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On Some Questions in the Study of the Juche Idea Clarified by Comrade Kim Jong Il

Vice-President Pak Yong Gon of Joson University
With the approach of the 21st century the socialist movement is faced with various problems which require solution, and the road to the independence of mankind is beset by manifold difficulties. Many people in world are seeking new ideas to solve these problems. The Juche idea has been evolved as an idea for carrying out the historic mission of the present era in the protracted struggle to build a new peaceful and independent world free from exploitation and oppression.
The Juche idea is a man-centred world outlook which approaches everithing with the main emphasis placed on man’s position in the world and his creative role in remoulding and developing the world, and a people-centred outlook on social history which clarifies the essence the socio-historical movement and its logical character regarding man, that is, the people as the main agent of social movement. The Juche idea is a collectivist view of life which clarifies the essence and value of the worthy and happy life, regarding the social collective as the parent body of human life.
The Juche idea arouses sympathy among many people and is widely spreading in the world because it is a new idea which places at the centre the people who strive to carve out their destiny, and indicates the way to it. Recently in south Korea the Juche idea has become not only an important ideological trend but also the guiding idea for the reunification of Korea and the democratic movement. Because of its influence in philosophical circles it has become the main trend of the time to make a serious study the Juche idea. (Philosophical Study compiled by the Philosophical Study Society, No. 29, autumn 1991.)
There is still clearly a tendency to fail to have a correct understanding of the relations of the Juche idea to former progressive ideas and their principles because it is a new idea and some questions require detailed explanation.
In view of such a situation this article briefly refers to some questions to be noted for a correct understanding of the Juche idea.
1
The Juche idea was evolved in the process of development of progressive ideas. Hence it should be made clear what development it has made in comparison with the former ideas, what position it holds in the history of ideologies and what practical significance it has.
The quintessence of the Juche idea can be grasped only when one adheres to the basic stand of considering the continuity of the Juche idea with main emphasis placed on the originality in the relations of the Juche idea to Marxism-Leninism.
Comrade Kim Jong Il said:
“First of all, the tendency to explain the merit and originality of the Juche idea from the viewpoint of Marx’s materialistic dialectics should be rectified.”
It is an undeniable fact that with the passage of time social ideologies progress. It is true that some people still tend to consider and interpret the Juche idea from the framework of Marxism-Leninism, holding its scientific accuracy and validity supreme.
As is known, Marxist materialistic dialectics was established on the basis of Feuerbach’s metaphysical materialism and Hegel’s idealistic dialectics. However, no Marxist has tried to interpret Marxist philosophy from the framework of Feuerbach’s or Hegel’s philosophy. Because there is an understanding that materialistic dialectics is entirely new and original although it inherited and developed Feuerbach’s materialism and Hegel’s dialectics. As to the Juche idea, however, there is still a tendency to interpret it from the framework of Marxism-Leninism. It is because of a lack of full understanding of the merit and originality of the Juche idea and of a proper understanding of the historical limitations of Marxism.
The Marxist philosophy made a historic contribution to the refutation d idealism and metaphysics by elucidating the basic principle that the world consists of matter, and that it invariably changes and develops. Proceeding from the understanding that the basic mission of philosophy is to show the way to carving out human destiny, the Juche idea raised it as a fundamental question of philosophy to elucidate the relations of man to the world, in other words, man’s position and role in the world, and established a man-centred philosophical world outlook. This shed a new light on the fundamental question of the former philosophy.
Needless to say, man is matter. However, man is not matter in general but a social being with independence, creativity and consciousness, and the most developed matter. The relation of man to his surrounding world is not the relation of consciousness to matter but the relation of the most developed matter with consciousness to matter without consciousness. It goes without saying that in the interactions between developed matter and matter in the lower stage of development the former holds a higher position and plays a greater role than the latter.
Man with independence, creativity and consciousness is not subjected to the environment but plays a decisive role in remoulding and developing the world, and in hewing out his destiny holding an independent position in the world because he acts on the world surrounding him in an independent, creative and purposeful manner. The Juche-oriented philosophical principle elucidates that through his creative activity man invariably carves out his destiny by his own efforts and enhances his position as the master of the world.
Proceeding from the philosophical principle that man holds the position of master and plays the decisive role in hewing out his destiny, the Juche idea requires that man should adhere to the independent stand and creative method in carving out his destiny. The independent stand and creative method advocated by the Juche idea can be said to be the most scientific and innovative ones which require that the world should not simply be regarded as a changing and developing material world but as one changing and developing to meet man’s independent needs through his creative activity. Unlike this, the fundamental principle of the Marxist philosophy holds that the development of all matter is a process of natural history, as clearly laid down in the foreword to Capital.
This means that it does not differentiate the social movement caused by man’s independent, creative and purposeful activity from me spontaneous movement of nature, and regards social progress as following the laws of change and development of nature.
The Marxist classics maintained that the development of all matter should be grasped as a process of natural history with a view to refuting idealistic views on the development of social history.
In the face of the developing natural sciences in those days, idealists could no longer deny that the natural world changes and develops following objective laws. Proceeding from the fact that social change and development are due to the activities of man with consciousness, they made a mystery of the conscious activity of man and held that objective laws were not the cause of social change and development.
The Marxist classics stressed that social change and progress is an aspect of development of nature, and, consequently, social progress follows objective laws like the development of nature since society is the product of the evolution and development of nature. That was why they focussed their efforts on proving the commonness of nature and social being rather than on the essential difference between nature and social being or on the essential difference in the change and development of nature and society.
The Marxist classics elucidated the general characteristic features of the physical world, the material character of the world and the general law governing its change and development, thereby making a historic contribution to the victory of materialism and dialectics over idealism and metaphysics.
They established a materialistic view of history by applying materialistic dialectics to society, and elucidated the objective laws governing social progress.
