[AI Library] Epilogue: Different Yet Living Together
Malaysia and the Malacca Strait: Whoever Controls It Controls the World
Epilogue: Different Yet Living Together
Kim Kyung-jin
On my last day in Malaysia, I sat in a cafe in Kuala Lumpur. Through the window, I could see a Malay woman wearing a hijab, an elderly Chinese man who appeared to have come from Chinatown, and an Indian family walking together down the street. Speaking different languages, wearing different clothes, eating different foods,yet all of them walked the same street.
A thought suddenly struck me: "Is such a thing possible?"
We are too divided these days. By political belief, by generation, by region, by religion. At the slightest difference, we think we cannot understand each other, cannot live together. On the internet, people quarrel with one another every single day.
Yet Malaysia has lived this way for seven hundred years.
A Small Nation Poses a Question to the World
Malaysia is one of ten nations in ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is not a large country. Its economy ranks fourth in the region. Yet what is remarkable is the role this small nation plays in its region.
Do you remember the Malacca Strait? Malaysia guards those waters where one quarter of the world's trade passes through. Together with Singapore and Indonesia, it works to prevent piracy and terrorism, conducting daily patrols to ensure safe passage for ships.
Small as it is, it plays a major role. It works to maintain neutrality among the great powers. It meets with America and with China. It talks with Japan, Europe, and Russia. It takes no side.
Is this an easy task?
Today's world demands you choose a side. It asks, "Which side are you on?" But Malaysia says, "We are on our own side. Yet we wish to be friends with all."
I found this stance deeply moving. That one can walk one's own path even without great strength or great size. This is the first lesson Malaysia offers to us.
Nine Kings Taking Turns to Rule a Country
Malaysia has nine sultans. Every five years, one of them becomes king in turn. When I first heard this, it seemed strange. "How is such a thing possible?"
But when I thought about it, this too was a 'way of living together.'
If one family holds power continuously, others grow resentful. So they decided to take turns. There is a time when I am king, and a time when you are king. If you wait, your turn comes.
Could this not be applied to our own society?
Sharing power, taking turns with opportunities, making sure no single person or group monopolizes forever. It sounds simple, but it is difficult to practice. Malaysia has done this for nearly seventy years.
Different People Living in One Country
What struck me most about Malaysia was its people.
In the morning, prayers sound from the mosque. At midday, incense drifts from Chinese restaurants. In the evening, bells ring from Hindu temples. At Christmas, trees stand in shopping malls. During Ramadan, special food bazaars open on every street.
At first I was puzzled. "How can this be one nation when everything is so different?"
But after a few days, I understood. Difference was not the problem. The problem arises when one refuses to acknowledge difference.
Malaysians celebrate each other's holidays together. Muslim friends attend Chinese New Year parties. Chinese friends are invited to Hari Raya, the Islamic festival. It is not perfect. There are conflicts. There are complaints. But they do not give up.
I have witnessed much conflict in Korea. Now with artificial intelligence technology, new anxieties are appearing. "What if AI takes my job?" "What kind of world will our children live in?"
Observing Malaysia, I came to understand: change and difference cannot be avoided. What matters is how we find a way to live together within that reality.
Imperfect Yet Persisting
Malaysia is not a perfect country.
Economic disparities exist between ethnic groups. Some policies draw criticism as unjust. Religious matters sometimes lead to court battles. Politicians quarrel.
But the people of this nation have not given up.
In 1969, a severe ethnic conflict erupted. Many were hurt. At that moment, Malaysia faced a choice: "Shall we separate and go our own ways now? Or shall we continue searching for a way forward together?"
They chose the latter. It has not been easy. For more than fifty years, they have continued to adjust, compromise, and talk. They are still doing so.
This seems to be the greatest lesson Malaysia offers: there is no perfect answer. But you can keep trying.
What We Need
While writing this book, I thought deeply.
Korea too is becoming increasingly diverse. Neighbors from abroad are increasing. Differences in thinking between generations are growing. New technologies like artificial intelligence are changing our lives rapidly.
What do we need in such times?
Malaysia offers an answer. Not a perfect one, but one worth trying.
First, acknowledging difference. Not insisting that my way alone is right.
Second, constantly seeking ways to live together. One answer is not the end. You must keep talking, adjusting, and compromising.
Third, the confidence that one can speak up even when small. Like Malaysia, maintaining neutrality among great powers and walking its own path.
A Final Word
As I finish this book, I think again of that cafe.
It was that scene of people speaking different languages, wearing different clothes, and believing in different faiths walking the same street together.
It was not perfect. There were awkward moments. But they were walking together. They have been doing so for seven hundred years, and they will continue to do so.
Could we not do the same?
In this age when the future is uncertain, change is swift, and different ideas collide. I hope that Malaysia's story can offer small comfort and courage.
That we can live together even though we are different.
That we can keep trying even when we are not perfect.
That we can walk our own path even if we are small.
This is the message Malaysia leaves us with.
I hope the time spent with this book has been a peaceful rest for you. And when you close these pages, I hope your worries about tomorrow feel a little lighter.
Like the wind of the Malacca Strait, we too will continue to flow. Sometimes rough, sometimes calm, but never stopping as we flow onward.
Will you walk this path with me?
Written while organizing two brief memories of Malaysia. 2025 Kim Kyung-jin
Kim Kyung-jin
Attorney · Former Member of the National Assembly · AI Policy Researcher
© 2026 Kim Kyung-jin. All rights reserved.