“To tell you the truth, I always wanted to tell you about my story to emphasize how blessed you are.” He actually jumped right into the conversation about his experience during Korean War. “I was only 16 years old at that time and lived in Gyeseong which is a city located in North Korea now. What are some questions you have Hyun Ho? You can ask anything about my experience during Korean War.” He said enthusiastically and even set the comfortable atmosphere of the conversation.
Since I have never witnessed or experienced a war, I was quite curious about the most unforgettable scene for him. With a minute of silence, which conveyed his tone of seriousness and tragic memory, he said the most terrifying and unforgettable moment was the time when civilians were lined up with eyes covered and then North Korean soldiers was shooting at their innocent bodies for accusing them as rebels of North Korea” He could not continue on after the explanation of this cruel memory… he said “My emotion toward this memory can never be explicated by millions of word or any descriptive adjective.” I was actually amazed how I did not know much of my grandfather, who is only two generations apart. In addition, I thought about my country, which is literally on the other side of where I am right now. I was very thankful for the country that I belong even though I have to serve 2 years at military to fulfill my duty as a South Korean citizen.
“So grandfather Yang, how did Korean War changed your life?” brought complete silence on the phone. After he cleared his throat, he said, “I lost my family.” His composed and serene voice made it sound even more sorrowful. I knew that my grandfather requested to see his family in North Korea several years ago, but he did not get an opportunity to do so. He received a message saying there was no reported contact between the organization and his mother and the organization could not even confirm if she was alive or not. He stressed that separated family is the most tragic result that war gave him. He already lost his dad at the age of five because of heart attack and war had taken his last reliable person away from him. I put myself into his situation and thought for a while. Even if I have my family, I have been already feeling lonely ever since I came to Emory due to new circumstance and friends. I felt like it would be impossible for me to do not receive any support from my parents and live by myself.
I continued the interview by asking what was the biggest component that impacted the memory of war to you personally? “Food was also a big part of memory during this time. Most of meal times he ate this Korean traditional soup called Sujebi. This food consists of rough dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. The broth is made by simmering numerous kinds of seafood in water for hours with zucchini and potatoes. In fact, this food is one of my favorite Korean dishes and it is still very popular in Korea. However, my grandfather actually hates to eat Sujebi because this reminds him of the painful time he suffered. Moreover, this food was the only choice because he was very poor and this was the only cost efficient food. I could never imagine that food has such a power of conjuring up memories.
“Grandpa, what is your impression toward the United States and it impacted you personally?” With genuine heart, he was very thankful for the United States’ military support and missionary work. “If Korea did not get support from the United States, the independence and safety might not be guaranteed today. General McArthur was a wise leader who led the Korean Peninsula into peace.” He had more personal thanks to the United States because he attended middle school and high school that one of the missionaries from U.S. built during Korean War. Since I go to school in the states, I rethought of the meaning of my presence in here again and was thankful for what I can enjoy today such as freedom, safety, and family. Since I have been studying in the states for about 6 years, support of my family and safety are taken as granted to me for now. However, this interview with my grandfather totally changed my mindset toward freedom, family, and my identity for being in the states. After the conversation with my grandfather, I totally changed from pessimistic and complaining person to optimistic and appreciative person.
Since I have never witnessed or experienced a war, I was quite curious about the most unforgettable scene for him. With a minute of silence, which conveyed his tone of seriousness and tragic memory, he said the most terrifying and unforgettable moment was the time when civilians were lined up with eyes covered and then North Korean soldiers was shooting at their innocent bodies for accusing them as rebels of North Korea” He could not continue on after the explanation of this cruel memory… he said “My emotion toward this memory can never be explicated by millions of word or any descriptive adjective.” I was actually amazed how I did not know much of my grandfather, who is only two generations apart. In addition, I thought about my country, which is literally on the other side of where I am right now. I was very thankful for the country that I belong even though I have to serve 2 years at military to fulfill my duty as a South Korean citizen.
“So grandfather Yang, how did Korean War changed your life?” brought complete silence on the phone. After he cleared his throat, he said, “I lost my family.” His composed and serene voice made it sound even more sorrowful. I knew that my grandfather requested to see his family in North Korea several years ago, but he did not get an opportunity to do so. He received a message saying there was no reported contact between the organization and his mother and the organization could not even confirm if she was alive or not. He stressed that separated family is the most tragic result that war gave him. He already lost his dad at the age of five because of heart attack and war had taken his last reliable person away from him. I put myself into his situation and thought for a while. Even if I have my family, I have been already feeling lonely ever since I came to Emory due to new circumstance and friends. I felt like it would be impossible for me to do not receive any support from my parents and live by myself.
I continued the interview by asking what was the biggest component that impacted the memory of war to you personally? “Food was also a big part of memory during this time. Most of meal times he ate this Korean traditional soup called Sujebi. This food consists of rough dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. The broth is made by simmering numerous kinds of seafood in water for hours with zucchini and potatoes. In fact, this food is one of my favorite Korean dishes and it is still very popular in Korea. However, my grandfather actually hates to eat Sujebi because this reminds him of the painful time he suffered. Moreover, this food was the only choice because he was very poor and this was the only cost efficient food. I could never imagine that food has such a power of conjuring up memories.
“Grandpa, what is your impression toward the United States and it impacted you personally?” With genuine heart, he was very thankful for the United States’ military support and missionary work. “If Korea did not get support from the United States, the independence and safety might not be guaranteed today. General McArthur was a wise leader who led the Korean Peninsula into peace.” He had more personal thanks to the United States because he attended middle school and high school that one of the missionaries from U.S. built during Korean War. Since I go to school in the states, I rethought of the meaning of my presence in here again and was thankful for what I can enjoy today such as freedom, safety, and family. Since I have been studying in the states for about 6 years, support of my family and safety are taken as granted to me for now. However, this interview with my grandfather totally changed my mindset toward freedom, family, and my identity for being in the states. After the conversation with my grandfather, I totally changed from pessimistic and complaining person to optimistic and appreciative person.