Proceeding from the fundamental proposition that social being decides social consciousness, the materialistic view of history held that the productive forces decide the relations of production, which in turn decide the consciousness of people and the political and legal institutions which reflect it. It characterized the essence of the process of historical development as the process of change of the mode of production. The materialistic view of history considered social being as the material condition of social life and that this is what decides the consciousness of people. Hence, it considered man acting purposefully himself as the subjective factor decided by the objective factors.
In contrast, the Juche idea does not regard man only as an isolated being with just a body, but as a social being with social wealth linked to social relations and as the main agent of social movement. As the cause and motive force of social movement lie in man, the main agent of the movement, man, that is, the people play the leading and decisive role in social movement. Although the objective factors are important conditions which influence human activity, they themselves cannot become the main agent which causes and pushes ahead social movement nor factors decisive of the fate of this movement. In this light, the law of the change and development of social movement can be said to be in essence the law of movement of man himself who, although subjected to certain limitations of objective conditions, hews out his destiny in an independent and creative manner. Man creates material wealth through interaction with nature, and forms social relations and social systems through interaction between human beings.
It is true that human activity is subject to limitations depending on the degree of development of material wealth of society and social relations. However, since social wealth and social relations are created by man, the degree of their development is eventually decided by the level of development of man’s independence, creativity and consciousness. It is true that creators and creation are in an inseparable relationship and limit each other, but in approaching everything emphasis should not be placed on the aspect of creation’s determining influence on the creators but on the aspect of the creators’ determining influence on creation.
2
Next, let us examine from the Juche viewpoint the law of unity and struggle of opposites which was recognized as an important methodology in evolving the theory of the materialistic view of history, which constitutes the kernel of materialistic dialectics.
Comrade Kim Jong II said:
“It can be seen from the explanation of the law of unity and struggle of opposites that the Juche philosophy is considered in close relation to Marxist materialistic dialectics.
“Marxist materialistic dialectics makes its major content the principle of unity and struggle of opposites. However, this problem is not a problem to be treated simply from the academic viewpoint alone. Like other theoretical problems of Marxism-Leninism the law of unity and of opposites, too, must be considered historically from the viewpoint of revolutionary practice. Importance was attached to the law of unity and struggle of opposites because philosophical exposition of the socio-economic contradictions and the law governing class struggle in capitalist society in those days was posed as an important historical task. Therefore, the principle of unity and struggle of opposites elucidated by the Marxist philosophy now has many irrational points when it comes to clarifying the law-governed process of development of socialist society, I think.”
Marx’s materialistic dialectics regards the law of unity and struggle of opposites as its main content. Marxist philosophy tries to elucidate all problems with this law. But the question is not one to be considered simply from the academic viewpoint alone. The so-called study of dialectics so far has recognized this law as a universal law applicable irrespective of time and space, and tried to substantiate theoretically why the law of unity and struggle of opposites constitutes the kernel of materialistic dialectics. But only when the law of unity and struggle of opposites is considered historically from the viewpoint of revolutionary practice and not from the purely academic viewpoint like other theoretical problems, can its validity be deepened.
The Marxist classics attached great importance to the law of unity and struggle of opposites because it was posed as an urgent task to give a philosophical exposition of the socio-economic contradictions of capitalist society of those days and the law of class struggle. The Marxist classics held that since all matter has unity of opposites, matter develops through the struggle of opposites in such a way that the old disappears and the new emerges. They tried to prove that the socio-economic contradictions of capitalist society are settled through class struggle by the law of unity and struggle of opposites and, consequently, capitalist society inevitably develops into socialist society. In other words, the law of unity and struggle of opposites served as an important theoretical method for the Marxist classics to prove the inevitability of the ruin of capitalism and the victory of socialism, class struggle and the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Today we are carrying on revolution and construction in historical circumstances different from those of the time when the Marxist classics were active. Therefore, the Marxist philosophical principle concerning the law of unity and struggle of opposites is not applicable to today’s reality.
It is evident that the principle of Marxist dialectics which holds that the inner contradictions of matter are the basic source of the development of matter and struggle is the motive force of development is insufficient for explaining the law-governed process of the development of modern socialist society. Today the source of social process in Korea lies not in inner contradictions but in the ideological unity of the leader, the Party and the masses that strive to effect the independence of the masses of the people. The motive force of social development does not lie in antagonism and struggle but in the might of unity based on comradely cooperation which involves helping and leading each other forward under the leadership of the Party and the leader.
The Juche idea is embodied in the three-point principle of national reunification—independence, peaceful reunification and grand national unity—to which the Korean people consistently adhere. The aim of the struggle for national reunification is to put an end to the division of the nation and recover the independence of the nation. Consequently, the entire Korean people is the main agent. Therefore, whether national reunification can be achieved or not depends upon whether all the national forces can be enlisted for the unity of the nation and reunification or not. If the principle of struggle is applied here to settle contradictions, grand national unity cannot be achieved and antagonism and distrust will be the result.
The historic lessons of the experiences of certain countries show that if the principle of Marxist philosophy on unity and struggle is applied to socialist construction it will not contribute to the unity and cohesion of socialist society but will rather increase contradictions and distrust within society and cause social confusion.
It goes without saying that if antagonistic contradictions exist the basic method of combatting them is class struggle and that the dictatorship of the proletariat is essential for protecting socialist society from the subversive moves of the imperialists. However, in a society in which the people hold power and social ownership is in force the factor of development lies in the ever-increasing independent demand of the people and in the might of unity. For this purpose, the people should be made the genuine masters of society. Therein lies the basic motive force of development of socialist society.
The former view which regarded the law of contradiction as the kernel of dialectics and contradictions as the cause and motive force of social progress was effective in proving the doom of capitalism and the victory of socialist revolution but may be said to be insufficient for demonstrating the law of today’s social progress and in increasing its practical effect. That is why materialistic dialectics has to be reexamined, placing man at centre.
3
The originality of Marx’s philosophical ideas lies in the materialistic view of history. It is theoretically grounded on social being and social consciousness. Therefore, it is very important to have a correct understanding of the problem in order to make a serious study of the Juche idea.
