This memoir shares the authors' firsthand experiences of living in Korea, offering a unique Indian perspective on life in the Land of Morning Calm
It is human nature to generalize based on observations and experiences, though in the same breath we say that every person is different. With Korea being relatively smaller in size than India, and quite homogeneous in terms of language, food and culture, it might be easier to generalize for Koreans than for Indians.
One characteristic that stands out when you meet and talk to a Korean is the 바카라˜country-first바카라™ approach. Everything else is secondary. All their actions seem to be guided by the 바카라˜Uri Nara바카라™ (our country) mantra.
National pride is evident in the behaviour of all Koreans. I suppose it comes from mandatory military training that Korean men undergo before starting their working career. Men in the age group of 18 to 28 have to join military service for a period ranging from 18 to 36 months. This is applicable to all except those studying abroad or ones with medical issues. We were surprised to learn that the K-pop group BTS has taken a break since December 2022, so that the members can serve in the military. You might be earning foreign exchange in millions for the country but you are not exempt from military service. As Indians, we would find it commendable, but Koreans will say, 바카라˜So what? All of us have to go through the training.바카라™
Sudha had a Korean friend whose son was studying in the US and would have been exempted from military training. Instead, he came to Korea, did his military training, went back to the US to complete his education and returned to Korea to join his father바카라™s business.
During our time in Korea, Sudha would teach at the Korea Dyslexia Association as a volunteer. One of our friend바카라™s sons went there to practise his English skills and helped Sudha in the class. Then we were told he had taken leave because he had enlisted for military service.
Four months later, Sudha바카라™s friend got a call from the military training centre that her son had met with an accident and was admitted to a military hospital. It was quite serious, and after surgery, the boy remained in the hospital for over two months. Sudha바카라™s friend took her son abroad to rest and recuperate. The military training centre processed an exemption for the boy, in view of the mental trauma he had undergone. His readmission to college was also in process. However, the boy had other ideas. He insisted that he would complete his training. His parents were supportive of his decision.
When Sudha asked the boy why he was going back after such a serious accident, he said, 바카라˜Imo, it was my fault. I did not follow the procedure to cross the barriers carefully and paid the price. Now, I want to go back and make amends.바카라™ Sudha was flabbergasted. I still remember when she came back home, she said to me, 바카라˜What fighting spirit this boy has. And so happily he wants to go back to the military training centre after a major accident!바카라™
National pride is evident, especially when it comes to Koreans바카라™ interaction with foreigners. For example, whenever someone said anything negative about a fellow Korean, Sudha바카라™s Korean friends would immediately say, 바카라˜There must be some misunderstanding바카라™, or 바카라˜She did not mean it that way바카라™. Once, when Sudha was travelling with her friends in a bus, her Moroccan friend, who was pregnant but did not appear so due to her loose dress, had to stand in the bus for some time. One of their Korean friends, while getting down, apologized saying, 바카라˜Nobody offered you a seat in the bus today. On behalf of my fellow Koreans, I apologize.바카라™
When it comes to doing business, Koreans are very competitive among each other. But when there is a foreign competitor, they prefer to support the locals. Whenever we explored doing business with Indian or other non-Korean suppliers, it was interesting to see the advocacy on behalf of Korean suppliers for reasons like quality and logistics, even when the cost was not competitive.
In keeping with Confucian principles, Koreans hold the elderly in great regard. Young children are taught by parents to respect elders. If we ever happened to cross paths with a toddler with parents in our apartment바카라™s elevator and gave a smile, the parent would invariably ask the child to do 바카라˜insa바카라™ and the child would bow if standing and even if he or she was in their parents바카라™ arms. It was an adorable sight!
Since housing is very expensive in Seoul, we found many instances where aged parents lived with their married children and grandchildren, and took care of the grandchildren. Sudha met a senior citizen who told her that she got an allowance from her son to look after the kids from Monday to Friday, and that on weekends they went out for lunch or dinner. We had some friends whose parents lived separately but nearby, and there were many whose parents lived in small towns outside Seoul and the children visited them occasionally, especially during Lunar New Year and Chuseok.
As in Japan, the bowing culture is prevalent in all walks of life in Korea. While getting introduced, while leaving or saying goodbye, it is common to see juniors by age or designation bowing to their seniors. In formal events, before giving a speech, I would bow to the audience as per the Korean custom. At times, we would see photographs in newspapers of a senior official of the government or a CEO of a company offering a public apology by bowing down in all earnestness to take responsibility for any wrongdoing or fraud.
(Excerpted with permission from Seoulmates: Korea Through Indian Eyes by Sudha Huzurbazar Tumbe and Vasudev Tumbe, Juggernaut Books)
