Korean+War+Interview+Project+Jason+Kim+C+Block

Korean Interview Project Jason Kim Block C

Interview Questions 1. How old were you during the Korean War? How many siblings did you have? What was your social status? Where did you live? 2. What were your feelings toward the Communist party before the Korean War? 3. How did the war affect your daily life? 4. Were any of your family dragged to the army? 5. What happened to families that had their men taken away? 6. What happened to your property in North Korea? 7. What were your feelings toward the Communist party during the Korean war? 8. What difficulties did you face during the war? 9. What and how did you get jobs after the Korean War? 10. How do you think neighboring countries felt about Korean War? 11. Because you were able to speack English, were there any benefits of being bilingual? 12. What happened to siblings in North Korea? Do you know if they are even alive? 13. How did you feel about Communism after the Korean War? 14. What do you think about the president of the North Korea, Kim Jung-il? 15. What is your view of Korea unification?

Interview

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Summary of the Interview My grandfather was 21 years old. He had 2 brothers and on sister along with his parents. He was a student at YongSam High school. He lived in Seoul. Frankly as student, he did not have too much knowledge about Communism before the war. During the war, North Korea communist had come down and occupied most of land except Pu-shan and Masan area. He had to move and evacuate to Pu-shan. His elder brother was drafted to Army to fight against the Communist Army. However, the family still does not know if he is alive or dead.

North Korea government probably confiscated all of my grandparents property. There was no way to find out what happened to them.My grandparent believes that Communsim itself is of no more value to exist on earth. He joined Army and served for 5 years as a officer. He believed that it was miserable conflict between same people of same blood.

Reunification has to be accomplished in manner of Democracy.

Anaylsis Questions From my grandfather's interview, I could see in his language and eyes that everything was ruined. Even though I did not include in the interview, my grandmother used to be one of the richest person in Pyong-yang, Korea. However, since she and her family did not want to be part of Communist party. I listened to my grandmother talking about how her life changed from very luxurious one into a poor and laboring one. My interviewee's testimoney fit well in what I have learned about the experience of civilians. Like many other families, properties were taken, families were split. Men were dragged into the army to serve at least five years. I could really sense how hard it was to live during the Korea War with the gestures and eye contact of my grandparents.
 * 1) How does your interviewee's testimony fit in with what you have learned about the experience of civilians?**

In many ways, people can conclude it is mostly the riches who are affected the most. Since the poor stay poor, it does not make much of a difference. However, someone like my grandmother, who was attending medical school inspite of her gender, it was very crucial. My grandmother lost everything tangible, such as land, money, jewelry, and any other valuable things. Her family lost their power and power to influence the country. It must have been hard to recover what my grandparents has lost from the Korea war. They were never able to get up to the same social class as they were before 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?**

My grandparents moved to Pu-shan, where it was the safest at the time. However, he was constantly in danger by serving in the army forced. He was drafted and took an exam that would determine his position as a military worker. Luckily he was ablte to become a translater who would translate writings from English to Korean or Korean to English. I believe his life was better than those who were facing bullets in the field every now and then.
 * 3) Hypothesize or explain how you interviewee was able to stay out of danger.**

Essay
 * How has the interview added to your understanding of the war, and how you think it will help us better understand the Korean War?**

Everytime, United Nation, specifically South Korea, is under pressured by the North Korean government. They threaten South Korea by blowing up the dam which will submerge the entire city of Seoul. North Korea has develop the nuclear weapons, that could be solde to any other countries. South Korean government is constantly in danger and threatened by most of people know of as the brothers, North Korea. Even though, North Korea and South Korea wear different clothes, Communism and Democratic, these two nations are from one root. What happened to these two nations? Korean War took place to tear apart Korea as a whole, ripping families into two.

Korean War happened because of the evil force from the north. Communist nations, USSR and China, took a step to turn Korea into a Communist country. Families like my grandparents moved down to Pu-shan for shelters. Their properties in the north has been destroyed and banished. There were no hope in them after the war. From my grandfather's interview, "Everything has been ruined and destroyed when we came up to Seoul". He had no choice but to get back to Bu-shan and work for the government. Korean War was a war and a fight between two government not the people and civilians. However, it was the civilians who got hurt and had to deal with the after-affect of the war.

Nowadays, South Korean are allowed to meet their relatives in the North once a year or so. Many things changed ever since the war ended. The strictness of relating to someone communist or even knowing a communist would have a negative effect on the person. However, it is obvious that these two, or at least South Korea, inside their mind are willing to unite under one Korea. During the interview, my grandparent seemed to have a glimpse of tearing eyes, that he do not know if his elder brother is alive in North Korea or how and when his brother died. He wants to visit places in the North where he was borned and raised. It is sorrowful to see my grandparents waiting desperately for the unification of North and South Korea.