Above all, the question of whether the relations of social being to social consciousness can be interpreted by the general principle of materialism or not should be examined. In other words, the question of whether or not a formulation can be made simply in such a manner that social existence is primary and social consciousness is secondary should be examined.
As is known, the question of whether matter or consciousness is primary is the question of the origin of the world. The question of origin should be considered in the realm of nature. Only then has the question significance for a world outlook. Unlike this, in the realm of society characterized by human activities it is not the question of origin but the reflection theory that has philosophical significance.
It is evident that human consciousness reflects social being. However, there are no grounds for saying that social existence gives rise to social consciousness. In that case consciousness always has to follow the development of matter. However, reality shows that new things are created by the consciousness of people, and they are always used intentionally.
Secondly, understanding of social being, particularly the question of how to approach the position of ideas should be examined.
Former theories treated the concept of social being by setting against consciousness, in order to apply materialism to the realm of society. This can be seen from the fact that almost all the passages treating of this problem in the works of Marx and Engels invariably use the set phrases “social existence” and “consciousness”.
But the Juche idea puts forward the concept of social existence in relation to natural existence. This viewpoint deduces the original concept of social organism and brings the independent character of social law into bold relief.
Thirdly, it concerns the question of considering social existence, placing man at the centre.
Comrade Kim Jong Il said:
“Some articles which try to explain the Juche idea say that social wealth, too, belongs to social being. It is an erroneous view that regards man and the social wealth he has created as equal.”
The viewpoint advocating the material character of society poses the question of whether it is social existence or consciousness which is more important and, consequently, the methodology of distinguishing society by either material or ideological relations has been established. According to Lenin, this methodology is so important that it can be said to be the basic idea behind the materialistic view of history.
But by this methodology the view of social history cannot be developed into a man-centred view of history.
In order to embody fully the man-centred idea in the view of social history it is, above all, necessary to consider social existence placing man at the centre. For this purpose, special attention should be paid to the following:
Above all, it is necessary to combat the tendency to generalize both man and social wealth as social existence, considering them as equal.
Man alone directly embodies social attributes, and social wealth can be included in the concept of social existence only in relation to man. When reference is made to social wealth, above all, man should be borne in mind. It is taken for granted that man, the creator, and created material wealth cannot be considered as equal.
What is evident is that the concept of man in social science does not imply man with a body alone but man who embodies social attributes and uses objectified materials and cultural wealth. In other words, when man is referred to as social existence, he must be understood as social man with social wealth linked to all other men through social relations and not as an isolated man with a separate body.
Of course, since social wealth is a component part of society, there is no doubt that it belongs to society and not to nature. The wealth created by man exists objectively outside the body of man, but does not share its lot with nature. It is subjected to man and shares its lot with him. In order to ascertain the extent of development of society it is necessary not only to consider the extent of the development of independence, creativity and consciousness embodied in man but also to analyse how much social wealth and social relations have developed.
Thus when reference is made to man in the sense used in social science but not in a biological sense it is supposed that this includes social wealth as well as the human body. But they must not be considered as equal. When we say that man is the master of nature and society, regarding him as a powerful being, we mean such a man and not a man only with a separate body.
Therefore, social being in essence means man alone, and when reference is made to his composition it must be understood as meaning man and social wealth.
As mentioned above, when reference is made to the concept of social being, it is important to get rid of the former viewpoint which considers it as a concept indicating its material character and evolve a concept attaching significance to it as concept which discriminates between natural being and social being.
The emergence of man with consciousness, social relations and labour tools and other social wealth constitute an inseparable and linked integral process. Hence, as man is not conceivable apart from social relations, so man as a social being cannot be conceived of apart from social wealth.
Since individual man can have independence, creativeness and consciousness as a member of a social collective, the term social being is appliable to individual man on the supposition that man is a member of the social collective. However, originally man cannot be a social being if he has not social wealth and is not linked to other men through social relations. Therefore it would be right to consider social man having social wealth and linked with other men through social relations rather than individual man.
Next, to place man at the centre means to consider that man creates social wealth and unfolds historical movement as the process of manifestation of independence, creativity and consciousness, his essential attributes.
Another important question is to evolve a theory of social organism different from individual physical life, on a higher plane.
These two questions will be treated separately on other occasions since they are very important philosophical problems.
If one attempts to appreciate or criticize the Juche-oriented view of social history on the basis of different outdated theories including that of the social organism, this itself only means that one is prepossessed with outdated thinking and methods. Philosophy, particularly views of social history should be thoroughly linked with revolutionary practice and be evolved so as to contribute to the cause of independence of the people. I particularly stress this, taking into account the current international situation, in other words, the moves of the imperialists and emergence of modern social democracy in some countries.
4
At present, the national problem is posed as an important one. Hence consideration of the Juche idea’s view on the nation is of practical significance, I think.
The former progressive theory regarded the issue of national liberation as a component part of the class emancipation struggle. Hence, it can be said that not much attention was paid to the peculiarity of national liberation revolutions. Proceeding from the new viewpoint that the struggle against social subjugation and bondage, whether it is a national liberation struggle or a class liberation struggle, is a struggle to effect man’s independence, the Juche idea admits the peculiarity of the national liberation struggle as well as the class liberation struggle.
The former theory elucidated the question of the formation of the nation in connection with the emergence of capitalism (formation of modern states) and the question of the role of the capitalist class. Hence, it gave things of class character the first consideration and regarded things national as a matter of secondary importance. Viewed historically, it is true that, particularly in Europe, the capitalist class played the leading role in the formation of national markets and national states under banner of nationalism. Nevertheless, it is wrong to consider the question of the fate of a nation in relation to the capitalist class alone. It is wrong to try to interpret the essence of a nation, solely in relation to capitalism and to assess patriotism toward the nation-states as a manifestation of the ideology of the capitalist class and petty-bourgeoisie on the plea that the capitalist class once led the struggle for national independence under the slogan of democracy with a view to monopolizing the national market. Of course, the slogans of nationalism and patriotism the capitalist class put up in the beginning were appropriate for those days. But the capitalist class gradually distorted the substance of the slogans to suit its selfish aims, using them as if their class interests coincided with the interests of the whole nation. Nevertheless, if nationalism and patriotism themselves are negated, identifying them with the capitalist class alone, the working class and the working masses will have no beloved homeland or nation.
