Korean+War+Interview+Project+Albert+Joo+C+Block

=Albert Joo Interview Block C = =Interview Questions:= 1) What is your current status? 2) What was your life like before the Korean War started? 3) What was you and your family’s reaction when you first found out that the war had started? 4) How was your family able to support itself during the war? 5) What was the biggest tragedy you dealt with as the Korean War progressed? 6) At the time of the war, why did you think it had started? 7) Where did you end up after the war had ended? How did you end up there? 8) How would you define the Korean War in one word? Why? 9) What do you remember about the end of the Korean War? 10) How did you perceive the soldiers of the North and South? 11) How did life during the war compare with life before the war? 12) What caused you to evacuate from the war? 13) Why did you take the side of the South during the Korean War? 14) How was the rebuilding process after the war?

Video (I have a short intro in the beginning and a 6 minute summary at the end; the rest is my interview):
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 * Part 1**
 * Part 2**
 * Part 3

=Analysis Questions:=


 * 1) How does your interviewee's testimony fit in with what you have learned about the experience of civilians?**

My grandma confirmed the fact that many civilians suffered during the Korean War, including the high class. My grandma had connections and a lot of good luck, so she was able to get to Busan more quickly and more safely than others. For example, the CEO of the railroad company was a family friend and allowed her to ride a train down to safety. However, despite all her good luck, my grandmother still describes the experience as the worst in her life. Therefore, if she suffered, one can only guess how much the “worse-off people” suffered. Young men were carried off for drafting, and my grandmother describes that to hide from the South Korean army drafts, people crouched in rooms with bags over their heads. Food was also a major problem during and after the war. She explains that some of the impoverished were forced to boil grass and tree bark in order to gain nutrition. It was definitely a horrifying and life-changing experience for the civilians that were trying to escape the war.


 * 2) Using your background knowledge try to contextualize their testimony. How do you think major events of the war affected their life at the time?**

The Korean War, like most other wars, had political and societal beliefs at stake (mainly the spread of Communism). I think, to a point, that this affected my grandmother personally. Her father was a Congressman of South Korea, so he would be a prime target of the North Korean soldiers. Therefore, there was no way that her family could stay put; it was of utmost importance that they escaped. Also, if it could be called an event, the desperation of the citizens affected my grandmother greatly. She remembers how people would criticize and yell at her whenever she was granted safety over them. My grandmother had special privileges to board trains and ships before others, angering the citizens that were also around her. However, in terms of the violence of the war itself, I don’t think my grandmother was incredibly affected. She was safe in her reserved house in Busan.


 * 3) Hypothesize or explain how you interviewee was able to stay out of danger.**

As previously explained, my grandmother somehow knew the right people. Among her helpers were the Head of Woman Police, a railroad CEO, and various other officials. Her mother had also gone to Busan ahead of time, so there was already a big house waiting for them when they arrived. With a house, they didn’t need to beg much for food or necessities. On their way down to Busan, they were granted special rights to board boats and trains that normal civilians had to wait in line for. After they were safe, the South Korean Army came around to pick up young men to draft. She describes that she hid and was never found, keeping her brother and father away from being drafted into the army. Whether it be luck or miracle, my grandmother stayed safe and alive throughout the entire war, experiencing much more luxury than many other unfortunate civilians.

=Essay:= The Korean War Needs Oral History Albert Joo Block C 5/11/09 Although anyone can learn history from textbooks, the knowledge received from a book is nothing compared to experiences that have been passed orally. Although some might see it as nothing more than story-telling, the interview that was held with my grandmother is a genuine piece of history. While textbooks can stir controversy or be edited by those who want certain things said, story-telling is pure and untarnished. It allows one to delve into the eyes of a person that has lived through history, in this case, the Korean War. Retelling one’s own experience is the closest that the younger generation can get to experiencing it. While a textbook would generalize the experiences of the entire population, hearing the words spoken from a family member give the true situation that they experienced. The emotion that they put into their story is more convincing than any knowledgeable book could ever be. This interview has shown the detailed account of one who has experienced the war first-hand, something that will soon be unavailable. Therefore, it is significant that such an interview is kept on historical record, to remind the people of how citizens lived and survived at the time.

This interview has truly helped me in comprehending the scale of suffering the Korean War. The things my grandmother talked about, the trials she went through, seem unimaginable to someone as lucky as I am. She had to leave her house, not knowing whether she’d come back. She lived in constant fear of North Korean attack or South Korean army drafting; Her family separated in order to travel more efficiently. However, she continues to emphasize how lucky she was and how her suffering was absolutely nothing compared to others. This really opened my eyes to how much of a horrible war the Korean War really was. I had had the false interpretation that since it was a Civil War between close countries, it was nothing too serious and only resulted in the creation of the DMZ. This can help anyone understand that the Korean War included everyone. All citizens, upper class and lower class, were forced to leave their homes in uncertainty, and all were forced to suffer. These detailed accounts can truly show us how much of an impact the Korean War has on society today. The point of view in which my interview is told is also different from testimonies that we have read. The interview wasn’t selective, meaning that my grandmother’s experiences weren’t of the extremely misfortunate. Instead, her interview can show us all what evacuation was like for those who experienced it the more moderate way.

=Release Form:=