Korean Independence…a growing sense of nationalism…eldest brother’s teacher…birth mother’s youngest brother…why Japan must not re-arm…Picnic, Korean style…my niece’s honor…

I find myself growing in my identity as a Korean. Through the cultural teachings of my first eldest brother I have learned many of the customs and history of the Korean nation in general and our part of the Park Clan in particular. As I have reported earlier our particular clan of the Park surname is descended through the father directly traceable to the year 900. Unlike the other prevalent Korean names, Kim and Lee, Park (also, Pak, Bak) is the only name found specifically in Korea (as opposed to China and Japan.). This feeling of nationalism is so prevalent that my two-year-old (three in Korea) nephew sings the national Korean Soccer Team’s fight song.

August 15^th is Korea’s Independence Day and to commemorate the event the family went to Independence Hall where Koreans from all over the nation gather. Independence Hall serves as a focal point for national unity.

Korea has only been independent since 1945, the year the war in the Pacific ended with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ceremony opens with a performance by the National Traditional Korean Music performers. In the past, first eldest brother taught in his spare time for them, as well as performing with them.

His teacher is still the leader of the group and after they were off stage I was afforded the opportunity to meet him and have a picture taken with the students. I felt bad for them because it was so hot that day and here they were in their black shirts and long white pants standing in the sun taking a picture with me. They graciously stood for two photos and each shook my hand before changing into cooler attire.

During this time I also met my birth mother’s youngest brother. I did not know but my maternal birth grandmother died when she was very young. At the time my uncle was eight years old. My birth-mother took it on her self, to raise her brother putting off seeking marriage and starting her own life until he had grown sufficiently. She must have done a pretty good job because he now runs a great Chinese restaurant in Cheongju City along with my aunt.

When I was young most of my friends were grandparents, and while one grandson in particular became a very dear friend, it was mostly the grandparent’s that I sought. One might say I was seeking out the wisdom of the elders. Truth be told I think that the respect and need for the wisdom of the elders is hardwired into my system. One of these friends was a man by the name of Lee Dornan.

As a young man Mr. Dornan served in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt in the Post Master’s Office. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor he chose to join the Marine corps and was trained for the Pacific Theater. I once asked him if he had killed anyone while he was a soldier, during an interview for my high school paper. He looked at me very sternly (the only time I can remember him doing so) and told me that I was never to ask that question again. To quote a recent movie, “it ain’t the dying that gets to you, it’s the killing.” When I asked if he thought that dropping the A-Bomb on Japan was warranted, he replied that it saved probably one million American lives and countless Japanese lives. I now also know that the decision to act so decisively (by a fellow Missourian, Harry S Truman) probably saved Korea.

For much of the 19^th and the first half of the 20^th century Korea was a colony of Japan. The Japanese soldiers, who lived by a saying…”a man far from home has no family” acted with complete cowardice and dishonor terrorizing and subjugating the Korean people. The North, because of its proximity to resource rich China, was the industrial center for the Japanese colonialists, while the south remained primarily agricultural. Korean’s were forced to take Japanese names, forbidden to speak Korean in favor of Japanese, did not have any control of their press, and had their queen assassinated.

The height of the insult and terror was the usage of Korean women as “comfort” for the Japanese soldiers stationed in Japan. This colloquial expression can hardly mask the fact that entire generations of Korean women and girls were systematically raped and abused, it is a topic I will never ask about because of the deep national shame that it is, and because of the very distinct possibility that it happened to members of my family. I think that Koizumi (PM of Japan) would make great inroads to the Korean people by specifically begging all of Korean womanhood for their forgiveness, and understanding when he is flatly denied.

For this atrocity and the historic hostility of Japan, carried out in fantasy in the form of Manga, Japan must never be allowed to re-arm itself. Koizumi has already shown his insensitivity to his neighboring countries by visiting war memorial shrines that celebrate this darkest time in Japanese history. While many Americans might think of this no differently than our President visiting Arlington or the Tomb of the Unknowns the cultural impact is much different. This would be similar to the P.M. of Germany visiting a graveyard for the SS dead, hanging a wreath, and praising them. That action would draw world wide outrage and scorn. . If any man were to stand in the street and extol the virtues of the American Slave Trade ca. 1609-1865 he would be abused horrendously (think of Trent Lott’s comparatively weak comment if you doubt me). However, because the atrocities committed by the Japanese are not taught in our schools like the holocaust is, Koizumi can give Korea, China, and other subjugated nations this insult without so much as an objection, let alone condemnation, from America’s diplomat to Japan, Congress, or the President

I plan to write to my congressman and ask him to draft a resolution that would officially condemn the actions of the Japanese during World War II. I never used to feel bad about what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was done to protect American lives. Now I believe that it was just a finger-ful of repayment for the full hand of torment the Japanese have wrought upon the mainland of Asia throughout its history. Just as a unified Germany scares the hell out of the French so too will a re-armed Japan terrorize all of Asia. It must not be allowed!!!

While waiting for the ceremony to honor my niece, third brother’s daughter, we had a picnic, Korean style. The fare was simple and delicious consisting of kim-bap. The ingredients were rice, egg, crab, and a vegetable I have never seen before. The Korean diet is very high in fiber, my worries about needing an Immodium-like product were unfounded except when I have tried to eat American food here. It may be that Koreans don’t know how to prepare American fast food; but more likely American food is so high in fat the bowels, having grown accustomed to fiber-rich food, object…VEHEMENTLY. Anyway, the picnic was once again topped off with peeled pear, yummm.

The award that my niece received was for writing an essay on Dokdu. This is an island chain in the sea of Japan that has recently become a flashpoint for relations between the Koreans and the Japanese. Her essay was selected from across Korea as the very best in her grade-level. She wants to teach English, a very worthy profession in Korea, in the University or secondary school level. Her English is very good though her confidence is not. As I have blogged before the Korean perfectionism disallows anything but perfection and it has taken me some time to get my brothers (who can all speak some English) to open up and speak around me. Hopefully my struggling with Hangul-ma (the Korean spoken language) will encourage them that all language is difficult as a second language. I would love to have my entire family speaking some conversational Korean when we come back next year.