Loving Korea Genesis Kwon, 11
In every history class I have been in, I heard President John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” With this phrase in mind, I am reminded of a story of South Korea and how its people saved their home. While South Korea has been known for its music and other modern trends, the country has always had a quieter, yet powerful custom that defines its culture; its patriotic collectivism. I understand that this is not an unfamiliar topic to many, as patriotism flows through everyone to some extent. Regardless, this story inspired me to think back on why I should be proud to be an Korean American. Roughly 30 years ago, a heavy financial crisis had spread like a virus all around Asia. The most affected countries aside from Thailand were Indonesia and South Korea. However, several countries in Asia were affected as well: Laos, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, China, and to a certain degree, the Philippines. Overall, many were concerned over the possible outcomes if the crisis could not be contained. At least, these were the thoughts of countries that were not as harshly affected. South Korea, being one of the hardest hit, arguably saw their own version of the Great Depression. People lost their jobs, businesses, and were unable to pay rent or buy food. With these conditions, South Korea was ultimately forced to accept a bailout, or an act of providing financial help in a failing economy, from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF injected South Korea with one of the largest bailout loans in history. However, the South Korean government soon realized that there was no official plan or structure to pay off the loan in the end. When the South Korean civilians discovered they were on the brink of financial collapse, roughly 3.5 million Koreans lined up to give their gold to their government, in order to help pay the loan that the IMF extended. This was an extremely impactful action as, according to Forbes, “Most of [the gold] carried strong personal and familial significance, far beyond its monetary value.” To give up something that held memories and milestones could possibly be considered one of the most selfless acts a person could do. When thinking about how millions of people were willing to sacrifice cherished possessions to save their home, I am amazed and almost surprised at how beautiful the moment was. They helped one another and at the end of the day, that is how we all survive. I feel as though there is a lesson to be learned here. A lesson that teaches that despite all circumstances, if we all stick together, we can thrive. Together, we live. That truly is the beauty of patriotism. I am proud to belong to this wonderful community, this wonderful history. I hope that in the future, there will be more stories like this and more people that stand taller and higher because of it.
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