2025 Sejong Writing Competition
Winning Entries :: Essays :: Senior second place
Title: The Multi-Persona of Kapitan Ri: A Story on Opportunism and Survival
For most people, surviving multiple foreign occupations sounds like a distant reality. However, for Koreans, it was their reality. In the short story Kapitan Ri, Chon Kwangyong explores the consequences of living under foreign rule through the character of Dr. Yi Inguk, a physician who constantly shifts his alliance to align with the ruling power. Dr. Yi values opportunism over all things, using language, cultural alignment, and medical expertise to advance his status. Chon portrays him as a designated survivor and an ethically complex figure, raising questions about identity, loyalty, and the personal cost of self-natured habits in times of national turmoil. The story remains relevant today, as it makes readers reflect on the ethical dilemmas of survival and the everlasting effects of colonial rule on national identity.
Dr. Yi's choices appear deeply self-centered to a Korean-American reader in the United States. Having grown up in a stable democracy, it is easy to condemn his actions as cowardly and egotistical. However, when considering historical moments, such as African Americans pushing through racism through assimilation or political figures adapting to regimes, Dr. Yi's choices become more complex. Throughout Kapitan Ri, he actively aligns himself with each successive power structure, first embracing the Japanese colonial government, then the Soviet-backed North Koreans, and even the American-led South Korean government. His rejection of his people is most shown when he prioritizes Japanese patients over Koreans at his own hospital, demonstrating his complete disregard for nationalism (Chon 52). His ability to abandon his Korean identity makes him difficult to sympathize with, especially from an American perspective that values patriotism.
Dr. Yi's language adaptability also highlights the tension between cultural survival and dominance. His ability to master multiple languages—Japanese, Russian, and English—provides him with economic and social advantages, yet it also singles him out from his own people. In many ways, he is the historical reality of Koreans who, under colonial rule, had to adopt a foreign language and ideals to survive. While being multilingual is often viewed as an asset, in Dr. Yi's case, it is a way to carry out betrayal. He does not use his language skills to help his fellow Koreans but to raise himself with the ruling elite. This shows historical concerns about cultural dismissal under colonial rule, making Kapitan Ri a powerful critique of the dilemmas forced upon colonized peoples.
A Korean of the older generation, particularly someone who endured the hardships of the Japanese occupation or Korean War, might view Dr. Yi with a mix of hate and reluctant understanding. While he is a traitor in the eyes of many, his actions reflect the sense required to survive in a time of unstable power dynamics. Korea has celebrated figures who resist oppression, such as Ahn Jung-Geun, who assassinated the Japanese governor-general, or the independence fighters who risked their lives against colonial rule. Compared to these figures, Dr. Yi appears dishonorable. However, for those who lived through the brutal realities of war and occupation, survival sometimes requires moral compromise. Dr. Yi's willingness to abandon his own culture and even his family, even shown by his insistence on his daughter adopting a Japanese identity (Chon 53), reflects the extreme pressures of the time rather than just personal gains and benefits.
Furthermore, Dr. Yi's opportunism undervalues the tension between personal ambition and national loyalty. His ability to align with each successive regime suggests a lack of morals, but it also highlights the uncertainty faced by individuals living under occupation. Is it truly possible to remain loyal to a nation when that nation itself is in deep turmoil? Throughout Korean history, collaboration with foreign powers has been an issue, with figures like Dr. Yi describing what happens when personal gain is prioritized over helping others. The story suggests that Dr. Yi's betrayal is not simply an individual being selfish but a result of a historical trauma in which outside forces frequently distorted national identity.
If Dr. Yi has any good qualities, I would say they lie in his adaptability, intelligence, and survivability. He is not simply a lowly follower; he actively learns new languages, aligns himself with those in power, and secures his place in shifting regimes. His proficiency in multiple languages is a historical comparison to Korea's long-standing emphasis on education as a means of social mobility (Cadavid 32). However, his motivations are always self-serving, as seen when he takes on an English tutor and charms himself with the American embassy as soon as South Korea gains power (Chon 71). His goal to move to the United States could be seen as an attempt to reconnect with his daughter, but it is more likely another hidden move to secure his future under yet another power. The uncertainty surrounding his final actions leaves readers questioning whether he is an unfortunate figure shaped by circumstance or an unforgivable opportunist.
The story of Dr. Yi forces readers to handle themes of identity, morality, and nationality. His character critiques those who leave their cultural and ethical foundations for personal gain, yet it also raises the question of whether survival justifies betrayal. Chon Kwangyong does not present a simple villain but rather a pragmatic survivor, making Kapitan Ri a powerful story on the cost of an egotistical self in an occupied and war-ridden nation. The moral of Dr. Yi's character makes readers reflect on their own perspectives—whether they value unwavering loyalty or adaptation in times of crisis.
Moreover, Kapitan Ri serves as a broader critique of Korean society's struggle with historical memory. In contemporary South Korea, discussions about collaboration during Japanese rule remain testy. Some view former collaborators as traitors, while others argue that survival under occupation necessitates difficult choices. The story's enduring relevance lies in its ability to spark debate about national identity and the ethical troubles faced by those living under foreign rule. It challenges readers to consider how history judges individuals, urging them to reflect not only on the past but also on how they themselves might respond when faced with similar moral situations.
Works Cited
Cadavid, Paola. Language and Social Mobility in Korea: Historical Perspectives. Seoul National University Press, 2018.
Chon, Kwangyong. Kapitan Ri. Translated by John B. Duncan, in Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction, edited by Bruce Fulton and Youngmin Kwon, M.E. Sharpe, 2007.
Minkook, Kim. The Cultural Hero in Korean Literature. Seoul National University Press, 2015.
Eckert, Carter J., et al. Korea Old and New: A History. Harvard University Press, 1990.
Cumings, Bruce. Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History. W.W. Norton & Company, 2005.
Ryang, Sonia. North Koreans in Japan: Language, Ideology, and Identity. Westview Press, 1997.
Robinson, Michael Edson. Cultural Nationalism in Colonial Korea, 1920-1945. University of Washington Press, 1988.