백봉정치문화교육연구원

The culture of discontent together with the division of the country will keep the Korean people always alert and wakeful. They will probably never cease to be critical, to grumble and to hit the streets with candles in their hands, as recent events have shown, until they are satisfied, and when is any nation ever fully satisfied? With the start of a new administration in Korea, again "crisis" is the talk of the town. Crisis in the economy, in relations with North Korea and in social anomie. However, I am not overly worried for it is in the nature of Koreans to be dissatisfied. I trust that we will always be able to turn any challenge we encounter into a blessing in disguise. My compatriots remind me of Mark Twain's famous retort to Matthew Arnold, who once said that he was vexed by the lack of reverence for superiority in America. Mark Twin replied: "A discriminating irreverence is the creator and protector of liberty."

(The Lecture of Ra, Jong Yil in 2008. The Discovery of the World: A Korean Perspective)