The Rise/Fall of Imperialism and Communism in Korea: Through the Eyes of Muh Ho Lee

As I walk with him towards the nearby couch, Muh Ho Lee limps along casually because of his injured right foot. In his last battle as a soldier in the Korean War, it had gotten frostbitten, and needed great medical treatment. Now seventy-four years old residing in Los Angeles, he couldn’t be happier than being an author and a faithfully devoted Catholic. He feels fortunate enough for escaping death many times and for being able to flee to South Korea from North Korea, compared to the poor souls who could not. He is still currently sending out money to his family members locked up in North Korea, which of whom were separated by the great impacts of imperialism and the rise/fall of communism in Korea. As he pauses to reflect on those hard times, he dazes off into space and softly says, “Yeah, I was lucky…very lucky.”

The greatest change that I experienced was the fall of Russia, fall of the USSR. Yeah…or what I would rather say is the fall of the communism, the Communist Party. Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation in 1945 in the Second World War, right? Russians came into Korea from the North; U.S. military came to South Korea by boat, by the sea. Of course, let’s see, Russians was teaching North Koreans communism. Telling communism is the best political ideology and far better than democracy or capitalism, you know. North Korea was also under communist rule, which is very dictatorial. They were demanding the people only abidance. What they tell the people, they must do, if they don’t do, if they don’t obey the government, they will be named reactionary element.

Well, South Korea is like any country in the world. They didn’t trust communism from the beginning and many other communist, pro-communist nations turned for freedom, you know. We could say that before the fall of communism the world was only two camps: Pro-US. camp and Pro-Soviet Camp. The ruler in Russia was keeping it open-policy. And he confessed, “Now we realize that democracy or capitalism is better than communism.” Russia itself is now doing democracy or capitalism, or whatever. For Koreans, while still under Japanese rule, many patriotic Koreans wanted to regain the independence from Japan. Especially, the learned people like college students or college graduates believed communism. It was the only political ideology we must follow. Of course, Communist party at that time was designed to communize their entire country. See? So, many Korean independent fighters trusted communism, they studied communism. The communism, the theory itself is good. Not bad at all, you know.

So many independent fighters believed that if Korea was liberated, communism must be performed in Korea, for the benefit of Korea. Such people were both in North Korea and South Korea; many of them were in South Korea. They attempted to turn South Korea communism. North Korea of course, more communists, they are under control of Russian army. So, North Korea rulers could use all kinds of power so it’s strange. In South Korea also, democratic, what they call democratic country, but they were also very dictatorial government in truth. In about 1948, both South Korea had its own government and North Korea had its own government. Before that, military ruled Russia, military ruled South Korea and U.S. too. After South Korean government was established in 1948, South Korean national assembly ruled the communism out of law. Many pro-communism politicians went to North Korea, across the border. And because, communists in South Korea were trying to destroy the existing government and South Korea could not give the communists freedom, you know, so South Korea oppressed all the communists too. Like any politician in any country, they used this anti-communist policies to oppress non-communist people too, to stay in power.

I believe fall of communism in the world doesn’t really help South Korea that much. But it gave North Korea much disadvantage. All the eastern Communist Bloc like Poland and Czech Republic all became capitalist countries. But North Korea is very insistent. It is still holding tight as communist country. But in fact, North Korea is not doing communism, it is dictatorial country, you know. I would say imperialism and communism are similar for political reasons. Soviet communist was professing this international communization for the oppressed people of the world. You know, but actually it was for its own benefit.

You know, Korea was divided, right after the Second World War and five years after Korea was liberated from Japan, North Korea invaded South Korea. Yeah, and before that in North Korea, the communist government was very dictating so many people didn’t like it. Many people fled to South Korea, across the border, which divided South and North, which is known as 38^th Parallel Line, right? I’m one of them. I was born in North Korea, lived in North Korea, went to the school in North Korea, until 20 years of age, huh. Yeah…unfortunately, after I crossed the border form North Korea to South Korea, war broke out in one week.

While I was still under interrogation by South Korean authorities. You know, unless I might be a North Korean agent, you know. As the North Koreans invaded South Korea across the border, everybody fled. At the time only about twenty-seven people in the detention camp, you know. None of us had any ID. So it was a hard time to free ourselves out. Because North Korean army was winning you know, invading South Korea. Then when I was interrogated or spot-checked, if I tell the truth, South Korean police didn’t believe me. They thought I was a spy, so they torture me. Oh, how many times I had such a hard time, you know. Yeah... that’s how Korean War began. And finally however, luckily enough, I could join the South Korean army.

What I was interested in most was the inhumanity. Koreans killing Koreans, you know especially, when one side, North Korea, thinks this guy is anti-communist… anybody can kill him, on the spot. Any solider, officer personnel, whoever. South Korean soldiers, when they met a pro-communist person, then he believes this guy is pro- communist element…you can kill him! Then, never get punished for that.

I fought as a foot soldier. It was the lowest ranking, private first class. (Chuckling) Life is terrible for a soldier in the Korean army. The supplies very scarce, you know. You are always hungry. Soldiers, Korean soldiers, always hungry. Especially during the war, the moral was very low. Uh… let me see… the officer is very cruel. You have to obey. No questions asked, you know, just obey. I served the army for three years, but actual combat surroundings, only about 4 months. But I was wounded in the last month, half of my foot that was frostbitten. But I was lucky I stayed alive.

After that four months battle zone, when I got wounded, I had to hide in a Korean peasant house for twenty-nine days because of the frostbite. There wasn’t any medicine or any medical treatment. Then U.S. army came back. They rescued me, but they took me as a North Korean soldier so they put me in their prisoner-of-war camp. I lived with North Korean captive. While in the POW camp, I studied English, I taught myself English. I had to stay there over maybe 21 months. Once inside I even had a tag saying “from the republic of Korea, ROK soldier”, even then, they didn’t believe it! They never released me; they kept me until the Korean government they negotiated with the U.S. military authorities and got me out, took me 21 months. After that, I regained my status as a soldier and then discharged honorably. And I’m getting some pension too.

It’s good when families reunite in North Korea and South Korea, but the North Koreans don’t want such thing, you know. Because they are so undeveloped compared to South Korea. Communist North Korean rulers don’t want their people to see South Korea so developed abundantly. In 1991, I visited my family in North Korea, and at that time, only my one of my younger brothers and one of my younger sisters was still living. I visited with their families. I gave them some money, and I’m still sending them some money. At that time, there was a protestant minister; Mr. Hong—I don’t remember his full name—was promoting those visitors to North Korea. A group of eighteen people went together and we were all allowed to visit our relatives…for one or two nights, you know. And they showed us around North Korea, cultural centers and historical places, you know. They really had nothing to show us. (Laughing) But they were proud of everything they showed us. 

Interviewed by Sarah Y. Kim