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| Courtesy of tomscoffin |
By David A. Tizzard
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The country is already home to over 400 people from Afghanistan (legally, at least) so there are the beginnings of a community to join. But most of all, it's time for you to embrace South Korea. A country that, for the first time in its history, sent military aircraft overseas to rescue those in need because of conflict and warfare. Considering that, in the recent past, Korea was also home to a devastating internecine civil war and ideological conflict that saw people creating mass graves for political prisoners, the change has been truly remarkable. And it's that change which should be embraced because, as with all change, it's not finished yet either.
Korea is a land of contradictions. It's both traditional and modern; conservative and progressive; collective and individual; cool and dated. You'll find amazing high-speed broadband supporting archaic internet sites, office programs and frustrating online security protocols; expensive high-end cars with glistening rims parked on a pavement next to a carefully curated pile of trash as an elderly woman walks past collecting cardboard. A shop owner will scowl and make you feel unwelcome as the person next door smiles at you and offers some free rice cake. You will have to find your own Korea, but know that there are many. It's never monolithic: there's always an exception to every statement you might care to make about this place.
If there's one thing that Korea knows something about, it's survival. You have that in common. The South has suffered imperialism, colonialism, brutal military dictatorships and the harrowing crashes of neo-liberal economic policies; yet through all this, its movies, music, electronics, and sports-stars now top world lists and exude luxurious and sophisticated vibes. Its dialectical counterpart in the North faced the same early tragedies and since then has dealt with the economic, political, and military threats of an international community unwilling to grant it sovereignty in the face of, admittedly horrific, acts of international terrorism. Against all odds, the Koreas are here. They have been helped, harmed, left alone, and assisted in various degrees but the people have continued. We hope that this can be a message to you ― where there are people, there is still hope. With you, there is still Afghanistan.
Your infants, women, and new-born babies arrived in North Chuncheong Province to banners written in English that read, "We will share your pain. Have a comfortable stay." I've seen and heard of genuine support from Koreans for you. Of course, we cannot live on support alone, but you should know that it does exist here for you. It's very easy to get lost in the internet and judge populations and groups of people based on the ranting of a few, but that's not real life. Real life is the cafes, restaurants, neighbors and people next to you on the bus. Of course, not all of real life is great, but a lot of it is. And it's getting better.
Somewhat aping the ideas of Oscar Wilde, I've often believed it is more correct to see the world as verbs rather than nouns. Yes, categories are easily given to people and such labels and identities take up a lot of room in human minds and social media bios. But existence is defined by change: by movement and fluidity. We are constantly becoming rather than simply a static "become."
And the same idea of change should be applied to South Korea. Context is important and we must not lose sight of the wider picture of Korea's past and previous attitudes to refugees and those in need, but we should also find the humility and courage to congratulate people when, this week, we are greeted with genuinely heartwarming pictures of newborn babies arriving in the country. The Korean government has found a way to make this happen. Bravo to this change, I say. And welcome to Korea.
Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
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