In the Land of the
Morning Calm

While many young Koreans come to the country, not many Filipinos have the opportunity to visit theirs. Last year, I was given the opportunity to go on an Exchange Student Program to Silla University in Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. With its picturesque views, four distinct seasons and over 5,000 years of cultural development, Korea captivated me from the moment I arrived. I found out that Koreans are courteous and warmhearted people, contrary to my long-standing prejudice prior to my arrival there:  that Koreans are as cold as their winter.

They readily welcomed me and my fellow exchange students into a world of tradition, culture and arts that helped to form the foundation for the world-renowned Hallyu (The Korean Wave). The Korean Wave has given the whole world a taste of what it is like to experience Korean Culture. If you’re wondering what this world-wide phenomenon is all about, try to remember some of these brands: Hyundai (automobiles), Samsung and LG (cellular phones, electronic gadgets and appliances), Face Shop (top-of-the-line cosmetics brand)—they are all Korean brands that became household names all over the world because of their superior quality and advanced technology.

Of course, the Korean Wave also brought to the Philippines famous Korean dramas like Jewel in the Palace, Princess Hours, Lovers in Paris, Memories of Bali (I’ve seen the main actor and actress of this drama on one of my visits to Seoul) Full House, Winter Sonata, and countless other Korean story series which, for quite some time, have dominated the prime time slots in Philippine television. These Korean dramas have given us Filipinos a glimpse of how life is in South Korea—their still conservative society, due mainly to the strong Confucian influences on Korean Culture, their idol-group-centered music industry, a strong and thriving fashion industry, and their basic day-to-day activities.

The traditional culture of Korea is quite different from any other culture in the world. In Korea, I have seen ancient royal palaces and awe-inspiring temples nestled in serene, natural surroundings, a colorful 1,700-year-old Buddhist Culture and paintings and calligraphy that amaze visitors from all over the world. UNESCO has designated many Korean sites and traditions as parts of the World Cultural Heritage. Korea’s cultural treasures carry a deep respect for humanity as well as nature. I think the Korean Ministry for Tourism aptly tags South Korea as a country “…where the old meets the new” because these traditional places and treasures are expertly preserved in the middle of the cities, amidst high-rise buildings and apartments and you can purchase traditional arts and crafts, like traditional masks, fans, wood carvings and others, alongside techie stuff like MP3s, laptop computers, cell phones, and other gadgets and equipment.

With 70 percent of its land mass covered by mountains and its location in the temperate climate zone, Korea has four distinct seasons with much to offer all year round: the abundant flowers that blanket the hills and fields in spring; an ecological experience on the west coast tidal flats, including one of the three biggest mud beaches in the world, and maritime sports under the warm summer sun; the autumn foliage that served as the inspiration for Korea’s five traditional colors and the clear skies during fall; and finally, the abundance of mountain snow for skiing, snowboarding and other fun winter activities.

One of the best parts of my stay in Korea was my delightfully unforgettable culinary experience. Korean food is synonymous with health food, a fact that is recently gaining increased attention around the world. Korean meals are full of wild vegetables grown in a mild climate with four seasons and rich soil, abundant marine products, and a variety of fermented foods represented by kimchi, thus, offering both good taste and health.

Eating in a traditional Korean restaurant lets one enjoy royal cuisine as served to kings in ancient dynasties: bulgogi-marinated barbecued beef; bibimbap-up to 30 different vegetables served on top of steaming rice, samgyetang-whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice and ginseng and of course, Korea’s most popular liquor—-soju—along with a variety of other traditional liquors that incorporate natural flavors. Street foods are also popular in Korea: tteokbokki, a kind of rice pasta and vegetables simmered in spicy sauce; pondegi a Korean fare of stir-fried silkworm larvae, and other delicious snacks that are sure to take one’s taste buds by surprise.

During my stay there, I learned that South Korea has emerged from one of the poorest countries in Asia in the 1950’s to one of the world’s strongest economies nowadays. In less than half a century, South Korea has built its economy from scratch following the massive destruction brought about by the Korean War when the Communist North Korea invaded the Democratic South Korea in 1950. By then, the Philippine economy was much better than that of South Korea. How then, was it possible for South Korea, with lesser land area and fewer natural resources than the Philippines, to quickly rise from the ashes of destruction to become what is now called the “Economic Miracle of the Han River”?

I think the answer is simple: South Koreans loved and worked hard for their country. Even the Koreans themselves admit that they lack natural resources. Upon realizing this, however, they struggled hard to focus on the development of their most precious and readily available resource: manpower. Koreans have worked hard in developing themselves so that whatever natural resources they lacked was very well compensated for in terms of a highly skilled labor force.

Even up to now, Koreans are putting a high premium on developing their citizenry. For instance, high school students in Korea would normally go to school as early as 7:30 in the morning, then attend classes until 5 p.m., with lunch as the only break they have during the day. After classes, they would usually go home to freshen up and have dinner. Then, they would go back to school around 6 or 6:30 pm for in-school self-study classes that normally last until 10:30 or 11 p.m.

After these self-study classes, they leave their school premises and head off to Hagwons, or specialized academies that offer advanced classes in Math, Science and English. There, they would spend more time studying until 1 or 2 a.m. of the following day. In every school that I went to in Korea, I noticed that libraries were always packed with students who were either in self-organized study groups or simply reviewing by themselves.

I asked one of my Korean friends why they study so hard and he told me that it’s the only way for Koreans to compensate for their lack of natural resources. I believe that their self-discipline when it comes to studying is clearly manifested in their daily activities. For instance, the queues in bus stops, cinemas, restaurants, supermarkets, and almost everywhere, are orderly. Korean pedestrians never cross the roads if the pedestrian lights are red, even if there are no cars passing these roads. In the same way, Korean motorists never “beat the red light” even if there are no other cars in the freeway. These simple manifestations of discipline in even the most mundane of tasks, I think, have played a big role in improving Korea’s economy.

One of the most important things I learned in Korea is that if the citizens of a country would want their homeland to be more progressive, they should have a very strong sense of nationalism. Nationalism in the sense that people should learn to really love their country, and in the process, learn to be more selfless. People should think more of what they can do to help make their country a better place to live in, not only for themselves, but for the future generations as well.

Korea’s standard of living might be higher than that of the Philippines, but I still will never trade the Philippine way of life for that of another country. There is so much that the Philippines can learn from South Korea’s progress. However, I still strongly believe that the Philippines is a great nation and that the Filipinos are a great people. Wherever in the world a Filipino might be, he will always look back to his homeland. And there will never be a better place for me than the Philippines, basically because it’s home.

The writer is a Chemical Engineering graduate of the University of St. La Salle (Class 2007) and a native of Victorias City. He was named a recipient of The Outstanding Students Award of the Bacolod Jaycees.