Lee Yong kyu's insight

"200 × 200 × 200 = 8,000,000"

The recent provocative demand by France for the return of the Statue of Liberty to the United States has sparked discussions, particularly as cracks appear in the once-solid Western alliance.

Astute readers may have sensed it already: I am not particularly fond of the current United States. It is no longer the America of Abraham Lincoln or Franklin D. Roosevelt. Trump's America is not "America." The U.S. remains an immense hegemonic power, especially in security and economic dominance (via the dollar). Can China surpass the U.S.? Honestly, I'm uncertain.

I've heard many stories from those who studied as exchange students in the U.S., and they all say the same thing: "The general level of people there is shockingly low." To exaggerate slightly, one might say that the U.S. is run by a mere 0.1% elite who lead the remaining 99.99%. This elitism manifests itself as an exclusive inner-circle culture and is reflected in extreme wealth inequality, as depicted in Sean Baker's The Florida Project. The U.S., though independent from Britain, arguably has one of the most ambiguous national identities, often referred to as a "melting pot." From a broader historical perspective, Korea's roots and history run much deeper than America's. If only we had nuclear capabilities, how much freer could we be from military hegemony? Whether through northern reunification, absorption, or peaceful unification, a paradigm shift in borders and maximizing our domestic market could make us a global powerhouse. Japan, too, faced U.S.-imposed constraints like the Plaza Accord and endured its "Lost Decades, " but there was a time when Tokyo's real estate value could have bought all of America. Asians are by no means inferior to Westerners.

Is there truly a vast difference in research capabilities between a Korean economist with a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate from Seoul National University and a white American economist with equivalent degrees from Harvard? In today's world—where Nobel Prize-winning papers can be accessed instantly via sharing platforms—it's not about inherent capability but environmental conditions. Korea has the potential to produce numerous Nobel laureates in economics if the right conditions are met.

In global phenomena, literature and culture usually precede other fields such as law, policy studies, and economics. Consider Han Kang from Yonsei University's Department of Korean Literature winning the Nobel Prize for Literature or Bong Joon-ho from Yonsei's College of Liberal Arts achieving global box office success with Parasite (2019) and sweeping four Oscars at the 2020 Academy Awards. Are Koreans inherently inferior to Americans? Why do we have such limited ambition?

A representative from Kyobo Bookstore once expressed concern about how little Koreans read—those who read do so voraciously, but many don't even read ten books a year. I believe every Korean citizen should aim to read at least 10,000 books in their lifetime, regardless of their educational background.

Korea has overcome countless adversities: the Imjin War, the Manchu invasions, Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War, achieving the Miracle on the Han River, establishing democracy, overcoming the IMF crisis, reaching the World Cup semifinals in 2002, weathering the 2008 financial crisis, and responding effectively to COVID-19 compared to other nations. Son Heung-min won the Premier League Golden Boot; Kim Yuna and Park Tae-hwan brought home Olympic golds; our national archery team dominates globally; Professor June Huh won a Fields Medal; Samsung ranks among the world's top companies. What can't we achieve?

Why shouldn't a physics graduate from Yonsei University win a Nobel Prize? Why can't Korea dominate semiconductor and manufacturing industries through active R&D investment? Why shouldn't a KAIST PhD in computer engineering and business become another Steve Jobs?

Why can't Korean theologians export theology back to global pastors? Why shouldn't Korean feminists study gender studies to liberate oppressed women in Africa or Islamic cultures? Why can't Korean companies surpass Tesla or OpenAI? Why shouldn't Korea's military become one of the strongest globally?

Even if I have only 200 followers on social media, three degrees of separation could connect me to 8 million people. If just one parent in every four-person household reads 10,000 books over their lifetime, then 32 million people would fall under their influence. From ancient Near Eastern history onward, paradigms and hegemonies have never been fixed.

"Let’s meet again on the global stage, " as lecturer Hyun Woo-jin once said—a sentiment that resonates deeply with me.