Gloria wrote: 04 Jan 2021, 02:25 For me I think he could have fought for independence, this was going to save many people including the family, for me I could have fought for independence, and save my country. I might secure a job there in future.
Yes, he could have made the choice to fight for the independence of his country. Perhaps the fact that he and his wife were expecting a baby was the deciding factor for him in choosing not to join the uprising. There are some who never know until actually faced with a situation what their decision would be! But, you are right, he could have chosen to fight!
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Post by Brenda Creech »

MrsCatInTheHat wrote: 04 Jan 2021, 08:37 These kinds of decisions are what I call "a rock and a hard place" decisions. One is about self-preservation (taking of yourself and your family), and the other is about the bigger picture (fighting for the future of your world). As a female, in the early 1900s, I would really only have the choice of supporting my husband's decision. I imagine that I would be conflicted and that I would probably choose self-preservation until things got to be bad. In reality, though, none of us really know what we'll do until we are actually in that situation.
Absolutely! A lot of what a person would decide to do is based on the era they are living in at the time! Also, we all have a built-in desire to protect ourselves from pain and harm. Although women have come a long way, there are probably some who still accept the fact they will support their husband's decision! And I agree 100% that none of us know what we would do until faced with a situation!
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Post by Mvictoria »

cristinaro wrote: 02 Jan 2021, 08:17 I think Mr. Seoh's behavior is pretty duplicitous. On the one hand, he doesn't openly join his friend in his fight for independence and chooses to keep his job at the bank. On the other hand, he receives Mr. Koo in his house whenever he needs it and also gives some money to the cause every time he can. His position was not different from that of other aristocrats or middle-class Koreans of the time, who used to secretly fund the resistance movement. If you ask me, their attitude was nothing but a comfortable way to appease their guilty conscience.
I completely agree that Mr. Seoh was trying to ease his conscience about not joining the resistance. However, I truly believe his reluctance to join the resistance was due to his family and not the prestige he had gained. I think Mr. Seoh's dedication to his family is to be admired.
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Post by Mvictoria »

I agree with the many others who believe that this decision truly put Mr. Seoh between a rock and a hard place. I, like some others, believe that he chose his family over the resistance and that it was not the prestige of the job that kept him from joining the resistance. I admire his continued dedication (albeit small) to the cause, despite his family. However, I can also see how this could be considered hypocritical. I truly think the resistance was a double-edged sword for Mr. Seoh. If he joined, he could be risking all that he had built, as well as his family. He also had to consider his current position at work. His family would be lost without him and I think this weighed heavily on his mind as he made the difficult decision.
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Post by Wayne Njoroge »

Mr. Seoh had a family. Therefore, his obligations as a father required him to support his family. Yet, in some way, he was fighting against the Japanese by ensuring the continuation of his culture, language and heritage through the construct of family.
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

There's no reason that outwardly and publicly being 'loyal' in order to safeguard your income and thus your ability to support your family can't coincide with (very) surreptitiously supporting the resistance. I think the question isn't whether he made the right choice but why he didn't see that the two weren't mutually exclusive. In the end, I think he took the 'easier' path of going with the flow rather than against it, and that's a bit sad to me.
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Post by Brenda Creech »

Mvictoria wrote: 06 Jan 2021, 10:39 I agree with the many others who believe that this decision truly put Mr. Seoh between a rock and a hard place. I, like some others, believe that he chose his family over the resistance and that it was not the prestige of the job that kept him from joining the resistance. I admire his continued dedication (albeit small) to the cause, despite his family. However, I can also see how this could be considered hypocritical. I truly think the resistance was a double-edged sword for Mr. Seoh. If he joined, he could be risking all that he had built, as well as his family. He also had to consider his current position at work. His family would be lost without him and I think this weighed heavily on his mind as he made the difficult decision.
Very well said! Those are all good points, and I am inclined to agree. It would be a very tough decision for anyone who had a family and was the sole provider for them. I believe in his heart he would have liked to join the resistance and fight for his freedom, but I also believe he made the right choice regarding his family. If he had chosen not to join just because of his prestigious job I probably would feel differently!
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Post by Brenda Creech »

Booksmart-56 wrote: 08 Jan 2021, 14:11 Mr. Seoh had a family. Therefore, his obligations as a father required him to support his family. Yet, in some way, he was fighting against the Japanese by ensuring the continuation of his culture, language and heritage through the construct of family.
I agree he had family obligations. I think deep inside he wanted to fight, but he put his family first, and that is how it should be if possible! Plus, his wife was expecting another child and the burden put on her if he had chosen to fight would have been tremendous!
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