The ten-hour direct flight from Beirut to Seoul was tiresome. However, arriving in this country, experiencing its historical aspects and its main political turning points made us forget all journey fatigue, a series of observations that puts the hand on the wound of division and the hopes of unity.
The scene that greeted us upon arrival at one of the military airports in the South Korean capital Seoul was wonderful: a musical band and a number of officers and soldiers stood on the runway for the welcome. It’s a lucky day for the Korean people; they are receiving a batch of their soldiers returning from a six-month period of serving along the southern border villages with the UNIFIL in Lebanon.
It wasn’t an ordinary trip. The plane was boarded by 200 Korean troops and 16 Lebanese citizens who were invited by the Korean government to experience the culture of this overseas country. Ten hours of continuous flight to arrive finally to a military airport in Seoul. The journey –from departing until landing- was marked by the strict military discipline, starting with the airport procedure, we had to wait for 6 hours before embarking on plane “for reasons related to the specialty of the travel of peace keeping forces” as briefed by Colonel Kim Nam Hyeon who accompanied the Lebanese group all through their stay in his homeland.
The Lebanese group along with the troops flew over Cyprus, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China, before landing in this controversial semi-island. The purpose of the trip is a program organized by the Korean contingent in south Lebanon in coordination with the Ambassador of Korea in Lebanon, and funded by the Korean government, through which officials from south Lebanon, reporters and Lebanese security personnel are invited to be introduced to culture of the homeland of Hyundai, Kia and Samsung.
After a long yet luxurious trip, the arrival at the airport was a mixture of greeting the returning troops and their guests on one hand, and inspection procedures including monitoring the photos taken by the members of the Lebanese group upon their arrival to the airport.
“No cameras”, shouted one of the officers over there. An armed soldier approached us in a very polite manner- a common characteristic among Asian people-, “taking photos of the musical band is not a problem, but taking photos of the airport building is not allowed, for this reason everyone who took a photo should submit his camera to confirm it was deleted.”
A routine procedure performed with a sense of humor and apologies presented by officers to their guests. Maybe the most interesting topic to the guests is the case of the two Koreas and the borders that split the peninsula, which lies between the two bigger states (Russia and China) and the economic giant (Japan) behind it the United States, and this made it subject to intimidations, cold and real wars.
Few aspects of this case could be discovered upon visiting the joint security area on the borders separating the two Koreas. There, the guest could penetrate the northern separation line, according to the procedures taken jointly by the two countries- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (northern) and the Republic of Korea (south), thus discovering how painful the situation of families torn apart due to the separation is.
The American fingerprints are clear in all details of the Korean life, to the extent that some south Korean conservatives are now sensing the dangers imposed by the Uncle Sam culture to their own. According to some local statistics, 20% of the South Koreans do not like America, in spite of the help it has provided during their fight with the communist brothers, but the US puts among its objectives and interests imposing a lifestyle totally different from that of this Asian state.
In all cases, the site seeing in this exception visit- which the Ambassador of Korea to Lebanon wanted to be a chance to enhance relations between the Lebanese and the Korean people on the occasion of the thirties anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries- won’t be limited to the conflict side. This country of 100140 KM2, had witness a huge economic and industrial movement which lifted it to become one of the top 20 economies, where Seoul hosted the G20 summit last November.
South Korea, with a population of more than 50 million citizens, has an ancient history full of historical events to be experienced by the guests during the visit to the main sites in the country, its historical castles and museums.
A series of aspects that tells the story of an ancient history full of wars and invasions, and political turnovers that never limited the energy of the Korean people or their willingness to work hard, thus becoming an Asian economic tiger, sitting on the top of a throne built by the threads of victories and industrial revolution…
The main sites included in the itinerary of the Lebanese group is the National Museum, the War Museum, the Gyung Buk Palace, the folk village and the Korean House which introduces the guests to the local cuisine, culture and arts. Visiting all these sites wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the officers in charge of the visiting group Colonel Kim Nam Hyoem who returned from Lebanon with his colleague Lt. Kim Seon Jung; both officers did not meet their families until after the departure of the visiting group. The role of the translator Jung Min Kyoung, who masters the classical Arabic and who prefers to be addressed by the name Najmah especially that her Korean name means najmah in Arabic (star in English), and other several other people shall be commended as well.
Korea now has high capacities that resemble few of the European countries, with regards to the organization, infrastructure transportation system and urban planning. As for the leading industries, a topic that requires thorough discussion, yet in summary, Korea is making huge efforts to gather the glory of the past and the modernity of the present.
Reporter: Moammar Atwi (ROKBATT VISIT PROGRAM Feb. 2011)
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