More Than Witnesses: How a Small Group of Missionaries Aided Korea's Democratic Revolution: Gene Matthews Interviewed on the Radio: "The Story" Upon Death of Kim Dae Jung (Aug. 2009); On WORT's A Public Affair (Sept. 2010)

Never Forget

Tales of Tragedy, Courage and Triumph in the Face of Violent Government Repression. Clockwise, from left: Book cover with photos of anthology contributors, all foreign missionaries in South Korea who spoke out and took action on behalf of Korean democracy; the eight men wrongly accused at their show trial of treason by the military regime in April 1975, just hours before being hanged; family members in mourning following the injustice; coming full circle, former outlawed democracy movement leader Kim Dae Jung is elected president in 1997.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Gene Matthews Interviewed on the Radio: "The Story" Upon Death of Kim Dae Jung (Aug. 2009); On WORT's A Public Affair (Sept. 2010)

Rev. Gene Matthews was interviewed by host Dick Gordon on American Public Media's "The Story," on August 31, 2009, in the days following the death of former South Korean president Kim Dae Jung.

Click here to access the show's website

Click here to listen to the show (mp3 format)

Gene was interviewed by John Quinlan on "A Public Affair," on Madison's listener-sponsored station, WORT-FM, on Friday, September 24th, 2010.

Click here to listen to the show (mp3 format)

1 comment:

Rev. David Kim-CraggApril 16, 2014 at 11:13 AM
I am a friend of Willa Kernan in Saskatoon Canada. I also served as an overseas mission personnel from the United Chruch of Canada in Korea between 2005 and 2008. I am looking for some more information about Willa and the missionaries that served in Korea and am going to try to tell the story of Willa's involvement in the democracy movement. In the book, More Than Witnesses, there is a picture of Willa at the table with Kim DaeJung. I wonder if there is anyway I could get a digital copy of that picture to share.
Peace like a river,
Rev. David Kim-Cragg
david.grosvenor@sasktel.net
www.gpuc.ca
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Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung on "More Than Witnesses"

"The stories told in 'More than Witnesses' reflect the sacrifices and dedication of a small group of missionaries who aided Korea's democratic revolution, helping the nation put behind the era of dictatorship. It also tells of the courage of the Korean people whose lives exemplified the love and teachings of God through their strong religious commitments....

"These foreigners with 'hearts of Koreans' helped lay a groundwork for freedom, peace and justice to come into full bloom like tenacious wild flowers...."

About the Presenter: the Rev. Gene Matthews

When most Americans consider the post-war politics of the Korean peninsula, they think of North Korea as an example of the worst form of tyranny, contrasted with the shining example of South Korean democracy. But it was not always so, as this landmark book "More Than Witnesses," chronicles in its anthologized tales of courage and integrity in the face of oppressive South Korean regimes who maintained power through violence, deception, and an egregious disregard for basic civil liberties.

Co-author Gene Matthews first arrived in South Korea in 1956 at the age of 23 as a three year short-term United Methodist missionary. Growing up in rural Iowa, he thought it likely that he would become a farmer, however he changed his plans when he felt a calling to missions work. He returned to Korea in 1960, where he and his Korean-born wife Insook worked and raised their family until their retirement to Iowa City in 1997, where they live today.

Gene Matthews' many contributions while in Korea included his support of the labor organizing efforts of the Urban Industrial Movement, and his membership in the Monday Night Group, a weekly gathering of missionaries that sought to illuminate for the world the challenges facing the Korean democracy movement in the 1970s and '80s. Matthews and a small, but committed, group of missionary colleagues refused to be intimidated by the threats of successive despotic military governments as carried out by the Korean CIA. These included threats of death, repeated interrogations, and threats of deportation (which were actually carried out against missionaries in two notable cases described in the book, and elsewhere on this site).

The courage of this handful of missionaries was put to the ultimate test when eight Korean democracy activists were railroaded into a show trial, and summarily executed, in April of 1975.

Courageously standing steadfast in support of the Korean friends in the democracy movement, they became allies of Korean democracy movement leader Kim Dae Jung. That movement grew rapidly, and two decades later, Gene Matthews would witness the inauguration of Kim as president of the Republic of South Korea. Like Kim (honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end decades of hostility with the North), Gene and his colleagues would be honored by their adopted home of Korea with awards recognizing their contributions on behalf of democracy and peace.

More recently, the Korean government finally acknowledged its wrongdoing in the 1975 trial and execution of the eight wrongfully accused men, helping to restore honor to their families, and eventually bestowing upon them a large financial settlement. In many ways, the events of those darker days have finally come full circle.

However, another recent change in government has turned back the clock on many of Kim Dae Jung's reforms, and conflict with the North is at a new high. No one can tell what lies ahead, but one thing is certain: this book chronicles the kind of courage and perseverance in the face of oppression by both Koreans and their missionary allies that will long stand as an inspiration to a younger generation as it seeks to remain vigilant in securing peace and retaining democratic freedoms.

As President Kim Dae Jung noted, in his endorsement of this book, "The efforts and devotion of the missionary community provided democratic activists, including me, a ray of light and a source of hope and courage. The inspiring achievements of these 'Foreigners with Hearts of Koreans' have helped lay a groundwork in Korea for freedom, and justice to come into full bloom like pretty, tenacious wild flowers."

More Than Witnesses (published by the Wisconsin-based Nightengale Press) is edited by Jim Stenzel, with contributions by more than a dozen missionaries of all faiths who share their inspiring stories in the first person.

Gene Matthews writes, in a postscript to his chapter, Things They Never Taught Us Down on the Farm: "These experiences have shaped my life. When I retired from missionary service in 1997, I had been related to Korea's challenges, struggles, and trials for forty-one years. During the same time, I had laughed joyfully because my Korean friends found unflagging humor even in dark times. And I had wept bitter tears because the Koreans had also shared with me their deepest sorrows. I still cry at times when sudden memories of their courage and sacrifice overcome me. Praise be to God."

For more information, please email QuinlanJohnL@aol.com or call 608-213-8409.