Children's Day

What is the true meaning of the word ‘family’? Family is an acronym for ‘Father and Mother, I Love You.’ (Song Kil-wan, the founder and the manager Hi Family, Korea)

***

The quotation above was taken from Dorothy Nam’s article that wrote about the meaning of family in South Korea related to the Children’s Day (Eorini Nal) that was commemorated each May 5th as the national holiday. On this day, the Korean children get big attention from their parents. Usually, their parents take them out for picnic to the garden or amusement park, watched the film, et cetera.

If we saw that the children day became the national holiday in Korea, we will definitely imagine that parents in Korea really pay attention to their children. This is correctly true, but in reality, many children’s fate in Korea was still unlucky. Why?

The biggest problem in Korean family was limited time of the togetherness. Generally, the Korean family really focused on their children’s education so that the father should work hard and rarely had time to be with his family. The supporting public facilities for children and parents in their relaxed time are also very limited.

According Dorothy Nam, compared with the American society, parents in the United States often have dinner together in the restaurant with their children, or watching TV while eating popcorn. However, in Korea, after working, the father will go to the coffee shops or bars with his colleagues whereas the mother stay in the house with the children. There are so many bars and coffee shops in Korea, but the number of family restaurants could only be counted by fingers.

Culturally, the Korean father showed his affection to the family rarely. They were not used to embrace and express their affection to their children and wives periodically. Beside that, the Korean family condition statistically showed a very bad condition. According to The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the divorce level in Korea is the second highest in the world.

At the time when I wrote this article in mid of 2004, South Korea suffered the unstable economic condition. This caused the height of the unemployment rate and the number of families that were involved in bad credit. According to a survey, approximately four million Koreans could not pay their credit card and generally, each family owed about two million won. The strong of economic pressure caused the height of stress so that the suicide and violence cases in the households increased.

For instances, a father killed his two children and wife because they did not want to do suicide. Whereas, according to Korean police statistics, the number of people who are arrested because of the household violence increased from 15,557 peoples in 2001, 16,324 peoples in 2002, and to 17,770 peoples during 2003.

Observing the height of domestic violence in the society, made us more concern on the children life in the Korean family. A newspaper reported that one of the three wives in Korea got physical violence by her husband. Recently, a woman put divorce lawsuit -- the very rare matter happened in Korea -- after 3 decades, minimal once in a week, she was hit by her husband. The other woman was taken to the hospital because her ribs were broken because of being stricken by her husband, while the other woman had eardrum broken after being stricken with baseball stick by her husband (Korean Times, May 18, 2004).

The unharmonious family made many under age children witnessed the domestic violence and affected by its impact. There was a 20's years-old student who often watches her mother was stricken by her father suffered physical and mental pressure and has to be sent to psychiatric hospital.

Worsening economic condition of Korea was not only one cause of unharmonious family in the country that is so called The Land of Morning Calm. Observing its root, the unharmonious husband-wife relations in this society was influenced by the Confucianism doctrine that becomes the living guide of Koreans. According to Professor Eom Myo-seop from Catholic University of Daegu, Confucianism gave the top priority to man and made woman become subordinate. Korean woman must obey three rules that were mentioned in samjongjido. According to these rules, the woman must obey her father when she was young, her husband after marrying, and obedient to her son when her husband died.

Although the patriarchal system has begun to change in Korea, this point of view is still often followed by the Korean family. Many husbands regarded his wife and children as his “own”.

This caused Song Kil-wan established Hi Family during 1992 to give counseling and advocations to Korean family. If Song’s efforts were successful, happiness would really no longer become a sweet dream of Korean family and the children will definitely get “the children’s day” in everyday.***

Thanks to Hendry for the pics!

Children’s Day

By: Chung Su-jin

May in South Korea was “family month”. May 5th was the Children's Day and May 8th was the Parent’s Day. On May 5th, the parents please their children. Whereas on May 8th, children gave a bucket of flowers to their parent as their expression of thankful.

If it compared with United States and Indonesia that only commemorated Mother’s Day, in South Korea, there is a Parent’s Day because the South Korean society thought that if there are children, there should be also parents. During forty years ago in the process of the fast economics development, the worked men often get stress. As a result, they sometimes release their stress to their family.

However, with the better economy improvement of South Korean, they have realized the family value. Although the domestic violence increased, the position of the family members that previously was hierarchical tended to be equal recently. I predict that in the future in South Korea, the atmosphere of other eleven months will become like the atmosphere of May that is the family's month.***

Crisis

In 2004, several cases that pop up in South Korea had the similarity with the causes of the two tragic war incidents that happened 400 and 50 years ago, the lack of sensitivities of Korean government to detect emergency situation.

***

Once upon a time, several years before Japanese invasion to Korean peninsula at the end of 16th century, the King of Choseon Kingdom received an advice from an intelligent named Lee Yul-gok in order to prepare and train 100.000 troops for the Choseon Kingdom defense. At that time, King Sonjo and almost all of the royal senior figures underestimated this advice. However, after hearing the report about Japanese suspicion movements, the king began to feel very anxious. Finally he sent two special spies, Hwang Yun-gil and Kim Song-il, to observe the political situation in Japan.

After half of the year, the two spies came back from their duty in Japan. They came and reported what they was seen to King Sonjo. At that time, there has been a tradition in Korean to guess someone’s feeling or what he plan to do by only looking at his face (nunchi).

