편집자 주     본지에서는 전세계 외국인 독자들을 대상으로 한국의 역사와 문화를 정확하게 소개하기 위해 김정기 변호사의 칼럼을 영문판으로 연재를 시작합니다.

한국의 역사와 문화에 관심있는 전 세계인들에게 도움이 되길 바랍니다.

한국어 독자들은 한국어로 번역된 화면이 보이므로 반드시 사이트 상단에서 원문보기로 설정하셔야 영문판으로 보실수 있습니다.
 

 

 

☆김정기 총장 주요 약력☆

 
● 학력
- 뉴욕주립대학교(StonyBrook) 정치학과 수석졸업
- 마케트대학교(Marquette) 로스쿨 법학박사
- 하버드대학교(Harvard) 케네디스쿨 최고위과정
- 베이징대학교(Peking) 북한학 연구학자

 
● 경력
- 제8대 주상하이 대한민국 총영사(13등급 대사)
- 2010 상하이엑스포 대한민국관 정부대표
- 아시아태평양지방정부네트워크(CityNet) 사무국 대표
- 세계스마트시티기구(WeGO) 사무국 사무총장
- 밀워키지방법원 재판연구원 
- 법무법인 대륙아주 중국 총괄 미국변호사
- 난징대학교 국제경제연구소 객좌교수
- 베이징대학교 동방학연구원 연구교수
- 국민대학교 정치대학원 특임교수
- 동국대학교 경영전문대학원 석좌교수
- 숭실사이버대학교 초대 총장

 
● 저서
- 대학생을 위한 거로영어연구[전10권](거로출판사)
- 나는 1%의 가능성에 도전한다(조선일보사)
- 한국형 협상의 법칙(청년정신사)
- 대한민국과 세계 이야기(도서출판 책미듬)

(NewsKorea=Seoul) Digital News Team = Hero and Sage Story 2 - ● The Spiritual Pillar of America: Lincoln and the Spirit of Unity

 “Dear General Meade, if this operation succeeds, it will be entirely due to your efforts. However, if it fails, the responsibility will be mine. If the operation fails, you should say it was President Lincoln's order. And make this letter public to everyone!” This was the content of a brief letter President Lincoln sent along with an attack order to General Meade during the fiercest battle of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg.

Lincoln’s leadership, which took responsibility upon himself and awarded glory to his subordinates, is a true example of courage worth emulating. The discovery of this letter later on allowed Americans to once again reflect on his outstanding leadership and character, and they might have nostalgically missed his greatness as a leader.

While studying in the United States, I learned how much Americans respect President Lincoln. Lincoln remains one of the most loved and respected leaders in America, and he has become a spiritual pillar in the lives of all Americans.

Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States about 72 years after George Washington was appointed as the first president. Ten days before Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861, seven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America, electing Jefferson Davis as their president. The Confederate States claimed all federal institutions, property, and weapons within their territories as their own.
 
At the time of his election, Lincoln was perceived by his advisers as a second-rate lawyer with little leadership experience and no knowledge of Washington's circumstances. Most of those who accepted positions in Lincoln's cabinet considered him a figurehead president and believed they could manipulate him to pass their agendas. However, President Lincoln not only endured all the criticisms from his cabinet during his tenure but also overcame them to win the Civil War and preserve the Union. Lincoln managed criticisms in various ways, often by ignoring most of them as a method of overcoming them.

He also reorganized the military system, expanded the powers of the presidency, abolished slavery, and encouraged patriotism among Americans. I believe today's national and political leaders should learn from Lincoln's example to ignore and maintain dignity rather than engaging in or reacting to diverse and unfair criticisms. Even when facing blatant and comprehensive criticism that might cause despondency, one should have the courage not to retaliate against critics.
 
