South Korea In The 1960S Was A Time Of Political Turmoil

The main characters go through character development in the novel, maturing in both their thoughts and state of mind. After facing the intense guilt from thinking that her uncle was going to be caught by the Japanese government, Sun-hee makes sure to not jump to conclusions: “Tae-yul was going to be a kamikaze...But maybe I was wrong. Remember Tomo-remember Uncle. I’d been so sure, and had made a terrible mistake. Don’t make a mistake this time” (Park 143). After her uncle had run away because of her misinterpretation of a warning, Sun-hee had blamed herself, not trusting anything she thought. Instead of completely discrediting her thoughts, she only warned herself to think it through more. Her careful mindset allowed her to confirm her Korean identity and that her culture had to be protected. This maturity gave her the freedom in knowing her thoughts about her culture were well-thought-out. Tae-yul’s growth is evident by his body language and reactions to certain events. Near the beginning of the story, he is

At the end of the story, Lae Choo is finally granted the paperwork to collect her son after ten harrowing months. However, her expectations of a perfect reunion would soon be crushed. As the caretaker walks Lae Choo to Kim, she discusses his behaviors at the mission nursery school. She mentioned how difficult he was to manage at first, but how “’children so soon forget, and after a month he seemed quite at home and played around as bright and happy as a bird’” (Far 1727). With this change of behavior, Far draws a parallel between Kim and the American rejection of Chinese culture. His difficult behavior when he arrived at the mission nursery could be seen as his retainment of Chinese culture. However, at the end, he is happy and is compared to a bright and

As a result of the regimes isolationist policy the people of North Korea suffered greatly in both mental and physical health. The hold the state had over the beliefs of the citizens presented in “Nothing to Envy”, varied from absolute belief to uncomfortable awareness. The reader is presented often with Mrs. Song’s dedication to the regime, and Kim Il-sung himself. A mother of four she was often gone from home, working and attending ideological training sessions. “Fridays she stayed especially late for self-criticism. In these sessions members of her work unit- the department to which she was assigned- would reveal to the group anything they had done wrong—Mrs. Song would usually say, in all sincerity, that she feared she wasn’t working hard enough” (Pg. 43).When Kim Il-sung died, she

In this work, Kang’s family is living in North Korea when he and his family are sent to Yodok prison camp for the supposed crimes of his grandfather. It is important to note that Kang was only nine years of age at the time. He, his young sister, his grandmother, his father, and his uncle were sent to Yodok where they were placed in a cold hut and immediately forced to learn how to survive without the amenities they were accustomed to in

Family traditions are passed on from generation to generation, however they are not always static rules. Tradition is like a living organism that adapts to change over time. In order to understand modern North Korea’s family customs, it is important to consider the tradition of the past. Before North Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, North Korean families operated differently than they do today. Their ideology was founded on Confucius’s principles of family, including “only a country where family life was harmonious could be peaceful and prosperous” (Asia Society). The family is an integral part of society the same way a cell is important to a body (Suzy, 264). The government is even considered “one family” that everyone is a part of (Monday). Every individual in a family has a role and every family has a role in society. The ideal family is modeled from Kim Il Sung’s nuclear family (Suzy, 268). It is clear that family is a fundamental priority in North Korean society.

While Chan was trying to fit into modern American life in his new school, his father wanted him to be the “perfect” Korean son, living by strict Korean values. Chan fought for acceptance from his father as they tried to balance the values of different generations. Chan narrated in Necessary Roughness, “The way Abogee (father) talks you’d think he had me mixed up with some other son. One who get’s all A’s. One who knows what his abogee wants before he says anything. One who snaps to attention and goes “Yessir!” at everything his abogee says.”

Not much is given about his early life and family structure, except that he had three brothers. Since he could not afford to attend a university in Korea, Kwon applied to work on Hawaii’s sugar plantations. In 1905, the year that the Korean labor supply to Hawaii was cut off, he successfully immigrated as a seventeen-year-old sugar plantation laborer with the hopes of fleeing poverty (Pai 4, Takai 238). Approaching his mid 20’s as a young bachelor, he was working as a yardboy for a Mr. Hackfeld when his picture bride sailed across the ocean. Afterwards with the help of a friend, Kwon took up a more respectable job as an apprentice upholsterer at the Coyne Furniture Company. As years passed and he became noted as one of the most prestigious upholsterers in Hawaii, the company he was working for shut down, causing him to lose his job in 1928. Young Soon Han states, “The most viable businesses would be the same ones they [Koreans] did before, because…they have only this experience” (249). Just like the solution to the Korean liquor storeowners who lost their businesses in the L.A. riots, Kwon’s solution was to get back into the same business. The only difference was that this time he was an entrepreneur.