In all ages and in all societies it was the masses of the people who really loved, defended, strengthened and developed their nations and homelands. When the privileged position of the reactionary ruling class was threatened by the invasion of foreign aggressors, the reactionary ruling class often sold out the interests of their countries and nations, but the working people always fought for the interests of their nations. The working people always devotedly fight for the independence of the nation because they regard the life of the nation as their own and the fate of the nation as their own. True patriotism can be said to be an inherent attribute of the working people.
Some people in the past, when they considered the national problem, identifying it with capitalism alone, thought that with the disappearance of the capitalist system and establishment of the socialist system the national problem would no longer exist and the borders between socialist countries would disappear. But history shows that even when the socialist system has been established and is expanding in the world people live and develop in each country and nation as the basic unit. Of course, when the ideal society of mankind is established on a world-wide scale its looks will naturally change. But as long as there exist borders between countries and differences between nations the masses of the people will hew out their destinies in each country and nation as the unit.
It conforms with the principle of independence that even in socialist society each country and nation paves its own way, adhering to the principle of self-reliance. Nevertheless, in the past some countries failed to rectify the former wrong attitude towards the nation, and suffered serious setbacks in building new societies while neglecting the establishment of national identity and following the path to dependence on big powers. The Juche idea holds that at the present stage of historical development for working people to establish their own identity is nothing other than to establish national entity. This is because the destiny of the people is carved out in each country and nation as a unit.
Establishment of the national entity does not contradict the class interests of the working people and has nothing to do with national egoism.
Originally the working people have no class privileges. So they do not set the national interests against their class interests but value the national interests more than the interests of any class or social stratum. It is the masses who undergo the greatest sufferings and misfortunes when the independence of a nation is encroached upon and the country faces a crisis. The working people know that their independent lives and happiness are ensured only when the nation and the country exist.
Originally the country and the political power of the state are closely related to each other. Nevertheless, they are not the same concept. The view on the nation and state of the Juche idea differs greatly from that of the former theory which holds that the nation is capitalistic, and the country and the political power of the state are the means whereby one class holds sway over other classes, without discriminating between them. The Juche idea holds that the nation is a collective of fellow countrymen who share the same fate and understands that the concept of the country covers the popular masses living under unitary political leadership and the entire living environment. In exploitative societies the working people are opposed to the political power of the state which the reactionary ruling class abuses for its egoistic purposes, but not to the country itself. The spirit of genuinely loving the country and nation can be said to be one of the essential attributes of the working people.
The Juche idea does not regard any class or social stratum, but the masses of the people, as the main agent of history. The Juche idea is the ideology of the masses, who are the main agent of history. The independence, independent requirements and interests of the masses conform to the requirement of social progress and to the common interests of the nation moving towards independence. The common interests of the nation which conform to the essential requirements of social development are the same, although the requirements and interests of classes and social strata differ from each other. The class interests of the working class conform to the interests of the masses of the people and the common interim of the nation because the working class fights to abolish class privileges and differences, having nothing to do with egoism and exclusivism. Hence the Juche idea is called the idea of the masses or the idea of the working class.
The privileged class cannot represent the interests of the masses and the common interests of a nation because it is an egoistic class which protects its privileged interests. When its force is weak, the capitalist class exerts efforts to monopolize supremacy in a country under the slogan of opposition to another nation’s interference and domination, but when its force is strong it tends to trample on the independence of other nations and establish supremacy over them. Hence, bourgeois nationalism at times advocates the Monroe Doctrine and its like, calling for national or regional autonomy and noninterference, and at times puts forward cosmopolitanism, calling for unlimited sway and liberty.
In contrast, the nationalism and patriotism of the working people striving for the establishment of the national entity not only respect the independence of their nation but also advocate internationalism to develop friendship and cooperation between nations, proceeding from the independent stand of respecting the independence of other nations as well. The Juche idea prefers to use the term patriotism rather than the term nationalism because there is an essential difference between bourgeois nationalism and the nationalism of the masses. Proceeding from the viewpoint that the establishment of a national entity is the basic problem deciding the prosperity and ruin of a nation, the Juche idea applies other principles and methods different from the former theory in overcoming contradictions between classes and social strata within a nation.
The former theory regarded the process of historical development as a process of class struggle, and class struggle as the basic motive force of social progress. Hence, it placed class interests above national interests and gave priority to the struggle to settle class contradictions over the struggle to overcome national contradictions. However, the Juche idea gives priority to the realization of national interests and national independence, valuing national interests and national independence more than class interests and class independence. This is because as the nation existed classes came into being and because the nation is the parent body of classes and the classes are the component parts of the nation. Foreign imperialist aggressors are the common enemy of all the classes and social strata of the national entity. Consequently, the struggle against foreign aggressors requires national unity transcending the interests of classes and social strata.
Because the Juche idea puts the interests of the nation before class interests, it regards the establishment of national entity and its further strengthening as a historic mission to be steadily promoted for the welfare and happiness of the nation until the whole of mankind becomes one big family and holds that the conflicts of class interests within the nation should be settled on the principle of strengthening national unity and defending the common interests of the nation. In order to promote the unity and development of the nation, each class and social stratum should steadily strengthen solidarity and cooperation for the common needs and interests of the nation, thereby strengthening the national entity and gradually overcoming differences and conflicts of interests. The struggle within the nation is not the motive force of development, but the unity and cohesion of the national entity are. Not division and antagonism but national amity and unity based on fraternity is the source of welfare and prosperity of the nation. This is the quintessence of the Juche-orientated view of the nation.
― Great Successor to the Cause of Juche, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang 1995, pp. 26-42.

