Remembering the Rev. Pharis J. Harvey

Many foreign nationals have devoted themselves to the development of modern democracy in Korea. One notable figure is the Rev. Pharis J. Harvey. Following a visit to the U.S. State Department decades ago, I paid a courtesy call to Harvey in Washington, D.C., where he was serving as the executive director of the North American Coalition for Human Rights in Korea. The meeting was arranged by a colleague of mine who had served as a U.S. State Department official. During my visit, I presented him with an English translation of a guidebook on Donghak (Cheondogyo, Korea’s native religion) that I had authored. He showed a profound interest in the egalitarian philosophy of Donghak, whose values transcend religious affiliation. This egalitarian thought served as a vital intellectual foundation for the development of modern democracy in Korea, mirroring the country's democratization process at the time. Harvey, a Methodist minister and passionate advocate for Korean democracy, was expelled from Korea in the 1970s for opposing the military dictatorship. Yet even from afar, his dedication remaineWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times