The examples of Khouy and Meng providing leftovers for their family and the numerous sacrifices made by Pa, Ma and Kim for the good of the family are expressions of how much those in their family mattered to them. Loyalty

The West thinks of itself as masculine-big guns, big industry, big money-- so the East is feminine-- weak, delicate, poor...”(62). Song created the ultimate fantasy where he made Gallimard feel dominant throughout their relationship, modest, traditional, and obeyed to his needs. Song saw that West perceived that they have ultimate power over the East and the need to control it. Hwang was not only able to play ethnicity but also the gender stereotypes.

Jang is placed to work at the UFD which deals with international affairs by writing literature that is pro-North Korean. Jang’s first major assignment is to write an epic of a poem about how great Kim Jong-il was as a leader of the country. Jang has decided to use Kim Jong-il’s tears as a metaphor for happiness and self-restriction. The people at the UFD agreed with Jang and he is set to write the epic. The person in charge of the UFD allows him to go back to his hometown.

Under the Black Umbrella tells the many captivating stories about the 35 years of Japanese occupation in Korea through both world wars. The memories are all from the perspective of Korean men and women who lived through some or all of it. Many of their stories and the history during that time are influenced by several factors, some of which include their location in Korea or surrounding areas and the government’s involvement in recording history. The Japanese were not all awful to the Koreans, since they were humans all the same, but they committed enough atrocities to have a bad reputation with the Koreans. In attempts to unify, North Koreans employed nationalism and ethnocentrism to fuel their way to become a strong nation again. South Koreans did not rally around such extreme ways and did not utilize their northern brethren’s methods of fear for power. Back then and now, globalization is a part of life and it should not be stifled. Nationalistic thinking will bring about more pain and suffering rather than just trying to coexist. Korea faced many hardships with the Japanese occupation. In recovery to their rule, issues arose when it came to accuracy in history, nationalism, ethnocentrism, and the different roles they all took between the north and the south.

Understanding how North Korea as a country defines itself in a changing world. Where do they derive their customs and practices, political standings and military power? Define North Korea’s history leading into the modern age and define its culture and characteristics and how they interact with the world today. Understanding a subject as broad as the term culture begins where the culture began with the birth of civilization and the people that influenced it. There are many factors that play a role in the shaping of a nation none so much as turmoil and conflict and the Korean peninsula saw its fair share for the better part of a millennia. A complete statistical breakdown of North Korea shows a struggling nation that strongly depends on

Yi Jeong, through his progressive relationship with Ga Eul was shown to be transformed from a Korean male who displays a hegemonic masculinity to a more egalitarian-like male. Episode 4 displays the ill-treatment of Yi Jeong to women.

"South Korea is a country with a population of 50,924,172 and counting" ("The World Factbook: KOREA, SOUTH"). It is a nation that has been the center of many tug-of-wars. It is a nation that has had to fight in order to survive independent. Years ago, no one thought much of this country. So what is it about this little place now, that sets it apart and breaks it out of the mold of just another Asian country? Though South Korea may be a small country, the style of cuisine, community culture, and generosity are just

Each of the narrator’s experience with Yeong-Hye as a vegetarian differ by their interaction with her. Mr. Cheong, her husband, was the first to acknowledge her vegetarianism which disrupted their daily routine together that created an extensive inconvenience to him which lead to their divorce. Yeong-Hye’s brother-in-law took interest in her body upon hearing about her mongolian mark from his wife. He soon took advantage of her body by merging it into his artwork. In-Hye, Yeong-Hye’s sister, took the burden of the familial responsibility after their parents abandoned Yeong-Hye. Her vegetarianism managed to disrupt each narrator’s lives from their relationships to their own thoughts.