When Serge Gainsbourg, a French singer known for his eccentricity, died on March 2 in 1991, the daily Liberation remembered him in a very unusual way. The newspaper filled the day`s edition with stories about the late singer and printed a larger volume than usual. The dedication to Gainsbourg, a bohemian singer and songwriter who used to sing a song with a cigarette in his mouth and burn bills on stage, was all sold out. The reaction by readers had something to do with French people`s love for the great artist, but it was also closely related to their tolerance toward the dead. This unique French sentiment has, in fact, been witnessed throughout the country`s history of culture.
▷The French tolerance was also conspicuous in honoring the late socialist President Francois Mitterrand. His mistress and illegitimate daughter attended the funeral and people hardly minded the former President`s extramarital affair. Even considering the French `tol´erance,` which is well known for condoning some 10 to 20% of speed violations at highways, it`s not easy to understand their way of honoring the death.
▷They are indeed eager to pay tribute to the death. The remains of Alexandre Dumas, a French author known for his works such as `The Three Musketeers,` were transferred Saturday to the Pantheon, the state`s official grave of more than 60 luminaries of arts, politics and science. ˝Duma, as a grandson of a salve, was subject to discrimination from his early childhood, and the Republic today is working to improve just that,˝ said President Jacques Chirac in his speech commemorating the 200th anniversary of Duma`s birth. ˝We will continue working for the better future so that people with talent and skills like Duma can find their fair shares in the society.˝
▷Unlike French people, we are reluctant to honor the death. We not only pay little attention to the death of a dignitary, but also often fail to shed a new light on people in the history who did not receive a due treatment during their lifetime. Even there is a saying, `People remember the death of a nobleman`s dog more than a nobleman who is already dead.` This tells Koreans` propensity to curry favor with a man of influence and neglect honoring the death. Now, two government agencies are at odd with each other over the cause of the death of private Huh Won-guen, who died some 20 years ago on duty. We do not expect the government to duly honor those who died unjustly, instead we only ask the least identify the cause of the death for wandering souls.
Bang Hyung-nam, Editorial Writer, hnbhang@donga.com