The first spy, Kim Song-il, reported what he has seen, “Majesty, when I saw Hideyoshi Toyotomi Emperor, I could see that he was very small and ugly. His eyes are like mouse eyes. He will not be dare to attack our kingdom. I did not see their signs for having preparations for war. You might not frightened, my Majesty”.

Nevertheless, other spy, Hwang Yun-gil, reported the very different thing, “Majesty, although Hideyoshi Emperor was small and ugly; he had sharp eyes and strong ambition. Honestly, based on my observation, I am really sure that Japan was having preparations to attack our kingdom”.

Hearing the two different reports, King Sonjo was very confused to make decision. Nevertheless, without re-checking on two spies’ report he tended to agree with senior staffs’ opinion in the defense and security department that prefer to Kim Song-il’s opinion.

What happened in the several years? Lee Yul-gok’s warning and information that was sent by Hwang Yun-gil that Japan would attack Korea became real. During 1592, Japanese Hideyoshi Toyotomi Emperor attacked Korea with 700.000 troops, 700 warships, and complete war equipment. The Choseon royal troops that were not prepared to face the sudden attack, should be surrendered. On the other hand, the success of Hideyoshi troop’s subjugated Choseon Kingdom is their success in gathering and processing the information on domestic situation in Korea.

Around 350 years later, before the outbreak of Korean War (1950-1953) the tense situation that covered Korean peninsula that was divided by two ideologies, the communist of North Korea and the democratic of South Korea. South Korean government that was led by Lee Seung-man President revealed statements in mass media that North Korean communist troops were not possible to attack South Korea. This statement is different with the actual situation. On June 25th 1950, before the dawn broke, around 135.000 North Korean troops succeeded in crossing the border of two countries and attacking South Korea. The great civil war happened for three years and ended with armistice. This war was very tragic because it cracked Korean peninsula became two countries and dispersed Koreans that was previously one nation and one relative.

What was so important from the two war stories in this Korean history? Both King Sonjo and President Lee Seung-man government ignored the reality how critical the Korean situation was at the time. Both of them did not have sense of crisis about the possibility of danger that could strike their country and their people. This attitude was really regretted because has brought fatal result. The Korean people had extraordinary physical and psychological suffering in wartime with Hideyoshi Emperor Troops or in the Korean War, and also in the cold war.

In 2004, several cases that pop up in South Korea had the similarity with the causes of the two tragic war incidents that happened 400 and 50 years ago, the lack of sensitivities of Korean government to detect emergency situation. This could be seen from the three cases. Firstly, president Roh Moo-Hyun statement in responding to the worsening of South Korean economics lately. Secondly, the lack of South Korean Foreign Department staff's in responding the lost of South Korean citizen in Iraq. Thirdly, the slowness of South Korean police work to responding the report on several citizens’ loss in Seoul that that had became the victims of the sequence killing.

In the first case, President Roh Moo-Hyun seemed to deny the reality that South Korean economy is in the crisis. The president did not care of the expert of economics’ opinion or considered about the survey results from the credible agency. For example, the results survey of Bank of Korea on 2.453 manufacture companies showed descended business index from 87 in April 2004 to 80 in May 2004. Then, the survey that was done by Korean International Trade Association (KITA) showed the index of export conviction decline from 135,2 in the first quarter 2004 to 126,4 in the second quarter. Moreover, the statistical data showed the height of unemployment level especially within the younger generations, the increasing of the amount of stalled credit, the decline of domestic request and overseas capital flight as the result of South Korean the uncertainty economic prospect.

Although this economic data has been enough to be proof that the economics in the emergency condition, in the last March, President Roh said, “although the Korean economics was being in the difficult situation, it could not be said that it was crisis” (The Korea Times, June 24th 2004). Moreover, the president accused the businessmen conspired to exaggerate the rumors. In this July and August, several months after President Roh's statement, economics articles in the newspaper reported that South Korean economics was changing from crisis to recession and even be in the doorstep of economic depression. If only President Roh's government realized that Korean economics in the serious situation, it could be prevented since the beginning.

Next, the tragic incident that struck Kim Sun-il could become an indicator on how bad the sense of crisis of South Korean government is. Kim Sun-il was killed in Iraq on June 23rd, 2004 after being kidnapped by one of the militant's groups and being imprisoned for around 3 weeks in June 2004. On June 3 rd, South Korean Foreign Department in Seoul received telephone from an Associated Press reporter who asked whether they lost a citizen was named Kim Sun-il in Iraq. The staff of South Korean Foreign Affairs Department that received this telephone did not confirm and investigate for more. It is fatal because they realized the crisis late that was dealt with Kim Sun-il. He could not be saved. Perhaps if Korean Foreign Affairs Department suspected to the contents of the conversation via telephone and holding further investigation, there must be much available time for negotiating Kim Sun-il’s liberation.

The last case to prove the inability of South Korean government apparatus in detecting danger that threatened the society was the case of sequence killing in Seoul. South Korean police received strong critics from the society because of their slowness in responding the report on the missing of several night worker women and Seoul citizens several months ago (Korea Times, July 21st 2003). Evidently, most of them who were reported lost became sequence-killing victims. Its killer was arrested unintentionally because of others case and after killing around 26 people. If only the police carried out an investigation on the report of the missing persons since the beginning, may be this sequence killing could be prevented.

