September 3, 2025
SEOUL – Once again, Korea is precariously navigating a narrow strait between Scylla and Charybdis, the two gigantic, menacing creatures from Greek myth. According to the myth, Scylla is a many-headed monster, while Charybdis is a massive whirlpool. If the ship sails near Scylla, it will devour the ship’s sailors and passengers. If it goes near Charybdis, it will engulf the ship and capsize it.
The mythology of Scylla and Charybdis symbolizes a leader’s difficult decision in times of crisis. In Homer’s “Odyssey,” Odysseus wisely steered the ship in the direction of Scylla and saved the ship at the cost of six sailors. If he had chosen the passage toward Charybdis, he would have lost everything, including his ship and entire crew, in the giant whirlpool.
Watching anxiously the newly launched SS Republic of Korea sailing through a perilous strait between two threatening, gigantic perils, we cannot help but worry about the capability and credibility of our captain and his crew. Our lives depend on their ability to read the chart, their skill in maneuvering swift currents and their ability to make the right decision in a moment of crisis. If they succeed, we will survive. If they fail, we are doomed.
Korean history is full of similar dilemmas, and our track record is not good. Regrettably, our ancestors who ruled the country frequently made wrong decisions and the Korean people had to suffer the consequences. Sometimes, they invited foreign invasions on the Korean Peninsula, which could have been avoided, and other times, they lost sovereignty, due to their wrong decision while sailing between Scylla and Charybdis.
We can no longer afford to tolerate the outcome of our leaders’ wrong decisions or incompetence. We strongly hope that they can safely maneuver our country through the dangerous strait between Scylla and Charybdis. To do that, our captain, first mate and sailors must have an international vision, global mindset and wider perspective. Only then can they safely navigate the ship called Korea through the rough currents ahead of them.
The same thing goes for our policy toward North Korea, as well.
Instead of improbable, hollow propositions, we want concrete plans to protect us from North Korea’s nuclear threats. Clearly, the North will not give up its nuclear weapons under any circumstances. Therefore, it is not viable to try to persuade them by offering financial aid or lifting economic sanctions in the name of peace.
I recently watched the 2012 TV series “Arrow” on Netflix and found that the drama series metaphorically depicted the same situation as in Korea.
“Arrow,” based on DC Comics, was a popular show that ran for eight seasons. It is the story of Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy, who is shipwrecked and spends five nightmare years on a remote island, Lyan Yu, in the North China Sea. Lyan Yu means “purgatory” in Chinese. His ordeals on the island change him completely. He returns home to Starling City to fight crime as a clandestine late-night vigilante whose only weapon is the bow and arrow.
There is a recurring theme throughout “Arrow”: The truest qualities of a leader are honesty, consistency and credibility. The protagonist loses his love and the trust of those around him due to his lies about his dark secrets. Likewise, if a leader keeps telling lies or lacks consistency, they will inevitably lose credibility from both their own people and the international community.
A recurrent theme is the danger of becoming obsessed with the past. Oliver’s memories of his dark past on the island constantly haunt him and are intertwined with his current missions and actions, often hampering his steps from moving forward.
Another instance of this theme is during a futile attempt to bring back someone who has died. When Oliver’s ex-girlfriend Sara is killed, those who love her resurrect her, using the magical Lazarus Pits. Unfortunately, the returned Sara is not the same person: She has turned into a bloodthirsty killer. The episode teaches us that we should let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, the ghost from the past will haunt us and destroy us eventually.
“Arrow” also urges us to stop personal or political vendettas in the name of justice.
Oliver thinks that he represents justice, but he, too, constantly agonizes over the thin layer between vengeance and justice when he shoots an arrow into the heart of a villain. Other episodes deal with the dangers of leadership that relies upon brainwashing people with hallucinogenic drug-like ideologies.
Of course, it will not be easy to safely pass through the dangerous strait between Scylla and Charybdis. Yet, we must try hard to overcome the crisis and survive. For this purpose, we should unite, not remain divided. Our leaders, too, should not disregard the problems depicted by “Arrow” because they are liable to tilt the ship to one side until it loses balance and sinks.
Our leaders must choose the right passage and navigate the rough tides carefully.
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
