Korean+War+Interview+Project+JiiiiiiiiiiYoon+Hyun+C+Block

**Korean War Interview Project Interview with Bong Hee Jeong (71) : Project done by Ji Yoon Hyun **   **Interview Questions ** //(Interviewee: Bong Hee Jeong. 71 years old. Used to be an elementary teacher but now she has no particular job)//

1. How old were you when the war took place, what kind of family were you from, and where did you live? 2. What is your view towards the North Koreans, South Koreans, Americans, Syungman Ryee, and Kim Il Sung? 3. What was life like for you during the war? 4. Was there a drastic change in your lifestyle after the war began? How so? 5. Were you aware of what was really going on when the war took place? 6. How did you stay out of dangers and troubles? 7. Are there any stories about a specific time when you were in great danger? 8. What was the most difficult part of life during this time? 9. How was life different for boys and girls/ men and women? 10. Did you have to face any divisions within the family? 11. What was your biggest hope during the time period? How did it change as the war came to an end? 12. Do you think any side officially apologized or if so, do you think it was enough? Do you think there should be a sincere apology today? 13. Do you think North and South Korea will be able to re-unify? Why or why not? 
 * Release Form

 Interview Video **  //(Subtitles included in the Video) //

Part 1 (left), Part 2 (right) media type="youtube" key="27O0MAqlENY" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="X9KuLiiFemY" height="344" width="425" <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(255, 58, 0);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**Analysis Questions & Answers**

<span style="color: rgb(255, 70, 0);">1. //How does your interviewee's testimony fit in with what you have learned about the experience of civilians?//

When we were reading Lee's "Toll of Innocence" and "Shattered Faith," we were able to learn about the deaths of innocent civilians and Hongyong's family movements to the South. Even though my interviewee was experiencing breakaways from the South, I could find the connection from both sides of Korea going through hardships throughout the war. Many were fleeing for safety all over the place walking in long distances; in my interviewee's case, from Daegu to Busan, and in Hongyong's case, from the North to the South. I was able to notice the family love every family had within them of wanting to protect their family. I think it was for both North and the South civilians feeling the toll of innocence rise during battles, everyone's heart slashed with the cruelty of war. Also I was able to connect to my interviewee's younger days with Hongyong's daughter, Dukwah, of how much both wanted to go to school and get educated. Not only both wanted education, both had interest and were exposed to Christianity during the war, it was exciting to see the connection of how much people relied on religion during many movements from one place to another. It is unbelievable to me of how long a person could possibly walk but I have learned how everyone was fighting to survive even when not being aware of what was truly going on during the Korean War. Civilian population of both the South and the North were facing tragedies and my interviewee's testimonies seemed to fit in what I have learned about the Korean War.

<span style="color: rgb(255, 70, 0);">//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?//

There were three major conflicts my interviewee explained during the Korean War. When Mrs. Jeong was living in her hometown, Cheong Ju, she had to move from Cheong Ju to Daegu because the North Korean armies reached Cheong Ju through the mountains. The gun fights of the South Korean police and the North Korean armies was one great example showing how civilians had to move whenever it seemed dangerous to remain in a place that soon might be conquered by the North. After a month of Mrs. Jeong and her family living in Daegu, there were bombings near the town and again, civilians had to move down. These major events of the North conquering all the way almost down to Busan was affecting civilians greatly since not only families had to walk a great amount of distance, nobody was able to have a clear job to support one's family during the war. In Mrs. Jeong's case, when her family moved all the way down to Busan, Mrs. Jeong thought she would die since her family had no money like other families to escape to the Cheju Island. However, MacArthur's help of fighting with the North to give back South its' territory saved Mrs. Jeong and probably many other civilians lives. In this case, Korea's gain during the Korean War in general was the help from America who helped develop Korea economically, politically, and develop military systems. We could come to a conclusion that many minor and major events during the war affected civilians lives in many different ways. It was either sacrificing one's death or fleeing for safety and survival even if one was to live in terrible condition of not being able to find shelter or food.