The three cases above and examples of history incidents in the past were enough to make South Korean government realize the lack of their capacity to analyze and respond to the crisis or emergency can cause a very dangerous thing. The crisis or this emergence situation could become worst and even get victims. Not only the one or several people life, but also the life of all over the citizens one country was threatened by danger if their government no longer had sense of crisis. ***

On Heat and Humid Days of summer, Seoul, 23-24 July 2004

Pictures: General Hideyoshi Toyotomi (http://www2.hawaii/~sford/research/turtel/index.html)

The Hostage

Kim's death became a horrific scene that happened in front of all the Korean eyes. Korean people witnessed Kim's hostage video where Kim who did not have the power, with the head closed by orange cloth, surrendered in front of his hostage-taker asking for compassions in order not to be killed. The last request in his life had not been fulfilled.

***

THE fortune could not be gained; the unfortunate could not be refused. That is the fate that had to befall by Kim Sun-il in the hostage drama in Iraq at June 2004 that cause of his death.

Kim, the South Korean citizen that was fluently in speaking Arabian and worked as the translator in a South Korean company that supplied the US troops requirement, was found dead after approximately 3 weeks being a hostage of Iraqi militant's group. Kim Sun-il was executed because of their demand for South Korea to withdrew its 660 medical staffs and did not send its 3.000 troops to Iraq was not heeded by the South Korean government.

Kim's death became a horrific scene that happened in front of all the Korean eyes. Korean people witnessed Kim's hostage video where Kim who did not have the power, with the head closed by orange cloth, surrendered in front of his hostage-taker asking for compassions in order not to be killed. The last request in his life had not been fulfilled.

Initially, I did not follow enthusiastically this hostage story. Just after a friend from Malaysia warned me not to go out of the house if not necessary (he quoted an appeal of Bangladesh embassy in South Korea to their citizens in South Korea), I realized how important the lesson that could be taken from Kim's death is for the government and the Indonesian citizens that lived in foreign countries.

Unlike Bangladesh and Malaysian Embassy that was worried about the safety of their citizens in South Korea, Indonesian Embassy in Seoul (KBRI) seems gave a cool and calm response. I did not accept telephone and there was not any friends tell me about such an instruction from the Indonesian Embassy in South Korea to Indonesian citizens in South Korea to be careful in revealing their identity as Muslim to avoid rage of Korean citizen. Luckily, South Korean government immediately anticipated the possibility of the South Korean citizens’ anger, which was wrongly addressed by sending a group of its police to guard the mosque in Itaewon area.

The reaction of Korean society was followed by me through English newspaper; Korean Times and Korean Herald. Kim Sun-il’s tragic death brought impacts in politics, social and even psychological effects for South Korean society. Kim Sun-il’s family that is very sorrowful, besides blaming the terrorist group, also pointed Korean government that became the cause of Kim's death. The stubborn attitude of South Korean government that took the decision to keep sending 3.000 troops to Iraq this August 2004 was considered to become the trigger for their son death.

South Korean government got hard blasphemy from the society because of their failure to save Kim's life. They were disappointed by the bad diplomacy and the government negotiations’ capacity to free Kim. The government was also regarded as weak because did not have the bargaining position opposite USA so keep sending their troops with diplomacy reason to keep their good relation with Washington.

The feeling of disappointed and anger of South Korean people were highly increasing because later on they knew that the staffs of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Korean did not respond seriously when Associated Press reporter asked if there was a South Korean citizen named Kim Sun-il that was lost in Iraq. If only South Korean government cared in fate and safety of their citizen overseas, possibly there would be enough time and strategy to be used to rescue Kim Sun-il’s life.

The price that must be paid by South Korean government on their slow reaction to rescue his citizen that was in danger situation has reduced the level of belief drastically from South Korean society to the government. Kim Sun-il’s death opened the Korean people eyes and awareness that their government could not protect their people in overseas.

The disappointment of Korean people against the government has blown up a big protest and the multitudinous reaction. Korean Confederation of Trade Unions/ KCTU (the biggest worker organization in Korea that had 690.000 workers) planned mass demonstration demanded on cancellation of the South Korean troop’s departure to Iraq in this August. The member of the South Korean worker organization that was a pilot of Korean Airlines and Asian Airlines companies threatened to boycott the transport of South Korean troops and military supply to Iraq. The Lawyers’ Group for Democratic Society demanded the parliament to carry out an investigation to the official government that has authority to handle Kim's case. Whereas, the teachers organization has a plan to give the anti-war lesson to their students.

Besides the political and social shock above, there is also psychological shock. It was reported by Korean Herald newspaper (June 29, 2004), they are who watched the Kim's scene of hostage video get mental trauma. Yoo Sang-woo, a clinical psychologist in Seoul said that he was often visited by the patient who felt like isolated, depression and insomnia after witnessing Kim's hostage video. Yoo said that these signs were categorized as acute stress disorder. It happened because when seeing this scene, they supposed themselves as Kim Sun-il. Because of this acute stress disorder, an accountant claim that he could not concentrate on his work for days. The effect of this trauma would be lost after one month for adult and six months for children.