Ultimately, Lincoln's attitude led to a diverse and excellent tolerance skill that also helped in the formation of his administration. He built strong collaborative relationships with those who had opposing views or were harshly critical of him, whether publicly or privately, thus connecting with people through leadership based on trust. Therefore, Lincoln appointed the formidable rival in the presidential race, Seward, as Secretary of State; the distinguished Senator Chase, who was not compliant with Lincoln's wishes, as Secretary of the Treasury; and the defense secretary position for the Civil War was given to Stanton, a member of the opposing Democratic Party.

Particularly, Lincoln had a special connection with Stanton. Before becoming president, Lincoln worked as a lawyer in Illinois, where Stanton was a very famous lawyer. Compared to Stanton, Lincoln was still an inexperienced lawyer. One day, when Lincoln went to court to handle a case, Stanton was also there. It turned out that Lincoln and Stanton were supposed to work on that case together. While sitting in the courtroom, Stanton suddenly stood up and shouted, “How can I work with such a country lawyer? I cannot do that!” He shouted this and walked out. However, Lincoln merely sat and laughed. Later, when the position of Secretary of War became vacant during the Civil War, Lincoln decisively said, “I appoint Mr. Stanton!” Lincoln’s subordinates all opposed this decision. “Mr. President, have you forgotten what Stanton did in the past? That arrogant and insulting behavior.” After hearing their objections, Lincoln responded, “What does it matter if he has insulted me a hundred times? It doesn't matter! If he becomes the Secretary and does his job excellently, nothing will be a problem.” Eventually, Stanton accepted the position and soon proved Lincoln's judgment correct. As Lincoln had anticipated, Stanton was the most suitable person for the role and achieved the reform of the War Department, transforming it into an efficient department.
 
Even Russian literary giant Tolstoy evaluated Lincoln as “the only true giant among many great heroes and figures in history. Because he forgave and treated even those who hated and wanted to kill him as enemies, extending a hand of love.” As Tolstoy’s evaluation suggests, Lincoln had a personal philosophy of naturally forming strong relationships with those under him by embracing their mistakes and shortcomings. This trust-based philosophy led to successful human relationships and, when he became a national leader, transformed into exceptional tolerance skills that contributed to national development.

Moreover, Lincoln's leadership was exercised on a solid foundation of honesty and integrity. There is an anecdote demonstrating Lincoln’s honesty. He loved books and would go to great lengths to borrow and read good books. One day, Lincoln borrowed a book on Washington from a bookstore and placed it on his bedside while reading it. During the night, a heavy rain caused water to seep through the cracks of the log cabin, soaking the book. A few days later, Lincoln visited the bookstore, explained the circumstances of the book getting wet, and apologized. He then asked to work for three days to make up for the damage to the book. Lincoln thought that mere apology was not enough. The bookstore owner was moved by Lincoln’s words and returned the book to him. Lincoln eventually read that book several times and resolved to become a great politician like Washington.

As such, honesty ran throughout Lincoln's life. He always did what was right and at least tried to. He did not engage with those he deemed dishonest. Lincoln said, “Support people who act correctly, regardless of the reasons. To reiterate, support those who are right, but part ways with them if they go the wrong path.” Lincoln helped his aides become better people, setting an example for them to do the right thing, and consistently strove to walk the right path, ensuring that everyone closely associated with him handled matters with honesty and transparency.

In summary, Lincoln’s personal traits can be described as honesty, integrity, compassion, and mercy. At the end of the Civil War, Lincoln announced that there would be no discrimination or mistreatment of the Confederate soldiers. Moreover, he welcomed his former colleagues back to the Union with open arms. This atmosphere was conveyed to the general public, healing the wounds of the war and laying the foundation for the rebirth of a great unified nation.
 
Lincoln was also aware that he should not display anger or frustration to those with whom he maintained close relationships. Therefore, he often wrote long letters containing intense content that he would not send, to vent his emotions.
 
