Friday, March 29th, Seoul, South Korea

Greetings!

I learned much in the last three days that I should have known before now.  I don't know how it happened, but I have grown to believe that all I needed to know about Korea was that my father's generation got sent to somewhere cold and frustrating for too long, and that a significant number of them died or were wounded.  While they make up most of the VFW groups, I have never thought to learn much about the circumstances of their service.  I don't think many Vietnam veterans ever learned about how much they have in common with Korean veterans.

In both Korea and Vietnam, in the aftermath of a foreign colonial power's leaving, America stepped in to impose its political system and influence to a weak and confused people.  In both cases, it gave  up on local development and fell back on depending on our military to solve the problem.  In the long run, it was a giant waste of time and people.

I am shocked at how little I know until recently about the power of the Japanese empire from the end of the 19th century until World War II.  And how important that would have been to better understand the social and political dynamics of this part of the world.  My government and school history lessons taught me to fear China.  In particular, the Chinese rebels who forced the deposed government we backed to flee to a tiny island and brutally mistreat its people as it ended Japanese rule.  The rebels who spent most of their time and energy while I was fearing them struggling to help its people recover from the 35-year occupation by Japan. The Japan who had defeated the expansionist efforts of both China and Russia, and had established itself as the dominant power in Asia.  The Japan whose obvious next step was to attack us.

Why I didn't question the premise that people in Asia freed from such tyranny and brutality for so long would choose to follow a foreign power advocating separation and military aggression?  Because I didn't know any of the history over here.  Because I was a lot more ignorant than I thought I was.  But learning new perspectives is one of the benefits of travel.  Nothing's always purely right, but benefits from new viewpoints.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Friday, Mar 29th, Seoul, South Korea.