'Mother' Lee So-sun (2010년 11월 20일)

The first two weeks of November is the busiest season for Lee So-sun and she has more visitors and interviews than her ailing 80-year-old body can handle. Yet, she never complains, being the mother of Chun Tae-il, the man who sacrificed his own life for the human rights of exploited textile workers 40 years ago.

Marking the death anniversary of ``Laborer Jesus” on Nov. 13, citizens and workers held a variety of events on and around the day, often without the presence of his mother. She spent three months in hospital this year and lives on handfuls of medicine. The physical pain, however, doesn’t seem to affect her mind.

``What did my son die for? President Lee Myung-bak, (Samsung) Chairman Lee Kun-hee, laborers, they were born with the same human rights. How did the (Korean) economy grow to the present level? Laborers grew it with their blood and sweat. But they are not treated as humans now. They are treated like dogs, made into irregular workers … They get work, which is nothing but dregs, and they can’t make money.”

In a recent interview with Kyunghyang Daily News, Lee also said, ``It’s becoming a lawless world. Why do they push the laborers? Pushed and pushed, the laborers fall into the river but no one offers hands … What are the politicians doing these days? I wish I could see the good world before I die.”

Lee’s son set himself on fire on Nov. 13, 1970 in Pyonghwa Market near Dongdaemun, shouting ``Abide by the Labor Standards Law!” ``We are not machines!” ``Don’t overwork the laborers!” ``Don’t waste my death.” He was a tailor at one of the sweatshops in the Dongdaemun and Cheonggyecheon areas of Seoul, He was 22.

Korea’s labor scene has much to be desired as Lee pointed out, but the current level of workers’ rights and welfare wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for her son’s sacrifice.

In ``Chun Tae-il Biography,” the late author and lawyer Cho Young-rae describes a dialogue between the young crusader and his mother at his deathbed: ``Mother, please carry out the things I failed to.” ``Don’t worry. I will carry out your wishes as long as I live.”

In the interview with Kyunghyang, Lee recollects that she hesitated to answer her son’s demand then. ``He said that if I didn’t do what he said, that would mean I had been a hypocrite. There is a place where souls go after death, he said, and he wouldn’t meet me there.” The mother was a daughter of an independence fighter. Her father died at the hands of the Japanese colonial rulers when she was three. Japan ruled Korea from 1910 to 1945.

When Lee’s son died, the government of President Park Chung-hee had the Methodist pastor of her church perform the mediator role and suggested through him to pay 70 million won in compensation. ``The pastor said that no nation would give this much compensation for a single laborer’s death. Other people may talk like that but not a pastor … I refused the funeral (by the government).”

Over the past 40 years, Lee So-sun has lived as she promised to her dying son, launching and leading ``Yugahyeop” or the Association of Bereaved Families of National Democratic Fighters, and helping workers in distress. Despite her life-long struggle, Lee says she is afraid if ``Tae-il will see me in heaven,” as Korean society doesn’t seem to have changed in the way her son had hoped. Her fear seems well-grounded, given all the absurd happenings in the nation, particularly at the National Human Rights Commission.

In the meantime, more than a few people are preparing to immortalize her life, first as Chun’s mother and then the mother of all the powerless. In December last year, writer Oh Do-yeop put his two-year conversation with Lee into a book, ``To Those I Can’t Thank Enough: Lee So-sun’s Memory of 80 Years.”

Film director Tae Joon-sik has been shooting a documentary on Lee’s life under the tentative title of “The Mother” since late last year. Some 70 percent of the shooting has been done by the voluntary efforts of Tae and many others who plan to release the film on the next anniversary of Chun’s death, but financial difficulties are worrisome.

Chun was a torch lighting the path for modernizing Korea and his mother has been the most loyal bearer. Chun’s life was written in history not only by his biography but also through the movie, ``A Single Spark,” produced in 1995. Fortunately, we still have his mother with us and the documentary on her will be a great legacy for our future generations. By donating 50,000 won ($44), anyone can support the creation of ``The Mother.”

Donors will be invited to the film’s preview and their names will be on the sponsors’ roster of the film. You can send money to Woori Bank in the name of Director Tae, account number 1002-134-937553. To aid the project in other ways, contact the team at flanerie07@gmail.com.

 

제목에 있는 '어머니' 이소선은 본래 '노동자 예수' 전태일의 어머니였으나, 아들이 1970년 11월 13일 노동자들의 인권을 부르짖으며 평화시장에서 분신한 후엔 모든 힘없는 사람들의 어머니가 되었습니다. 올해는 전태일이 22세로 산화한 지 40년이 되는 해, 어머니의 연세는 우리나이로 여든 한 살이 되었습니다. 평화시장 노동자든 아니든, 누구도 전태일의 살신이 이 나라 노동계와 민주화에 기여한 것을 부정할 수는 없을 겁니다.

 

세계 15위의 경제규모를 가진 풍요로운 나라에 태어나 성장하여 제 나라의 과거를 모르는 젊은 세대들이 고 조영래 변호사가 쓴 <전태일 평전>이나, 오도엽씨가 쓴 <지겹도록 고마운 사람들아: 이소선 여든의 기억>을 읽었으면 좋겠습니다. 책을 읽기 싫어하는 사람들은 1995년에 개봉했던 영화 '아름다운 청년 전태일'이나 내년에 개봉할 영화 '어머니'를 보아도 좋겠지요.

 

'어머니'는 태준식 감독과 여러 사람들이 내년 전태일 기일에 맞추어 개봉하려고 열심히 만들고 있지만 자금 부족으로 곤란을 겪고 있다고 합니다. '어머니'의 제작은 영상으로 역사를 쓰는 일입니다. 이 일을 돕고 싶으신 분은 우리은행 1002-134-937553을 통해 마음을 전달할 수 있습니다. 5만원이상 기부한 사람은 시사회에 초대하고 영화의 엔딩크레딧에도 후원자로 이름을 넣어준다고 합니다. 자세한 걸 알고 싶거나 다른 도움을 주고 싶으면 flanerie07@gmail.com으로 연락하시면 됩니다.