During the Civil War, this situation occurred. From July 1, 1863, fierce fighting between the Union and Confederate armies took place at Gettysburg, and the Confederate forces led by General Lee began to retreat, taking advantage of a heavy downpour. When Lee and his army retreated to the Potomac River, the river had already become uncrossable due to the rain. With the Union army pressing from behind and the river surging in front, the Confederate forces were completely cornered. Lincoln, seeing this as a golden opportunity to destroy the Confederate forces and end the war, immediately ordered General Meade to pursue. However, General Meade avoided the immediate attack by making various excuses, and as a result, the river level dropped quickly, allowing Lee’s forces to cross the river safely. When Lincoln learned of this, he was extremely enraged. Unable to hide his anger, Lincoln wrote a letter to General Meade.

“Dear General, I believe you have not properly recognized the seriousness of the unfortunate situation caused by General Lee's escape. The enemy was certainly in our grasp, and if we had pursued immediately, we could have ended the war with the victories our army had achieved everywhere. However, by missing this golden opportunity, the possibility of ending the war has become slim. If you could not attack General Lee in such a favorable situation, it is absolutely impossible to attack him now that he has crossed the river. Now, we can only use two-thirds of the troops we had at that time. It would be unreasonable to expect further success from you, and in fact, I do not expect it. You have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which has caused me indescribable suffering.

What might General Meade have thought after receiving this letter? However, General Meade never read this letter because Lincoln never sent it. The letter was discovered in Lincoln’s file cabinet after his death. Lincoln had a method of dealing with his frustration by writing rebuttal letters, which allowed him to calm his anger and emotions without actually sending them. By doing so, he knew how to minimize the damage. He would deviate from his path if it meant avoiding conflict. Understanding that people do not act rationally under extreme pressure, he avoided creating enemies over trivial matters whenever possible. His leadership, based on trust, honesty, and sincerity, was fully demonstrated in this way. In our current social and political climate, it is difficult to expect the kind of dignified leadership that Lincoln embodied. Presidents like Roosevelt would often keep Lincoln's mindset in mind when formulating policies.
 
At the onset of the Civil War, when Lincoln held the supreme command over the military, he had no military experience, and since he had no opportunity to demonstrate his leadership during the heat of battle, he was seen as someone entirely incapable of leading an army. However, Abraham Lincoln exercised leadership that united the entire nation during its most dangerous time, elevating the authority of the U.S. presidency, which is now regarded as one of the most powerful positions in the world.

During his tenure, Lincoln faced his greatest challenge—the Civil War—yet he demonstrated leadership that brought the North and South together as one. He instilled equality in the diverse American society, achieving unity. Through his unifying leadership, which brought America together, the country experienced unity instead of division, even in the face of civil war. The reason Abraham Lincoln is still recognized as the greatest leader in America, 160 years after his presidency, is clear.
 
Given the reality of the Korean Peninsula, where the North and South remain divided and suffer the pain of separation, it is imperative that leaders with outstanding leadership, moral integrity, and values like Lincoln's continue to emerge. It is a waste of time for us to merely observe the example of the United States, which became the world's greatest superpower thanks to such a leader 160 years ago. We still have a long way to go.

☆ Author:  Atty Jeong-kee Kim ☆

● Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, State University of New York at Stony Brook
-  Doctor of Jurisprudence, Marquette University Law School
- Senior Executive Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Research Scholar in North Korean Studies, Peking University

● Experience
- Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai
- Commissioner General for the Korean Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo
- CEO, Asia-Pacific Local Government Network for Economic and Social Development (CityNet)
- Secretary General, World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization(WeGO)
- Law Clerk, Milwaukee Circuit Court, USA
- Senior Attorney-at-Law, Dr & Aju LLC
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, World Economy Research Institute, Nanjing University
- Research Professor, Institute of Oriental Studies, Peking University
- Distinguished Professor, Graduate School of Political Science, Kookmin University
- Chair Professor, Graduate School of Business, Dongguk University
- First President of Soongsil Cyber University

● Publications
- Georo English Studies Series for College Students [10 volumes] (Georo Publishing)
- I Challenge the Possibility of One Percent (Chosun Ilbo)
- The Art of Negotiation (Cheongnyonneongsin Publishing)
- Korea and the World (Chekmidum Publishing)