<span style="color: rgb(255, 70, 0);">//3. Hypothesize or explain how your interviewee was able to stay out of danger.//

My interviewee didn't lose any family members because she didn't have as much. She lived with her parents and a five year old younger sister. I partially think the small number of her family helped her to stay out of danger because in Hongyong's case in the "Toll of Innocence," Hongyong had so many children to take care of, moving to the South was much harder and harsher for her. Mrs. Jeong mentioned how she followed her parents and wasn't aware that a war was happening since she was too busy moving from one place to another. Her parents' decisions of moving every time somewhere seemed dangerous was also one way Mrs. Jeong and her family was able to stay out of danger. When Mrs. Jeong was explaining the time she thought she would end up dying at Busan, I knew North Koreans didn't come all the way down to Busan because of the support and help of American armies and MacArthur. Just as I thought, Mrs. Jeong was not only able to stay out of danger because of fast decisions of fleeing for safety and a small number of people in her family, other nations were able to help her and many civilians from peril. When I asked Mrs. Jeong about her view towards the Americans, it was positive because she knew that the Americans were a great help to the South Koreans during the Korean War. If it weren't for them, just as Mrs. Jeong's hypothesis, her family would have ended up dying near the oceans of Busan, not being able to escape to Cheju Island or any place nearby.

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**Essay** <span style="color: rgb(255, 70, 0);">//“Becoming One, One Group of People, in One United Country”// //(Analyze the historical significance of your interview, how has the interview added to your understanding of the war, and how you think it will help us better understand the Korean War)//

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">History cannot be fully analyzed without interacting with people who had specific experiences during the war. It was efficient and helpful to understand from this project how the civilians, both the North and the South, back then had to face the cruelty of war. Since the younger generation is not properly exposed to the truth of what has happened during the war due to textbook controversies; by interviewing someone who was in a vulnerable position during the war, I was able to realize that the truth of every history was near us, hidden in every civilian’s heart. Almost all of my grandparents have been in the Korean War, however, I wasn’t able to reach them since they have passed away long ago. Therefore, my duty was to search for people around me; when I entered the silver town, where many elders stay, I knew from then how Korea’s history of the Korean War was impacting Korea today. Not only my interpretation of expecting people to disagree to the idea of reunifying the North and the South was wrong, I was able to see uncontaminated hearts and hopes of people wanting to become one, one group of people, in one united country.

The interview with Bong Hee Jeong assisted me to understand what was happening in the South, when South Koreans were moved down all the way to Busan. Mrs. Jeong and her family were terrified never knowing when he or she would be attacked by, either the North or the South. Men weren’t able to get permanent jobs to support their family due to rapid and frequent moves from one place to another. Children not only were not aware of what was happening back then, they weren’t able to get educated in a school they wanted to go. Not only that, it was unbelievable to me of how long a person could possibly walk but also I have learned how everyone was fighting to survive wishing that one day everything would come to an end. It was quite interesting to see the connection of how much people relied on religion during many movements from one place to another to simply stay out of danger. During the interview, I was able to see one drop of tear from Mrs. Jeong and I, myself, was able to feel how harsh life was back during the war times. Recalling someone’s memory was not an easy interview to do but after Mrs. Jeong was kindly nice enough to explain her life and her situation, from then on I was able to walk in her shoes to understand and have a better view of how people were impacted during one of the barbarous wars in the world, the Korean War.

By the end of the interview, my last two questions were asking whether there was a sincere apology from any sides and whether Mrs. Jeong believed an unification would be possible or not. Mrs. Jeong knows that reunification is simply at this moment hard to accomplish since economically and politically many systems are contradicting the North and the South. However, my interviewee wanted both sides to apologize in what they have done, and with forgiving hearts to help each other in order to reunify and become one nation, one group of Koreans not two. There would be many opinions to debate with my interviewee’s answer but for me, Mrs. Jeong’s irreproachable character and many opinions from elders in the silver town was important for me since I was able to learn how many people still wanted to become a whole even when they faced all the casualties the war has caused. I’m sure there would be nothing to cover up wounds of innocent civilians during the war, however, I once more think to myself of what would be the right way to help our country, seen one as a whole; becoming one, one group of people, in one united country.