On the large sidewalk between Seoul City Hall and Gwanghwamun, it’s hard to miss the dozens of blown-up black-and-white photographs mounted on wooden placards. Walking along yesterday (April 21st, 2013), I stopped to look at a few, as is my habit when I’m passing through there, which I do once every few months or so.
One caught my eye:
Placard in central Seoul [2013] featuring a photo from the Korean War.
Its caption: An aged Korean in line receives a bowl of hot milk and rice from volunteer workers
at one of Seoul’s nine feeding centers. Looking on (background left to rght) George S. Murray
and John P. Kott. Date: April 21, 1953. Photo Credit: U.S. Army by Pvt John St. Dennis
6.25전쟁 당시 서울에는 9개의 음식물 배급소가 있었습니다. 유엔민사원조사령부 소속의
미군들이감독하고 있는 동안 서울의 한무상 음식물 배급소에서 줄 서 있던 한 노인이
차례가 되자 따뜻하게 데운 우유와 밥을 받고 있습니다, 일자: 1953년 4월 21일.
자료: (사)월드피스자유연합
When that I transcribe the Korean, I see that the exhibition is sponsored by something called the “Association for World Peace and Freedom” [my translation]. A search brings me to two websites (first, second) that appear to be theirs. (They are only in Korean).
I thought the caption gave recipient’s name as Mu-Sang Hahn [한무상], but it turns out that word means “charity”.
The photo is dated April 21st, 1953. I walked by it on April 21st, 2013. I saw the photograph sixty years, to the day, after it was snapped by this Private John St. Dennis (who’d be in his 80s now). This got me to thinking about how long 60 years is. Using April 21st, 1953 as a base-date, I bounced my mind back another 60-year block, and then a second. Then I bounced forward two 60-year blocks. Here’s what I come up with:
Situation in Korea, at 60-year intervals
April 21st, 1833: Korea ruled by Chosun Dynasty as a “hermit kingdom”: Weak leadership/kleptocratic tendencies
April 21st, 1893: Chosun beginning to open, but is in inexorable decline, Donghak movement reaching a boiling point
April 21st, 1953: Korea the midst of a civil war; thought to be one of the poorest countries on Earth
April 21st, 2013: South Korea is one of the richest countries on Earth
April 21st, 2073: ?
Situation in Korea, at 60-year intervals
April 21st, 1833: Korea ruled by Chosun Dynasty as a “hermit kingdom”: Weak leadership/kleptocratic tendencies
April 21st, 1893: Chosun beginning to open, but is in inexorable decline, Donghak movement reaching a boiling point
April 21st, 1953: Korea the midst of a civil war; thought to be one of the poorest countries on Earth
April 21st, 2013: South Korea is one of the richest countries on Earth
April 21st, 2073: ?
This is an awesome post. I enjoy thinking about these types of historical flash-forward / flash-back scenarios. And the contrast is indeed amazing.
Well done.