Kim Sun-il’s case reminded me to the mistreatment case to an Indonesian servant in Malaysia several weeks ago. The amounts of Indonesian cases of mistreatment to Indonesia migrant worker were uncounted anymore. If Indonesian worker in Malaysia was ironed and watered by hot water by his employer, in another place there were some of them who experienced mistreatment until died. And also, there was uncounted number of Indonesian workers who experienced any accident during the work and deal with bad work condition overseas.

It is hoped that Kim Sun-il’s case warned all of us that each Indonesian citizen overseas had the right to get protection and security guarantee from Indonesian government. Unfortunately, according to Wahyu Susilo from Migrant CARE, the legislative as one of the general election products, during their post period (almost five years) failed to do legislation to protect the migrant worker. The Regulation of Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection and its Family Member Draft available on the legislative since 1998 has not been processed seriously. Only became as the DPR Initiative Regulations since 2002, and did not discuss and finalized as Protection Regulations of the Indonesian Migrant Workers and their Family Members that has been waiting for by many people (KOMPAS, February 25th 2004).

Without the protection in the form of Migrant Worker Regulations, could we compare Indonesian fate of the migrant worker overseas like a hostage? They were “hostage” not by the terrorist militant group, but by the predicated work “dirty, difficult, and dangerous”. ***

Seoul, June 31, 2004

Sleepless in Seoul

It is possibly because of the harshness of life demand in South Korea recently makes the Korean women are free to step outside the house. The height of the living cost in Korea (Seoul was in the first place of cities with the most expensive living cost in the world according a survey in 2004) makes people must work extra hard until late at night. Beside that, as a tradition, to eliminate stress in their workplace the Korean workers likes to stop in the norebang (Korean style karaoke), drinking coffee or beer in cafes with their work colleagues or friends. Therefore, many women came home around the closing hour of the subway station.

***

BY the summer time in June 2004, the cool air covered Seoul that has just been splashed by rain. It was 11 pm but the atmosphere in Daegok, northeastern Seoul, was still seems like 7 pm.

The French bakery at the end of the road in Daegok was still opened and just in a quarter hour, three visitors had already come to buy. The other shops on its side were also still unwilling to close their shop windows. An old woman was still spreading out her merchandises; vegetables and fruits, on the ground in front of the subway entrance, line number 5.

During a quarter hour, I stood in the three-way intersection of the subway entrance in Hwarangdae, in front of the French bakery. I was waiting for a friend who was returning to our friend's dormitory due to her umbrella was left behind. While waiting for her, I paid attention to the people that went back and forth in the three-way intersection.

A group of women has just left the subway. They looks like the inhabitants of this area and just came home from visiting their friend's house. I assumed that because they did not bring bags containing the stuffs from shopping (as I know, Korean ajumma-the middle age women- really liked shopping). Then, a Korean girl passed carrying a notebook bag. On her shoulder, there hanged a big bag and the low tip of her “you can see” - shirt fluttered among the fast step of her feet. Apparently, she just came home from work.

After my friend came, we entered the subway station Hwarangdae. When stepping downward the escalator in the station I saw several young girls laugh with their friends. I suspected that these young agashi (miss) in their way to home. They must not leave for a trip at 11 pm in the evening because the last subway is operated until 12 pm mid night.

In the hall of subway station, we met several girls who came home alone without burden. The men just also went by, without gazing at strange or surprising look at the girls who were still outside of the house, although their clothes do not fully cover their bodies, the trend fashion for summer time in Korea.

My friend and I discussed this situation that was really different from Indonesia. The Korean society is more patriarchal than Indonesian society, and Korean women became the male subordinate (as their strong Confucianism tradition), but outside of the house, Korean women could enjoy more of their "freedom" and more secure than the Indonesian women do. In some cities in Indonesia, the women who were still outside of the house more than a particular time, and wear a particular shirt, are arrested by police officers, although they have just come from their work. In Korea, there were no cynical stare, no sexual harassment, and no frown if watching a girl, who was running to get the last subway at 12 pm at the station.

It is possibly because of the harshness of life demand in South Korea recently makes the Korean women are free to step outside the house. The height of the living cost in Korea (Seoul was in the first place of cities with the most expensive living cost in the world according a survey in 2004) makes people must work extra hard until late at night. Beside that, as a tradition, to eliminate stress in their workplace the Korean workers likes to stop in the norebang (Korean style karaoke), drinking coffee or beer in cafes with their work colleagues or friends. Therefore, many women came home around the closing hour of the subway station.

My friend and I arrived in our gisuksa (dormitory) nearby area at 12 pm. Daehangno Street that we passed by after getting out of the subway station Hyehwa the line number 4 was still busy. The young couples just came home from their dates and several men enjoyed the atmosphere of the cool night in the concrete benches of 4 meters Daehangno road pavement. The sky was so bright at that time.

Watching the crowded atmosphere in this night in Seoul, I suspected that there were still other activities in several places in the Korean Government office. Possibly, several government staffs must stay in their office tonight after working until late at night. Because in these two months, the conference about the nuclear problem in North Korea was taking place, in June 23rd 2004 Beijing was ready to become the host of the conference whereas Indonesia offered itself to be host for the conference of six parties that had contribution to the nuclear conflict resolution in the Korean Peninsula in the next month.

