[EDITORIALS]Paving a path of peace

The year 2006 is upon us. New Year’s morn is usually a time to extend good wishes and speak of hope and the future, but in the past few years, our resolutions have been shattered by dark shadows.
Our high hopes have been smashed year after year, as could be seen in the slouched shoulders of our laid-off fathers, the contracted form of our unemployed youth or the businessmen that lack the will to invest. In spite of this, the reason we could not afford to give up was because the blood and sweat we shed under the rule of Japan and amidst the ruins of the Korean War were too precious. We believed in the potential of our people, who were able to catch up in half a century with the industrialization and democracy that it took the West centuries to accomplish. We may be lagging behind now due to the aftermath of such rapid achievements but if we can gather the will of the people, we will be able to drive forward again. If politicians can not play that role, the people should take it upon themselves to step forward.
Petty ideological conflicts must end in the new year, as well as relationships with North Korea that lean toward one-sided concession and romanticized nationalism. Even if we support North Korea, we must point out problems such as human rights abuses and counterfeiting of money. Although we must cooperate with the United States to solve the North’s nuclear problem, we have to maintain a sense of balance so that we can restrain its hardline policy toward North Korea.
The JoongAng Ilbo hopes to rebuild confidence in a society where trust has fallen and to contribute what little it can to piecing together a society that has been ripped-apart. It will open the floor of public debate so that the community can walk a path of peace and prosperity.