한뉴우정협회는 지난 9월 3일 저녁 김영걸 총영사를 비롯한 많은 축하 인사들과 함께 한뉴우정협회 2010년 3/4분기 미팅과 지난 해에 이은 두 번째 공모전 시상식을 가졌다.

특별히 연사로 웰링턴 외교통상부에서 근무하는 Patrick Rata 국장이 우리나라와 뉴질랜드의 중요한 관계에 대해 말을했으며, 축하 연주로는 와이카토의 자랑인 모예빈 모하빈 쌍둥이 형제의 멋진 피아노 연탄 연주가 있었고 영문 에세이 시상식 축사로는 김영걸 총영사가 꿈과 희망의 메시지를 듬뿍 담아주었다.

영문 에세이 공모전은 지난해 ‘한국지역소개하기’를 시작으로 올해는 6,25전쟁 발발 60주년을 맞아 남북통일에 대한 생각을 뉴질랜드 전체 고등학생과 대학생을 대상으로 실시하였다. 모두 47점의 영문 에세이가 접수되었고, 남북섬 전역에서 키위와 한인 및 다민족 국가학생들이 참여하였으며, 심사위원들이 고심 끝에 수상자 선정을 하였다.

고등학교에는 수상한 학생의 학교에도 상금을 주는 NZ방식을 따라 처음 실시했는데 자연스럽게 학교에서도 수상 소감을 밝히게 되었으며 더불어 우리나라를 소개하는데 큰 힘이 되었다. 올해 지원자는 키위와 한인 그리고 다양한 나라가 섞였던 점으로 보아 지난해보다 일보 전진된 행사로 자리매김 하였음을 짐작할 수 있다.

영문 에세이 공모전은 앞으로도 자라나는 우리 차세대 학생들과 키위들에게, 우리나라를 주제로 영문 에세이를 씀으로써 우리 학생들에겐 정체성을, 키위 학생들에겐 우리나라를 알리는 일에 애쓸 것임을 다짐했다.

수상자에겐 본인 및 학교에 상금과, 상장 상패 그리고 상품이 주어졌으며 수상자는 다음과 같다.

고등학교                                           대학교
금상: Jordan Grimmer                           금상: Joshua Nahmo Kang
은상: Anna Qian                                 은상: Han Byeol Son
동상: Brian Cham                                동상: James Chanki Park
장려상: Hannah Reid                           장려상: Subin Lee
         Tiffany Kim                                         Seung-Ah Hong
         Jennifer Park                                       David Jung

아래의 글은 이번 대회에서 금상을 수상한 Jordan Grimmer 의 글이다.       

Reflecting back on the six long decades since the Korean War severed a people’s kindred spirit, the two nations—sharing a united culture, history, race and language—persist as hostile enemies. Sadly, reconciliation between the states remains an elusive prospect, which greatly hinders chances of imminent reunification. In the joyous event of this however, the new national government will have to be careful to ensure sure that emotion will not override sensibilities and dictate politics.  History tells us that a hasty, emotional reunification can cause profound and weighty difficulties. The abruptness of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Germany’s reunification in 1990 has brought significant challenges—cultural, economical and political—which are still being addressed to this day. Therefore, in order to minimise burdens and achieve a more prosperous and stable unity, the reunification of North and South Korea must be a carefully managed process of incremental integration over many years. In this way the differences that have been cultivated between the nations can be ironed out, and a greater unity as a nation can be achieved.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

For a long time it has been speculated that the regime in the North will destabilise, and that a subsequent ‘collapse’ is inevitable[i]. While ‘collapse’ in the North may be a quick way to bring about reunification, it must only be seen as a starting point of achieving an end goal. The chaotic situation which would ensue in the North and South would make it relatively impossible to bring about an ordered and stable unification without the undesirable use of military force. What needs to happen long before a possible collapse is for the two nations to begin engaging in constructive dialogue- as started under President Kim Dae-Jung’s ‘Sunshine Policy’. Therefore; when the chance for reunification arises (via collapse or reconciliation), difficulties can be addressed by a government who is already familiarized with the diversities in each region. Then, a holistic reunification can begin, approached prudently and sensibly- without resorting to force, and without the danger of abrupt over-emotiveness.

Potentially the biggest problem for a government of a newly reconciled Korea is the large disparity that currently exists between the two completely separated economies. While the South’s economy has flourished and grown since the Korean War, the North remains deeply impoverished. Indeed, the estimated income disparity between the two states is now at a fifteen to one ratio per capita[ii]. Because of this, a reconciled government would need to ensure that the economies are kept economically for a reasonable period, gradually bringing in changes to unity. Acting suddenly could bring an enormous economic cost to the Southern people, while their Northern brethren struggle to become accustomed to the consumerist lifestyle. This problem was evident in the reunification of Germany, where to this day, large sums of money are still paid across the old border to realign the economy and equalise the standards of living.  However, the “North Korea[n] situation is far worse than East Germany, and South Korea is weaker than West Germany”,[iii], according to Dae-Jung, emphasising the need for due caution in the process. A progression of very gradual economic integration can allow both nations to evolve step-by-step towards landmarks of final unity-a common market, common currency, and reduced GDP disparity.

The difficulty concerning North Korea refugees and the cultural differences that have amassed can too be addressed by an incremental approach to national unity. Although Korean families have now been separated for six decades, it is necessary to allow time for the cultures to acclimatise to each other before complete and free mobility of people can be permitted. While this may seem to be constraining the joy of a reunification, allowing immediate personal mobility may create social issues as Northern refugees accustom to the more consumerist society in the South.

It is evident that although a reconciliation and reunification of the Korean brethren would be an exciting and desirable time in world history, patience, positive dialogue and level-headedness must be promoted now to make the future gradual process successful and robust. We must not be pessimistic about the difficulties that will slow the process; instead we must look at all moves towards eventual reunification as positive parts in a long journey. Successful reunification certainly can be achieved- what needs to be realised is that haste will bring no reward, and that a united government may not immediately bring a united people.

                   
 

ⓒ 뉴질랜드 코리아포스트(http://www.koreapost.co.nz), 무단전재 및 재배포 금지