Episode 1 The End of the Exodus A great, huge ship, a real Ark of 130 cubits, was sailing on the flat sea of a blue and sunny afternoon.
-…I still wonder why you gave such a name to our ship…-
Krom-Nav said, as he steered the wheel. The two brothers always had something to say about each other: Krom-Nav was the eldest, always dutiful and precise in his duties, while Yughy, the youngest, was the more reckless one, always ready to experiment. The first had long brown hair that stopped at his shoulders, light and large eyes, a smooth beard that started under the hooked nose, surrounded the mouth, and ended by covering the chin with a point. The second had shorter hair, hazel, darker eyes, a veil of beard on the chin, both tall, athletic bodied, Krom leaner and Yughy Sturdier, dressed, like the rest of their people on that great ship, in animal furs decorated with the symbols of their people: Five symbols that indicated the elements, Water, Earth, Plants, Air, Fire, which all revered and respected. The two had very different characters: Yughy was impulsive, skilled at manual labor, a hothead who often acted on feeling rather than reason. Krom, on the other hand, was more methodical, more thoughtful, didn't talk much unless necessary, loved to read, and always kept a watchful eye on his people and crew.

• Come on brother! It's been years since we set sail! You should have figured it out! He means “Earth”!- -And I repeat that "Terra", for a ship that sails on water, seems to me a name that is not at all suitable, Yughy…- -AH! BUT YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! It's called "Earth" as a good omen! That is to FIND the EARTH, after this very long journey at sea! It's a metaphor, a synonym of Hope!- -Maybe…for me the name Gheos, it still seems strange to me…- -You'll see that you'll get used to it sooner or later…- -Okay! You get used to taking the helm!-

Krom said, walking away, while Yughy looked at him in amazement.
-HEY BUT YOU DUMPING ME LIKE THIS?- -EXACTLY!-
And laughing, he made his way to the large stern. Their relationship had always been like this, since they were children. Bound by a brotherly love that occasionally cracked, but never broke. Even in the darkest moment, in fact, they were together.
10 years earlier, on a very distant coast, on a misty island, stood the village of Missa, a village known for its constant mist. The Missians were a peaceful people, dedicated to agriculture, livestock and fishing, and worshiped the elements of Nature: The Earth, on which they could build their houses, The Plants, which gave them shelter and nourishment, The Air , which moved their mills and relieved them from the heat, Water, which gave them its fish and quenched their thirst, and Fire, which protected and warmed them in the dark nights. Some of them were called Old Sages: They were those who mediated between the Elements of Nature and the material world, holders of ancient powers with which they were born and which they then handed down to their successors. They could blend in and disappear in the eyes of others, use their magic to perform miracles, could increase their strength and speed dramatically, and could read minds and move objects with their thoughts. The title of "Old Sage" referred to the first Village Chief, an old man who helped his people to settle in that place, facing dangers and vicissitudes using his magic to create bridges, drive away beasts and make the land fertile. Since then, individuals with similar powers, even young ones, have received this nomea, a noble title for those who would have been the guides, defenders, or scholars of ancient primordial arts.
There Krom-Nav and Yughy were born. Since they were children they showed innate abilities: Krom spoke with plants and animals, perfectly understanding their moods and intentions without his mouth producing sound, and he was able to exploit the air currents to run faster or make the windmills move, while Yughy was able to manipulate the fire, deflect water in the fields with only the laying on of hands and carried heavy rocks making them float with the power of his mind. Both were in total control of the elements of Nature, and were the most talented of those with their powers. The other villagers respected them, and somewhat feared their power. Krom tried to use his powers to improve life in the village, and was always thinking of his fellow citizens, but Yughi was a much more restless spirit: He composed works of art, sculpting the surrounding hills, but often caused disasters such as landslides and mountain slides, when they pissed him off, he controlled torches to set the pants of troublemakers on fire, and played with water, causing it to float in the air, but when he got distracted, the water fell back, often ruining previously irrigated fields. All pranks that Krom-Nav then had to solve, and the bickering between the two brothers was all too frequent. After a few years, the two grew up, and Krom-Nav was elected full-fledged Sage and head of the village of Missa, while Yughy, also elected Sage, became his trusted second. But not even the time to celebrate, that the tragedy struck the village. A neighboring village, made up of a tribe of hunters and vandals, wanted to take possession of the powers of the Sages of Missa. Thus a war broke out which nearly wiped out the Missians, as the enemies burned houses and destroyed crops. In a last desperate attempt, Krom-Nav defended the survivors of his people, together with other Old Sages and the best Missian warriors, while Yughy shaped with his Psychic power, the metal extracted from the earth, and the wood of the last unburnt forests, a large and stately ship where all the Missians boarded. The few left to defend them sacrificed themselves with honor as Krom-Nav mounted Gheos, and set sail, concentrating his powers and controlling the wind to swell the ship's sails. That terrible night, fortunately, most of the Missians survived, including Yughy, Krom-Nav, and his still infant son, little Lehander.
Lehander was now 10 years old, born with one yellow and one black eye, his hair shimmered in the light and turned dull in the shade, he was an enterprising and playful child, also endowed with powers, like his father. While his uncle steered, and Krom, his father, made sure all was well on the ship, Lehander slept peacefully in the hold, where everyone's dormitories resided. As the ship cradled him in the waves, his dreams came alive with strange visions: Before him loomed an ominous mountain, tall, with spiers that seemed to form a thorny crown of pointed rocks, and the front wall carved as if it were an evil visage. From the "mouth" of the mountain, incandescent lava and magma came out, a real river of death, and from it arose monstrous creatures with red and yellow skin. Then the dream became absurd, moved, strange, many different images of strange creatures fighting against fire demons, until everything suddenly stopped. Lehander saw the Volcano, again, but this time from above, and with it a whole island, huge, with blue seas, green forests, steep mountain ranges and all sorts of natural wonders. Then in front of him, a ball of light. When he tried to touch her, he woke up. It was now full night and beside him was his father.