Professor Yang Seung-yoon, my acquaintance from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, ever said that the distance between Seoul and Pyongyang (the capital of North Korean) like ‘a throwing of stone’. If North Korea intended to give a 'gift' a small nuclear rocket to South Korea, then in a wink Seoul could become ruins. Prof. Kim from Seoul National University in one of his columns in the Korean newspaper The Korea Herald, wrote about the nuclear problem that has not been resolving made the South Korean people always anxious because of being haunted by the outbreak of the war incidentally.

If thinking about the possibility of the outbreak of this war, many Korean could not sleep soundly. My trip tonight to Daegok made me want to make other conclusion. It is not because of the nuclear problem, but economics demand and the increase of the security in the public places that made more Koreans come home at night and slept late. That night feels like going so fast. And then, suddenly, I also felt “Sleepless in Seoul”. ***

Seoul, June 19, 2004 Around departed to Dano Festival

Map: http://www.lifeinkorea.com

Four Seasons

I find out that Korean people know well that spring, summer, fall, and winter have different characteristics. For instances are in the matters of temperature, weather, and the effects of the nature. They also fully realize that the difference in characteristics in each season bring different impacts on their lives.

***

BEFORE living in Korea, I can say that I hardly paid attention to season things. Seasons come and go in my life: rainy season and dry season. The only thing I remember about season in Indonesia is that it is very hot during dry season (causing the well in my house to dry) and there is heavy rain during rainy season (causing the roof tiles to get leaked out).

After living in Korea, my awareness related to season appears gradually. Perhaps, it is because the season here is different from that of Indonesia. Perhaps, it is because I am beginning to realize that the beauty and the uniqueness in each season available in Korea. Perhaps, it is because I suffer from pain due to the fact that I can not bear the cold temperature during the winter in Korea.

I find out that Korean people know well that spring, summer, fall, and winter have different characteristics. For instances are in the matters of temperature, weather, and the effects of the nature. They also fully realize that the difference in characteristics in each season bring different impacts on their lives.

Besides personally experiencing and making a little observation, I know about the uniqueness related to the four seasons in Korea from the books related to Korean language study published by Kyung Hee University, which is full of Korean cultural studies. After reading one of the articles discussing the seasons in Korea, I notice that Korea is a country which is highly affected by the change in seasons. For example, spring lasting between March and May in Korea is the season when the flowers bloom, started from the bloom of Canary flower and jindalae which looks like bush coloured in yellow, then followed by the bloom of jangmi kot (rose) two months later.

Spring is also time for the group of Sakura flowers to bloom. In the first place, I thought that Sakura flowers would bloom throughout the spring. But, now I know I was wrong. Sakura flower only blooms in several days. The petals of Sakura flowers only hang on it for a week and then fall down to the ground after its short beauty impressing lots of people. Once I saw the petals of Sakura flowers flying through the air which then finally drop to the ground. After reaching the soil, they would spread out like a beautiful mat coloured in pink.

Early spring is considered by the Korean people as the beginning of new things. Hence, the spring break becomes the beginning of the new semester at schools and universities. My lecturer in one of my classes once explained that spring for Korean people was identical with season belonging to the women. Why? During this season, Korean women come out of their previous winter clothes covering their beauty. It is in Spring that the woman shows up like a beautiful goddess with bright red and feminine clothes. We certainly have seen how pretty these Korean agashi (miss) during the spring, haven’t we?

Besides bringing the beauty, spring also causes suffering for Korean people. It is because during the spring, they have to get ready for the coming of yellow dust from Gobi desert blown by the wind to Korea. If the sky over the Korean peninsula is covered by the yellow dust, breathing illness attacks.

After that, summer comes and lasts for three months, from June to August. During the summer, uniquely, there is a period when the rain falls heavily in several days. Korean people call this rain as jangma and the period of the rainfall as jangma chol (chol means season). After jangma abates, usually the warm temperature and extremely humid air attack Korea. It has been a tradition for Korean people to eat samgyetang (full chicken boiled with onion and filled with rice and some spice). They say that after eating samgyetang, they would sweat a lot and their bodies would feel better. You have tried samgyetang during this summer, haven’t you?

During the summer, another disaster happens, that is the typhoon (not only once, but several times) which brings strong wind at speed, heavy rain, and flood. This typhoon usually comes from the regions around Philippines blowing north through Taiwan island, Japan, and finally destroys the area along the east coast of Korean peninsula before continuing its route to China. Regarding this typhoon, my lecturer once said a joke stating that Korea imported three main commodities from Philippines i.e. banana, singer, and typhoon (^ ^).

The hot temperature is gone once the fall arrives from September to November. During this season, Korean people go on vacation to mountainous regions, enjoying the scenery of trees with leaves colour changing from green to yellow, orange, brown, and red. This nature phenomenon is called dampung and the holiday spent to watch the beauty of the leaves is called dampung yoheng (yoheng means vacation).

Fresh air and fine weather during the fall are often enjoyed by Korean people by reading books (this activity is called dokseo); and because of this, the fall season is also called reading season. Students feel comfortable being in the library and the book stores are full of purchasers. And if spring is identical with women, Korean people recall fall as the season of men. What’s the reason? During this season, men wear sweater and scarf which make them look gorgeous and charming for women.

