Korean+War+Interview+Project+Lauren+Kang+C+Block

=Korean War Interview with my Grandmother Pyo Kyung Chul =

Interview
media type="file" key="My Song 4.mp3"

Summary
media type="file" key="asian studies.mp3"

Interview Question
1. Before we begin, please tell me about yourself. 2. How old were you when the Korean War broke out and what was your status back then? 3. What was your first reaction when you found out bout the war? 4. What do you remember about the 3 years during the war? 5. How did the incidents that you mentioned affect you personally or your personal life back then? 6. Were there actually moments of danger? (Bombardment, prisoner of war, drafting...?) 7. Were you separated from your family? 8. What kept you going or helped you survived the war? (Ideology, beliefs, calues, principles...) 9. Are the descriptions of the war (in books, movies...) very different from your own experience? 10. What is your opinion on North Korea? 11. What was the first thing on your mind when the war was over? 12. What impact did the war have in your post-war life? 13. Do you blame the break out of the Korean War on a particular side? Explain your answer.

1) How does your interviewee's testimony fit in with what you have learned about the experience of civilians?
Basically from my grandmother's experience and the stories that she told me it was very similar to the background information about the civilians. For example she mentioned about how every civilian back then whether in North nor South were both suffering from hunger and lack of resources. She mentioned that her most important concern was about how they would not starve. Also like the book Still Life of Rice we read, my grandmother also mentioned about how families back then were so focused about hiding males in their family whether young nor old. She told me how the government would take people anyone capable to fight and made them into soldiers to fight. Basically from many of the examples of her story and the information we learned, it again proved to me about how the civilians back then were suffering in many different ways. They lacked economic support for them to survive, family members were getting taken away to fight, and it people were randomly dying due to the the mass amount of attacks such as the bombardments.

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?
Basically from many of my interviewee or my grandmother's statements, I was able to see the severe conditions they were living in and how harsh their conditions were. As I mentioned earlier from the major events of the war it affected their life in many different ways. Most of the times it made their life harsher and more dangerous. From the constant attacks and bombardment, many of the family relatives passed away or were injured. Also because of the lack of male in their family, it was mostly up for women to earn money and was their responsibility to take care the household and take care of the family economic. It also showed how the actual civilians did not pay much attention to communism nor capitalism but the people were simply busy about surviving and did not even realize why the war broke in the first place sometimes. That just showed how much the war has made the life of people harder to survive and live than they were already living in.

3) Hypothesize or explain how you interviewee was able to stay out of danger.
Basically from my grandmother's experience the way that she was able to stay out of danger was from the constant movement and run aways she did with her family. She mentioned how the government often times scattered people in certain areas so that in case one area is attacked, there won't be as much casualties. By spreading people equally, they decreased the number of people that can die in one single area. Also she mentioned about how she was in charge of earning money due to the absence of her brothers and that it was her and her mother's job to take care of the younger siblings. From the responsability of women back then, that was what made them able to stay out of danger. Also because they were so busy trying to survive, they naturally did not mention about any specific type of religion or belief they believed in and just lived quietly which also could be a way of staying out of danger because it will prevent them from getting suspected of communists.

Essay
So far from the class the students have only heard or read about the incidents and happenings of the war through books and some sort of media. But this time it was different. By actually learning and hearing about the events from someone who has gone through all of them, it went beyond what we read. The whole interview was a crucial part of the war and was enormously significant. From going over every single memory of the people who actually were there in that moment, people and students will be able to learn and be able to analyze the war in many different perspectives. Unlike the media, by listening to what the actual civilians and people thought about, it gives a certain historical value and meaning to this incident. Without the testimonies and evidence from these people, none of us would actually be able to realize how severe it was back then nor the specific incidents and events. Not only is it simply about giving the war a historical significance but it was more about how people should learn to morn for these people and gives a certain nationalistic pride and idea to people through out generations and generations of people.

From this interview for me it gave me a more intimate and personal connection to the war more then ever. Before from many of the stories and readings about the Korean War, I never actually fully understood or felt the connection to the people during that time. I always mentioned about the whole idea about having sympathy and morning for these people but never knew about the actual fear and emotions that the people felt. But through the personal memories and happenings the interviewee or my grandmother’s story, I was fully able to really see and understand how much effect the war had on people. Also from this interview, not only was a crucial moment where I was able to share with my grandmother but it was a moment where I realized the different point of views people had. Although the war was between North and South, it was not just simply a civil war but it was also connected and related to the whole concept of the Cold War. Between the two super powers disputes about their ideology and belief and the two forcing their ideology on others, the Korean War was one of the consequences people and the civilians had to go through.

Not only will this interview help just simply me but also it will help us the whole class as a whole to understand the war much better. Rather than simply from the book and movies shown or expressed in 3rd person, from the interviewee’s personal and intimate memories being shared, it will allow the students to understand much better about the different perspectives of the war. I cannot stress enough on how important these people’s memories are and the best way to learn history is by someone who experienced it. It will help the people in our generations to really be able to see and understand what the situation was like back then and be able to understand the importance of this country and it’s events.

Release Form
In view of the historical value of this oral history interview about the Korean War, I _ __(interviewee) knowingly and voluntarily permit or allow__ ___(interviewer) the full use of this information for educational purposes.

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Interviewer Signature: ___

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