Namhee Lee's Article Summary

When it comes to the Namhee Lee’s article, it is hard not to dismiss the undongkwon activists as communist sympathizers. Regarding their main goal, do they want to bring democracy or communism to South Korea? After reading the article, this response argues that their true motive involves spreading communism in South Korea. First off, when it comes to the intellectual undongkwon activists (students), it is clear that they heavily despise capitalism. According to Lee, they see capitalist development as the source of “dehumanization, individualization, fragmentation, and alienation, instead of liberation” (Lee, 2005, p. 922). The student’s harsh opinion toward capitalism, no doubt, reveals their preference for a more “equal” society. In terms …show more content…
The intellectuals feel that the workers deserve to be a significant economic and political actor in South Korea’s society (Lee, 2005, p. 922). Based on the intellectual’s praises, they seem to want to elevate the working class’s social position in South Korea’s society. In what kind of society do workers play a prominent role? When it comes to answering that question, many would think of a communist one. In a communist society, the workers play a prominent role in ensuring equality in the society (ex. via redistributing wealth). However, the workers cannot ensure equality without carrying out an uprising. On that note, Lee also notes the intellectuals praising the working class’s “resistance to exploitation and oppression in the workplace and in society at large” (Lee, 2005, p. 922). Why would the intellectuals praise the worker’s ability to resist exploitation and oppression? Are they perhaps anticipating their ability to rise up one day and overthrow the upper class? If that is the case, their expectation of class warfare serves as a strong evidence for their desire to live in a communist society (where workers play a prominent