Finally, there comes the winter which is very cold from December until the end of February. The temperature can reach minus 10 degree celcius. In this season, it is time for Korean people to switch on ondol (the heater for the floor made by Korean people which is put on the floor of their house so that it can get warm, the specially designed heater pot under the floor of Korean houses so as to warm up the floor). Korean people enjoy the winter by skiing in the ski in the places where there is much snow. During this winter, old women in Korea are busy to cook kimchi. It is because during the winter people can suffer from flu easily. Therefore, consuming kimchi containing a lot of garlic is surely beneficial in preventing their bodies from being attacked by this illness.

If you have the chance to stay in Korea during the winter, I suggest that you try to take time seeing jjot nun or the first snow. Korean people are very happy if they are able to see the first snow falling. And if they know we are in Korea during the winter, they would enthusiastically ask, “Did you see the first snow falling?”, “At that moment, what wish did you make?”

If I were asked such question, I would answer, “I wish winter would not feel cold”. Hehehe, an ordinary wish, isn’t it? What is else could I ask for the person whose country does not have four seasons.

Seoul, 2-3 July 2004

Globalization Lesson from Samsung

This Samsung innovation seems impossible if it was not supported by qualified human resources who have a good vision about the future. In Samsung Group, there was a third of 1,000 of its directors aged in 40 years or younger. Around 1,700 of its staffs were educated on a doctorate level, and amount 350 staffs have MBA degree. Most of them got education in overseas, like in United States or Europe. Samsung also revised the concept of “Samsung man” that emphasized more on the creative individual, has wide view and high moral standards.

***

GLOBALIZATION is often regarded as a very bad matter, for example, can cause of the government authority reduction to control its people, and to control the current of things, services, and production factors back and forth the country. The globalization is sometimes regarded as the threat for the totality of the nation and the territorial. The globalization that is colored with the expansion of the multinational companies to the developing countries is accused for doing exploitation of nature resources, humankind, and the local values. As a result, then emerged activists or the group of anti globalization that opposed globalization, not against the negative impacts of globalization. The local companies that could not compete or will be bankrupt completely if there are some foreign companies enter the domestic market, became of their business in lobbying the official or the regulator so that the protection is extended, or if it is possible, it could be increased.

However, for business groups in South Korea, the globalization that increasing greatly since the 1980's considered as a challenge that can be avoided. Moreover, globalization was used as the opportunity to increase their achievement, not as the reason to protect themselves. The wave of globalization that struck all over the world has big influence in hurling the locative advantages of the companies South Korea in the form of protection, subsidy from government, the cheap wages for worker and economics scale. However, the globalization also changed the business groups in South Korea or chaebols became more competitive, until finally could gain profit from globalization.

Why? According to Kae H. Chung and his two colleagues, the professor from Yonsei University of Korea, Lee Hak-chong and Jung Ku-hyun, who wrote a book Korean Management, Global Strategy and Cultural Transformation (1997), the globalization challenge was answered by CEOs and the owners of companies in Korea by doing the drastically reorientation toward their business value. If in the export-boom era 1970's and 1980's, the success was received with the orientation of low technology and low-price products, then since 1990's became more in the quality oriented. Increasing the product quality was the strategy to survive in the domestic and international market. The competition that was so hard, forced them to say goodbye to the production pattern of quantity oriented, fulfillment of the export schedule or efficiency with mass production.

Lee Kun-hee, the chairperson of one of the largest business groups in South Korea, Samsung, told about the pattern of thinking that emphasized to the company growth by increasing the volume as “Samsung’s disease”. It referred to his findings that 1,000 Samsung staffs were busy to repair 20,000 Samsung products that failed each year that was made by 30,000 Samsung staffs. He criticized this work procedure as “things that were most inefficient in the world”. According to him, “Making the failed product is like cancer and a criminal act in management” (Kraar, 1994). Lee also declared the Quality Management Program and sent 850 Samsung senior executives to Frankfurt, London, and Osaka to have the management quality training so that these Samsung executives realized how low their products quality they made in the world’s view.

The rumors on the low quality of product that was made by Koreans did not only become attention of businesspersons, but also became social and cultural rumors in national level. In October 1994, South Korea was shock by the collapse of Sangsoo Grand Bridge, a big bridge that connected the northern part of Seoul to the southern part of Seoul. The bridge was only less than 6 years old. In June 1995, Sampoong Department Store that was not 5 years old yet has collapsed, killed 458 people, and injured thousands of people. The two tragic incidents really arose up the awareness of Koreans on how bad their work quality. They used to be obsessed to work quickly and made things as much as possible, but ignored the quality. Since the incidents, the quality became the value oriented of their work that really was revered by South Koreans.

South Korean companies realized that technology played a very important role in increasing the quality of products. Previously, they relied on low and out-of-date technology that was easily obtained from the developing countries because they were not already used anymore. However, when the globalization and the market competition demanded the best quality on South Korean products, they needed more advance technology that was not easily given by the developed countries. As the result, South Korean companies became care on developing their own technology, such as by increasing the research and development (R&D) activity, building the research laboratory and developing products, and recruiting more scientists from inside and outside of the country.

Samsung applied this technology reorientation under the slogan “Innovation”. For Samsung, it means, “develop through the globalization to globalize Samsung”. Yun Jong-yong, vice president of Samsung explained the blows of “Samsung Innovation” in front of Asian Pacific Forum conference in Japan at 2003. Firstly, Samsung refused to accommodate the will from the groups that obstructed the company progress. For example, the interests of the company owners that often collided with the demand of efficiency and global competition. Secondly, the innovation was carried out in stages, begun from the points that relate the routes and the channel in the groups of the company. Therefore, the company created the atmosphere that can make each Samsung staff has self-confidence to create innovation. Thirdly, the management told about the company's perspective and target clearly to all of the employees and be ready to delegate their authority.