-DAD…DAD WAKE UP!- Krom-Nav opened his eyes lazily, seeing his son shaken.
-Hey…did you have that nightmare again?- -Yes! But this time it was longer! There was the Volcano, the demons, and then other creatures appeared, and they all lived on this huge and beautiful island in the middle of the sea!-
Krom, listened curious, but disturbed. His son not only had both his and his brother's abilities, but he had developed unusual powers: He often saw how the child, in totally random moments, was able to move his own and the shadows of objects hit by the sun, as if they were solid, and he was able to mold them into any shape. In the same way he was able to "take" the rays of the sun or the moon that shone through the cracks in the wood of the ship to illuminate a totally dark place. He also had the unnerving ability to make small predictions: Krom could not get out of his mind how, one day, Lehander said "I'm going to look for a blanket.", and in that instant the climate, which until then had been scorching, suddenly became cloudy and cold, so much so that he had to interrupt the navigation for two days. So those dreams she told him were hard to ignore. They sounded absurd, but what if they were harbingers of something horrific? He couldn't take this lightly, he had learned over the years that chance was nothing more than a way for the mind to justify natural phenomena and destiny. Krom spoke about this a few nights later with his brother Yughy, after Lehander had a similar vision again, but he kept telling him not to worry, while they were at the bow looking at the sea, that probably the child's immature powers made harmless pranks.
-Krom, you get too worked up…do you remember, when we were kids, I had that dream about a red-hot rock that would hit me on the head?- -Yes, I remember…you were so agitated that when you finally sat down under a tree and a pine cone hit you, you passed out for hours from terror.- -You never remember nice things…anyway if you notice I was a child, and while you already had conversations with blackbirds and lizards, I still had to figure out how to avoid setting fire to the grove behind the house…- -So you want to tell me that Lehander is only very young?- -And also that his powers sometimes go to his head! Then he's always been a kid with a wild imagination, you shouldn't take it too seriously!-
The two continued to converse about it, while the night sky was lit only by moonlight. Krom-Nav continued to be worried about his son's visions, while Yughy continued to reassure him. Krom, however, couldn't get over it, since that wasn't the only thing troubling him.
-Sometimes, when he thinks he's alone, I hear him talking as if he were with someone else...often it almost seems like he's "arguing" with himself.- -Maybe just play, don't you think?- -I know my son, and I distinguish well when he plays and when something is wrong. He's had weird attitudes ever since he started walking on this ship. He has powers unlike ours or any other Sage who have come before us, plus it seems as if he is never fully awake…I think this journey has become too long…our people need a place to call home…and this vessel can no longer be. Far too many people were born and died here, and I think that the continuous wandering in the sea for years is doing as much harm to our body as to our psyche.- -I know brother...I know...-
Yughy said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
-…But I'm sure we're almost there. I read the stars yesterday, they seemed to be in the right position, and a few days ago I saw some seagulls in the sky! We are certainly close to the earth!- -You say? What if it was just an islet? A tiny strip of land?- -It will mean that we will replenish the supplies, we could take Lehi and the other children for a walk, and then we will leave again! Where there is a strip of land Often there are others not far away, who knows, maybe after that we won't find a bigger island, or an entire continent!- -…Let's hope so…- -Hey, Hey! Don't make that face. Come on, if I can get that frown out of you, as soon as we stop I'll have Lehander go on a little adventure! As soon as he helps me gather wood, he'll forget about his bad dreams! What are you saying, big brother?- -…Thanks Yughy.-
They continued to converse for a while, Krom-Nav felt more and more reassured by the words of his brother, who had always helped him raise his son: While escaping from Missa, little Lehander's mother, Astreg, was killed by an arrow shot straight to the heart. Krom-Nav had not had time to bury her for years, and kept her remains, mummified so as not to lose them, in a remote room of the ship, waiting for a suitable place for her burial. Since then Krom raised his son alone, with the help of Yughy, who often entertained the child, making him do small jobs on the ship, teaching him some magical techniques, and playing the funny uncle. The two spent a lot of time together, often not even Krom knew where Lehander was, only to later find him with his uncle.
As the two brothers continued to talk, a yell from the watchtower made them whirl around.
-FOG BANK COMING SOON!-
The two brothers ran to the helm, which was being steered by one of their best men, Hagar.
-What happen?- -We are entering a bank of fog, Krom. Looks pretty thick,- -Fog? But how?-
The ship then plunged into fog. All the Missians exited their cabins and made their way to the deck. Lehander reached his father and hugged him tightly, while Krom kept his arm around him. The fog was thick, white, so much so that everyone could feel the steam touching them like a caress, and the salty smell of the sea almost seemed like a sweet aroma. This penetrating fog reminded everyone of the fog of Missa, and caused a sense of nostalgia, serenity, peace in the souls of each of them. Either because of Hagar's caution, or because of the pearly and compact vapor, the mist looked like an infinite Cloud in which the ship was almost swimming. Abruptly, Hagar stopped. Something in the sea was moving. A rumbling was rising from the depths of the sea, and it seemed to get closer and closer. Everyone felt it, and terrified they stood silent, hugging their loved ones. Krom, he looked around, perceived a great, immense force around them. Yughy instead heard only an indecipherable muttering. Then, suddenly, a gasp. The ship began to rock violently, everyone held on to something, the two brothers barely resisted standing. The ship rocked for minutes, until something popped up from the sea: An enormous head, twice the size of the ship, emerged from the water. A gargantuan creature with a reptilian head, mottled and scaly skin, tinged with a brilliant abyssal blue, opened its mouth, emitting a high-pitched dissonant song and displaying thousands of sharp teeth, arranged in a comb, as large as the trees of the ship. His mouth shut, his oil-black eye opened, and he just stood there staring at the ship. Krom-Nav approached the rail, where the eye of the creature scrutinized the ship, while Yughy and Lehander watched the scene amazed together with the rest of the people.
