This is part one of a two-part series.
There’s nothing like an overseas trip to clarify one’s thinking on the United States. And having recently returned from a journey to my children’s native land of South Korea, all I can say is “Wow!â€
Since I’d never before been to Asia, I thought long and hard during the 14-hour flight to Seoul-Incheon International Airport about the kind of culture shock I would experience. I figured it would be largely confined to such humdrum affairs as language, cuisine and those extra firm mattresses Asians are famous for. Needless to say, it went much deeper than that.
First of all, I was struck by how proud Koreans are of their own country. Not only are flags everywhere, but while surfing channels in the hotel room, I often ran across patriotic programming.
South Koreans love to extol their nation’s remarkable history. They have a strong affection for their country and are not afraid to show it. In the United States, however, such people run the risk of being branded as “flag wavers†— you know, the patriots who defend their country no matter what kinds of atrocities were committed in its name.
But South Koreans have good reason to be proud on multiple levels. Indeed, there’s something for everyone, no matter what your political persuasion.
If you like capitalism, you’ll love South Korea. That nation’s transformation from a poverty-ridden backwater in the early 1960s to the economic powerhouse of today has been nothing short of a miracle.
Here again, Koreans have no compunction. Hyundai Heavy Industries, for example, is one of the largest companies in the world. Imagine including the words “heavy†and “industry†in the name of any U.S. corporation. Marketing and PR departments everywhere would have conniptions. But South Koreans are proud of the role heavy industries such as Hyundai (the largest shipbuilder in the world) have played in improving the standard of living for all their people.
Koreans are also unapologetic about progress — and a tour of the landscape confirms that. On the highway between Seoul and Seoraksan (and amid the breathtaking beauty), I counted at least two dozen tunnels.
High voltage electrical towers are omnipresent — sometimes even along mountain ridges. How on earth they strung the lines and poured concrete footings along isolated 3,000-foot mountain ridges I will never know.
And as just about any U.S. world traveler will tell you, cell phone coverage is better abroad, and South Korea is no exception. I suspect it has to do with numbers. You can’t turn a corner in Korea without seeing a wireless tower. They’re literally everywhere.
And, if in addition to being a capitalist, you’re a hawk on foreign policy, you’ll like the way South Korea has responded to the threat posed by its arch enemy to the north. A visit to the Demilitarized Zone, for example, is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, grim-faced soldiers, state-of-the-art weaponry and posted mine fields can be seen everywhere.
But on the other hand, only the cagey and resourceful South Koreans could manage to make money off a military security zone. Dozens of tour buses make the 30-mile trip from Seoul and other cities everyday. There are several restaurants and souvenir shops.
It was, however, a visit underground that had the most profound effect on me.
In 1974, South Korean officials discovered four tunnels dug under the DMZ by North Korea, which claimed absurdly that the tunnels, all of which were carved through solid granite, were actually created for the purpose of mining coal.
According to our tour guide, the tunnels contained rail lines, lights and electricity and would have allowed a total of 300,000 North Korean infantrymen to mount a quick military incursion intended to retake the rest of the Korean peninsula.
Those tunnels, combined with dozens of other incursion efforts and the proximity of the capital city to the frontier, compel South Koreans to be ever mindful of renewed war. By contrast, most Americans seem to have forgotten 9/11.
As appealing as South Korea is to political conservatives in the United States, there are ample reasons for liberals to be enthusiastic about it as well. I’ll cover that in my next column.
Lakeville resident Terry Cowgill is a former editor and senior writer at The Lakeville Journal Company. He is director of development at The Gilbert School in Winsted. He can be reached at terrycowgill@gmail.com.