This Samsung innovation seems impossible if it was not supported by qualified human resources who have a good vision about the future. In Samsung Group, there was a third of 1,000 of its directors aged in 40 years or younger. Around 1,700 of its staffs were educated on a doctorate level, and amount 350 staffs have MBA degree. Most of them got education in overseas, like in United States or Europe. Samsung also revised the concept of “Samsung man” that emphasized more on the creative individual, has wide view and high moral standards.

According to Yoichi Funabashi from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Tokyo, the globalization also means the opportunity to get the best from other companies in order to find and develop the best from their own company. Yoichi saw Samsung had found the excellent opportunity from this globalization by constructing the synergy with the Japanese company as its competitor, Sanyo Electric Co. In 2002, Sanyo and Samsung formed the joint venture and agreed to develop future generation of technology (The Jakarta Post, August 14, 2003).

Evidently, this Sanyo-Samsung cooperation succeeds in making them found the important assets in the form of work culture in company. Satoshi Ieu, Sanyo’s CEO and Chairman realized that Sanyo and Samsung employees had different work culture when he heard Lee Kun-hee’s said, “Japanese tableware are made from ceramic. It is fragile, so Japanese treated it very carefully. But, Koreans tableware was made from metal that was not easy to break, so the Koreans have not the spirit to hold it carefully”. (Note: Compare the traditional tableware of Indonesians called 'pincuk' that is made from bananas leaves. After eating, it will be thrown away. It possibly causes the carelessness of Indonesians compare with the Koreans? -The writer)

Satoshi Ieu was really impressed with Lee Kun-hee’s observation. Then, the cooperation between Sanyo and Samsung were extended covered the redefining of work culture and corporate culture, especially their respective experience in dealing with the globalization. The co-operation between Samsung and Sanyo, two foremost business groups in South Korea and Japan, simply was the result of a conviction that if two companies combined their power, they will receive the new values and power to deal with globalization.

The way Samsung in responding to globalization and the process of Samsung globalization destroyed Flying Geese theory that was created by Professor Kaname Akamatsu saying that Japan will always be in front of other Asian nations in the process of globalization. As the world’s biggest producer of memory chips, Samsung proved that globalization always did not have a bad impact. More than that, Japan that always be in the leading position in the past, has already began to learn from other Asian countries, for example, South Korea.***

Photo: http://www.samsung.com

The Uniqueness of Korean Currency

Until now, South Korea is still using the 10, 50, 100, and 500-won coins. How was about the paper money in South Korea? South Korean paper money, at this time, issued in 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000-won. The story behind the printed picture on this paper money was as interested as the picture on the coins. Those three paper money was printed the pictures of the famous figures during the Korean history.

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NO one doubted that this thing was really needed when visiting South Korea. Moreover, this thing became one of the most important matters that must be on our hands before stepping into the Kimchi country. Because of its important value and function, I often brought it everywhere in my wallet. However, just recently, I paid attention with curiosity toward the meaning of the pictures that were printed on the South Korean paper money and coins.

Prof. Andrei Lankov’s article from Australian National University (Korea Times, April 13th 2004) entitled "The Other Side of the Coin" concerning to the history of Korean coin, made me aware that the pictures were printed on the South Korean currency, in fact, had a very interesting story and historical background. Moreover, Korean unique culture and values of life could be known from the currency picture.

Actually, South Korea just only had its own coin on 1959. During the Japanese colonization period (1910-1945) and before 1959, South Korea used the coin from this samurai country. The first South Korean coin was printed overseas, that was in Philadelphia (United States) with three values: 10, 50, and 100-hwan. Evidently, South Korean currency previously was named hwan, not won.

On the 100-hwan coin, there was one side face portrait of the first South Korean president, Rhee Syngman. President Rhee previously was an independent activist that was very determined opposing the Japanese colonization. On the other side, there was a picture of two Phoenixes with long tail dangled. The uniqueness, the publication year of this coin was printed 4292. Why is 4292? Because, up to 1962, South Korea still used calendar system which was called "Dangun era". If it was counted from the year of South Korean establishment, 1959 was the same with 4292, based on Dangun calendars.

On 10-hwan coin, there was the symbol of South Korean that was called as Mugunghwa (The Rose of Sharon), whereas the 50-hwan coin, there was a boat picture. This boat had a special story. During 1592, in order to open the trade route to China, a Japanese Emperor was named Hideyoshi sent 170.000 troops and 700 warships to invade Korea. At the time, the Korean navy was in very small amount but did the strongly struggle and attacked the Japanese warship by using the iron stratified warship that was similar with a turtle. Japan was being repulsed successfully in the 7 years war, called Im Jin War. Then, the boat was famous with the name” turtle boat".

Hwan currency was valid only up to August 1966 or circulated around 7 years. In that period, there were several basic changes in the design of South Korean currency. New currency also in coin shape but it was called as won. The Dangun calendar was replaced with the ordinary calendar. And on the other side where there was written the value of currency, no longer included “the Republic of Korea” but Hankuk Enheng (the name of the South Korea’s central bank).