-KROM! COME BACK HERE!- -Keep calm…- -KROM! FOR THE SAKE OF THE ELEMENTS, IT'S NOT A DOLPHIN!- -I said stay calm, Yughy…I feel it…it's powerful…but it's not hostile…- -…HOW SHOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU FEEL IT?-
Krom got as close as possible. He saw the giant pupil turn towards him, narrow and then widen. He feared neither the ship nor Krom. And he didn't seem to want to attack her. Lehander also approached, as if attracted by that magnificent creature. Krom held his son close, and in the process, tried to use his powers to communicate with us. The only thing he heard were strange words in an incomprehensible language.
-Dad...maybe I can understand you...-
Krom wondered for a moment, how could his son already know a language that he didn't know either? But he could not let fear dominate him.
-...Lehe...be careful...and tell us what the beast wants.-
Lehander approached, under the astonished eyes of all. The mighty animal began to make strange noises, but it seemed that somehow, its roaring gurgle and its high-pitched song, resembled words, sentences, a finished speech he was having with the child. Abruptly, he changed, and Lehander turned to face his people.
-…He said his name was Murena. It lives a little further on, in its great lair at the bottom of the sea, near a southward current, and a ditch beyond it. She says that she is one of the guardians of this sea, and that she has a friend with many tentacles, with whom she sometimes fights over the place where she likes to eat. Near her lair is also a large Island. If we ask them please we can live there! There's plenty of room, lots of wood, enough food and water for everyone! We just have to not fish too much and not catch too much. She says she has many other friends on earth, and she doesn't want some of them to get angry.-
The great Moray eel slowly closed and reopened her eye towards the boat, as if it were a sign of assent. Yughy approached his brother.
-…it almost seems that…- -Yes…he understood that Lehander is a “puppy”…and made him understand it easily…- -So, there really is an island…and it's big enough for all the people.- -He also said that there are Beasts like her, if not bigger, that could kill us.- -KROM! HE SAID WE SHOULD NOT DISTURB THEM AS WE ALWAYS HAVE DONE WHEN WORSHIP THE ELEMENTS! YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND! WE ARE ONE STEP AWAY FROM OUR NEW HOME! IF IT'S AS BIG AS IT SAYS WE WOULD NEVER HUNGER! WE WOULD RESIST FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS! FOR THE FIRST TIME YOUR CHILD WILL TOUCH THE WARM GROUND AND NOT THE COLD WOOD OF THIS SHIP! YOU CAN BURY ASTREG INSTEAD OF ROTTING IT IN THE SEA! IF THIS THING WOULD HAVE WANTED TO EAT YOU IT WOULD ALREADY HAVE DONE IT! LOOK HOW BIG HIS MOUTH IS! THINK WHAT'S UNDER THE SEA! IT'S OUR CHANCE, BROTHER! OUR INVITATION TO A PEACEFUL LIFE FOR US, FOR YOUR PEOPLE! FOR YOUR CHILD!-
Krom was torn: On the one hand there was the risk of a trap by that monster, on the other, his people were tired of travelling, tired of seeing only the sea and having to make do to survive. Krom approached his son.
-Ask her…to show us the way.- -YES!-
Lehander with the most innocent smile he could muster looked at his father and uncle, and turned to the Moray Eel. It remained motionless for an interminable minute, then, its head moved forward, towards the direction of the Gheos ship, its long bluish body began to show itself as it swam towards that direction. It seemed endless, but out of the queue, Krom-Nav realized that his brother was right in his greatness. It was ten times the length of the ship, its serpentine body like a moving mountain range, and the long translucent blue fin that ran along its entire body made it even more imposing to the shocked Missians. The Moray Eel swam ahead of the ship, and began to swim straight ahead to show the way out of the mist. Krom, immediately set to work.
-HAGAR! FULL SPEED! SAILS EXPLAINED! WE NEED TO STAY BEHIND IT! YUGHY! REACH THE LOOKOUT AND CLIMB THE MAIN MAST! ALL ELSE BELOW DECKS!-
And so they did, everyone took their places, the civilians returned, and Krom stood straight in the bow, followed by his son who watched in ecstasy as the gigantic creature guided them towards the unknown. Mist beat against their faces as the ship went at full speed driven by the wind. The creature accelerated more and more as the clouds cleared, they were coming, the salty smell was slowly disappearing. Then, from the top of the watchtower, Yughy screamed together with the other sailor.
-GHEOOOOOOOS! GHEOOOOOOOS! EEEEEARTH!-
Krom still couldn't see it, then the sunlight blinded him, Lehander, and Hagar. As their eyes adjusted, they saw her: A gigantic island loomed before them, a huge layer of land surrounded by cliffs and a sea so blue it looked like fresh water, so clear that you could see all kinds of sea creatures swimming beside the ship, known and unknown. Two huge mountains welcomed them, towering over endless expanses of lush jungles and forests, and surrounded by towering mountain ranges that crowned the entire island. It was their promised land. Their new home
Yughy, he got off, very excited and joined his brother and nephew.
-…Look…WHAT SPLENDOR...- -…Yes…finally…we are home…- -We absolutely have to find a name for her…- -I already have a name for her…- -And what will it be called?- -…it will be our Life from now on…- -Life…you mean..?- -Exactly…GORM…-

DISCLAIMER: I was born to Korean parents, and lived there for about a year or so when I was young, but I was raised in an English-speaking country. My Korean is nowhere near perfect (it's pretty tragic, actually. My reading and writing skill, especially) but I'm exposed to it enough that I have rough understanding of the spoken language. I also have a mild interest in languages, linguistics, and grammar in general :) But please call me out if I make any mistakes here, and I'll edit my post.
I'm writing this because I want to help re-emphasise the dangers of irresponsibly consuming foreign media, and how mistranslations or cultural misunderstandings can misrepresent reality. Especially for such high-profile celebrities such as BTS or other idols with such massive fanbases! I was watching kpop videos just now, and pointed out some misinterpretations that I came across.

