제1부 인간적 대화(“나는 누구인가?”)에서는 두 인물이 어머니, 민족적 비애, 가난, 기쁨과 슬픔, 눈물, 정치 권력, 생사관과 유언, 성찰과 상생 등에 대하여 말한다. 아무리 격동기를 헤쳐나온 인물들이라 해도, 그들 역시 연약한 인간이었고 거센 파도에 휩쓸린 한 개인이었다. 제2부 철학적 대화(“사회와 역사를 어떻게 볼 것인가?”)에서는 사회와 역사, 경제성장, 민주주의, 지역감정, 외교전략, 민족과 민족주의, 분단과 통일 등에 대한 심도깊은 논쟁이 그려진다. 그들이 평생 보여주었던 철저한 삶의 방식과 전략적 선택들은 일관된 철학적 논리와 정치적 신념 없이는 불가능했을 것이다. 제3부 역사적 대화(“박정희와 김대중이 얽혀 살아온 역사 현장들”)에서는 박정희와 김대중이 만들고 겪어온 15개의 주요 사건에 대한 그들의 생각과 족적이 생생하게 복원된다. 한국전쟁, 4·19, 5·16, 경부고속도로, 1971년 대통령 선거, 전태일, 새마을운동, 유신과 중화학공업화, 김대중 납치사건, 10·26 등이 격정적이면서도 잔잔하게 다루어진다. 에필로그에서는 청년과의 대화(“박정희와 김대중이 말하는 청년”)가 이어진다. 청년 김대중과 청년 박정희가 자신들의 청춘을 말하고 현재의 청년들과 공감하는 시간을 갖게 된다.

The Dialogue between Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung
A Self-Portrait of Contemporary Korean History

By Sang-young Rhyu

On January 1, 1968, Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung meet at the New Year’s ceremony held at the Blue House with Park as the incumbent President and Kim as the future leader of the opposition party. The brief vis-a-vis exchange that ensues between them would be their first and last. This book fast-forwards half a century to modern day Korea to depict a conversation that the two leaders were unable to have during their lifetimes. The two figures respond to each other’s questions, expressing in their own words their thoughts about the times in which they lived, the world that they troubled over, and the historical events they encountered. Through the dialogue between Kim Dae-jung and Park Chung-hee, the author traces the major scenes in contemporary Korean history, the historical contexts of those scenes, and the historical roles of the two leaders in order to re-examine their respective philosophical arguments and anguish they endured. Sincere reflection and intense debates have transpired regarding perceived answers to existential questions for Park and Kim: Who am I? How do I view history and society? What motivated my actions? Despite their intense political battles and clashing views, Kim Dae-jung and Park Chung-hee together serve as a reflection or a self-portrait of contemporary Korean history and are embedded in the Korean psyche, continuing to exert their influence. This book is written in dialogue form, but its content is drawn from historical documents.

In Part 1 An Intimate Conversation on Personal Life, the two characters talk about their mothers, national woes, poverty, joy and sadness, tears, political power, philosophy of life and death, their last wishes, and their reflections and reconciliation. Part 2 A Conversation on Political Philosophy examines debates on society and history, economic growth, democracy, regional sentiment, diplomatic strategies, nation and nationalism, and national division and unification. In Part 3 A Conversation on Historical Events, fifteen major events constructed and experienced by Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung are vividly restored through an elaboration on their thoughts and examination of the historic steps they took. The Korean War, April 19 Student Revolution, May 16 military coup d'etat, Gyeongbu Expressway, 1971 presidential election, Jeon Tae-il, New Village Movement, Yushin and Heavy and Chemical Industrialization, abduction of Kim Dae-jung, and assassination of Park Chung-hee are dealt with passionately and soberly. The epilogue continues with a conversation with the two, but as their younger selves. Young Kim Dae-jung and young Park Chung-hee discuss their youth and empathize with the youth of modern day Korea.

Though the two figures find fault with and feel anger towards the other, they also come to understand and empathize with each other. Neither hide their private regrets. This book reveals the agony and determination of these two leaders, but also depicts the sorrow of the mincho (“people of grass” who like blades of grass are innumerable, seemingly insignificant, and yet resilient and able to persevere) and the power of the minjung (“the masses of people” who like the ocean can become agitated and powerful enough to overpower whatever or whoever ventures to ride across it). Depending on how we read the historical artifacts they left behind, the scope of reflection and understanding will be broadened, and a spirit of reconciliation will blossom. This book is a crossover in the study of history. I hope that readers will gain broader humanistic insight while feeling the weight of contemporary Korean history through the historical journey guided by Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung.

朴正?と金大中の?話
我?の自?像

朴正?と金大中は1968年１月１日、?瓦台で開かれた新年祝賀?で大統領と野?議員として?面し、しばし?話を交わす。それが、二人にとって初めてで最後の?話となった。本書で金大中と朴正?は半世紀ぶりに再?し、生前できなかった話をする。この二人の人物は、彼らの生きた時代や?んだ世界、そしてそれぞれが直面した?史的な事件について、自らの考えや言葉でもって問い、答える。筆者は二人の?話を通じて韓?現代史の重要なシ?ンやその?史的脈略を追跡し、彼らの人間的な苦?や哲?的な論?に再び光を?てようと試みた。私は誰なのか？　?史や社?をどう見るべきなのか？　私はなぜそうしたのだろうか？　といったことについての激しい論?や率直な省察が?く。今もなお、?い攻防と交錯する評?が存在するのは?然たる事?であるが、金大中と朴正?は韓?現代史の自?像であり、我?の遺?子の中に生きている。また、?話という形式ではあるが、その?容は徹底した?史的資料に基づいている。

第一部の人間的な?話では、二人が、母、民族の悲哀、貧しさ、喜びと悲しみ、?、政治?力、死生?と遺言、省察と共生などについて語る。第二部の哲?的な?話では、社?と?史、??成長、民主主義、地域感情、外交?略、民族と民族主義、分?と統一などについて踏み?んだ論?が描かれる。第三部の?史的?話では、朴正?と金大中が??してきた15項目の主要事件について彼らの考えや足跡が鮮明によみがえる。朝鮮??、四月革命、5?16軍事ク?デタ?、京釜高速道路、1971年大韓民?大統領選?、チョン?テイル、セマウル運動、維新?制と重化?工業化、金大中拉致事件、朴正?暗殺事件などが臨場感をもちながらも、落ち着いて語られる。エピロ?グでは?年との?話が?く。?年金大中と?年朴正?が自らの?春時代について語り、現代の?年らと心の交流を果たす。

二人の人物は、互いについて批判し、憤りを感じることもあるが、理解と共感にも到達する。自分自身に?する悔恨も包み?さず吐露する。また本書は、リ?ダ?の苦?や決?も垣間見れるが、庶民の哀切や民衆の波も描かれている。我?が彼らの?した?史的資産をどう?み解くかによって、韓?社?における省察や理解の幅が?がり、共生の花を?かすこともできる。本書は?史?究における一種のクロスオ?バ?である。筆者は、?者が朴正?と金大中が案?する?史紀行を通じて韓?現代史における?史的重みを感じ、より幅?い人文?的慧眼を手に入れられるよう願っている。