One of the coins, that were established during 1966, 10-won, illustrated with Dabo Pagoda (Dabo Tap). The pagoda was one of the most beautiful remains of historical architecture in Korea. This pagoda design was looked feminine and complicate; it seems depicted the complexity of the world life. The pagoda that was built in 756 still exists in the yard of Bulguk Temple (Bulguk Sa) in Kyeongju city, North Kyongsang Province.

At the end of the 1960's, coin 1 and 5-won became the coins that mostly used by the South Korean people. At that time, the cost to travel by trams only 5-won (in 2004 the cost for subway is 800-won). However, the 10-won coin, that was in golden color and illustrated Dabo Tap, became the most favorite coin of Korean people in that period.

Until now on, 10-won coin issued in 1971 and 1972 still circulates and currently as the valid payment. I often accepted this coin as the change and I collected them to buy a cup of warm and delicious coffee cream from drink machines. Whereas, the 1, and 5-won coins, since the end of the 1980's, had started unused and I have never seen them until now.

The inflation during 1970 led to the issuing of the new 100-won coin. In one of its side, there was illustrated the face of Korean legendary figure, Admiral Lee Sun-sin (which his statue stood strongly in the Gwanghwamun area in front of the Kyeongbuk Palace, Seoul). The admiral who created the "turtle boat" and at the same time led Korean troops against the invasion of Hideyoshi Emperor. Because of his services, his face was perpetuated as the picture of 100-won coin.

The 50-won coin was printed firstly during 1972 and illustrated a clump of bowed rice. Why the clump of rice was used as the picture of the coin? Rice was the very important crop for the Korean people since long ago because as it is their staple food. It was difficult to imagine if there is a day for Koreans without eating rice, as difficult to imagine Koreans without eating kimchi.

Finally, in 1983, it was issued the biggest and the highest value coin, 500-won. Its picture is flying heron with its stretching wings. The bird that is often found in the rice fields considered as the symbol of peace for the South Korean people.

Until now, South Korea is still using the 10, 50, 100, and 500-won coins. How was about the paper money in South Korea? South Korean paper money, at this time, issued in 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000-won. The story behind the printed picture on this paper money was as interested as the picture on the coins. Those three paper money was printed the pictures of the famous figures during the Korean history.

Firstly, on 1,000-won paper money that was in purple, there was the picture of Yi Hwang face (lived around 1510-1570 periods). He was an intellectual and famous philosopher in the Yi Dynasty era (Choseon Kingdom period). Although getting the highest position among the official of kingdom, he chose to retire and return to his village where he became the famous intellectual. He wrote many theories especially about Juja Hak (Confucianism) and established Dosan Learning Institute. His interpretation about Confucianism known as Dogya Hak became the subject of the study in Western and East World until now.

Next, the South Korean paper money that is in light brown color was value in 5,000-won. Here, there was the face Master of Yi-I (lived around 1536-1584). He was also a big intellectual in the Yi Dynasty era and known as a genius because of passing the official kingdom's exam in the age 13 years. After doing many tasks of kingdom, he withdrew and devoted himself to be a writer. He published many books concerning about philosophy, Confucianism, and public administration. Both Yi-Hwang and Master Yi-I could become the model as the person who left very high position in the government (the position that very prestigious and was desired by everyone in that period) and chose to become an intellectual who brightened the community with his thinking.

Finally, the 10,000-won paper money in bright green color and become the highest nominal in South Korea at this time. In this paper money, there is the face of most popular figure in Korea, Sejong The Great or King Sejong (1397-1450). His biggest service to Korean people was creating the Korean alphabet known as Hangeul. In his governmental period, King Sejong saw many peoples could not read and write Chinese alphabet that was used by the educated group. He understood the people’s frustration that could not read and communicate thoughts and their feeling in writing. He afterwards organized a team to create the alphabet that was easily understood by Korean people. This alphabet became the root of modern Korean language that was used everyday until today.

(Note: One day after attended Korean language classes, my classmates from Japan, Mongolia and I went to have a lunch. While waiting for our food, we observed a 10,000-won currency of our payment for the food. My Mongolian friend said, “Let’s see the figure (King Sejong) in this currency, because of him we study Hangeul and we knew each other in South Korea.” There are many students around the world studying Hangeul in Korea, indicating that Korean alphabet has been globalizing).

The popularity of South Korean currency, both of coin and paper, since several years ago were competed by the credit card that is called sinyung card. Almost everyone in South Korea had a credit card that could be used to shop almost all the goods and services. Because of the ease in having the credit card, (that often was issued by the bank although the recipient did not have fund in the bank) the South Korean society do excessive expenses. What is the result? At this time in South Korea, around two third from total problematic credit was its inability to pay the credit card bill (Korean Herald, June 20th 2004). Deeply regretted if the South Korean currency would loose fast because of their inability to compete with the "plastic money" or because of the height of inflation, like what has happened to 1, and 5-won coins.

In my opinion, it will be good if all kinds of South Korean currency could circulate longer. This is because South Korean coins and paper money had higher "value" than the credit card. That is, by studying the meaning of the pictures of South Korean coins and paper money, could remind the people to the very important matter of nationalism, culture and life values of their nation. Compared with the nominal value, it is the highest "intrinsic value" in this currency.***

Daehangno, July 14, 2004
Photo: Andy Fadly Yahya