EXAMPLE 1: mistranslation, or language-based misinterpretation

^ it's so easy to wrongly project our own assumptions on others if we're relying on mistranslations. I noticed a lot of commenters were commenting on SUGA's \"savageness\" based on something he said that was mistranslated, when in the actual korean, he never said that at all. The stereotype or assumption that he is \"savage\"/direct/cold, while definitely true sometimes, can wrongly influence our interpretation of something he does.
https://preview.redd.it/22vrd6v0gr3b1.png?width=1576&format=png&auto=webp&s=f27554e2354b838c6da9e750871091202af29df7
^ this was a yoongi calling jin \"hyung\" compilation somewhere, where a lot of comments were commenting how cute it was that he said \"hyungie\"
(^not me, but another youtube user)
Of course, if you don't speak a certain language, it's almost impossible to be aware of these nuances. I don't want to blame anyone for things they can't help because they just simply don't know. In the second case regarding "hyungie", there's basically no way a non-korean speaker would be able to differentiate between adding -ie as an ending to a proper noun to make it sound cute "jiminie~", vs. -i as a normal noun ending "But [I thought]* jimin already did that?"/"jimini beolsseo hetnendae?"/지민이 벌써 했는데?
*doesn't actually exist in the korean, added to make the english more idiomatic and translate the general feeling
[if anyone actually knows how to grammatically define -i/-이, please do... all I can describe it as is a noun ending, lol, kind of similar to -은 or -는, that has the vibe of "so and so DID this/SAID this/etc." in the past tense??? idk]
형이 or "hyungie" in the cute sense rather than as a noun ending, as far as I know, doesn't exist, or it's very uncommon at the very least. It's an English misinterpretation of Korean syntax (see the last screenshot). It sounds cute if you look at Korean though English-coloured glasses, basically.
My point is that it's so easy for things to be misunderstood without even being aware of it! Even seemingly harmless or small mistakes can escalate into complete misrepresentations. It's our responsibility as consumers of media to fact-check, avoid jumping to conclusions, avoid blindly following popular opinion, and avoid unfounded speculation, but as consumers of FOREIGN media, it's especially important. Linguistic differences, cultural differences, and mistranslations can distort the original tone or meaning of something.

EXAMPLE 2: cultural misinterpretation

It's very common and normalised for Koreans (and I believe in other Asian countries) to comment on appearance and weight. "hey, you gained weight/lost weight!" While it could be meant negatively, it can also carry a positive connotation, especially if you're close with them: "you look healthy, you must be eating well/feeling better!" < you would hear this from older relatives, "You're too skinny, you need to take better care of yourself! Are you sick? Are you stressed?" It all depends on the context. In Western countries it would be absolutely taboo and shocking to comment on weight, however. (not that i'm defending the cultural obsession with appearance in Korea. It's bad. I know firsthand how this has affected some people that I know. I'm not saying that it's good, just that it's very normalised, not taboo, and usually not meant to be offensive.)
https://youtube.com/shorts/J_mGvqVqzTk?feature=share
🐰: 쫌 뽀송뽀송 한데~ 찜빵같아! you're a little fluffy/soft~ like a steamed bun!
🐱: 왜 이렇게 뚱뚱하냐, 그때? why was I so fat* back then?
*I chose to translate 뚱뚱하다 as "fat" because I think it's the most accurate. You could use 뚱뚱하다 in an offensive way, same as "fat" in English. Chubby also works, but I wanted to translate it in a way that's more likely to be construed as negative in English to illustrate my point.
^in korean, this reads as affectionate and normal. Yoongi's comment about himself is a little self-derogatory, but it's very normal. Nobody would bat an eye at this in Korea. Through a Western lens, however, this could be read as incredibly offensive and problematic. You could read into it as BTS perpetuating unhealthy/toxic weight culture, fatshaming, etc. which may be true to some extent, but it's a CULTURAL issue, not a problem with the individuals themselves. This reads as a perfectly normal exchange in Korean, but in English, it already sounds kind of jarring and offensive. It's not that something is completely wrong/right, it's how something can be interpreted according to very different cultural norms.
also see: https://www.reddit.com/koreanvariety/comments/kel655/is_it_more_acceptable_to_comment_on_a_womans/)

TRANSLATORS HAVE IMMENSE RESPONSIBILITY!!

International army are always subject to translation. Accurate, nuanced, and respectful translation is so, so important, because for a lot of people, the translated representation is the only representation we have access to. If you make youtube edits, or videos, or translate songs, your version of events might be the only version someone sees.
- We have a responsibility to be aware that mistranslations and misinterpretations exist. Often, multiple translations/edits of the same event exist. Does one stick out as feeling off compared to the others? (see the second screenshot). Or do all the different translations seem to match up with one another? cross-check sources! Is this an official translation or a fan translation?
- If you're a native speaker or know some of the language, it's important to call out these errors or possible misinterpretations whenever we can, in a respectful way.
- but also know when you have the authority to challenge something! If you've learned a language for... like... a week, and know nothing about the culture, blindly trying to correct stuff is also misinterpretation. Nobody's perfect, but we owe it to BTS, idols, and other foreign celebrities to do our best to be well-informed and respectful.
It's often pointed out how much richer the meaning of some of BTS' songs become if you understand the cultural nuances behind what they say or write, whether it be clever wordplay or clever references or just an untranslatable ~vibe~ to their words. RM especially is the king of this! His lyrics in wild flowe들꽃놀이 straight up read like poetry, dear god.
BTS - DDAENG Explained by a Korean
BTS - IDOL Explained by a Korean
But we have to be aware that it goes the other way, too. Excellent translation/analysis can be the gateway to seeing the same words in a completely new light. Other times, mistranslation can make it so you only have access to a sliver of the whole picture.
Sorry for the ramble :) if anyone has any other examples of common mistranslations or misunderstandings that are popular in the fandom it would be cool to try and debunk them! Thanks for reading, and I hope my broken Korean pulled through, lmao. you don't wanna know how wrong my spelling was before I triple-checked stuff on google translate ;~; shame to my ancestors