KF뉴스레터-'Strength through Unity'-The Patriotism of Koreans

'Strength through Unity'-The Patriotism of Koreans

What comes to your mind when you think of Korea? There are many things, like kimchi, soccer, and taekwondo. For me, however, it is the patriotism of the Korean people that is the most impressive. After all, kimchi, soccer, and taekwondo came to be known worldwide as being representative of Korea because of the patriotism of Koreans. I think foreigners came to like these things because they were impressed by the deep love, interest, and patriotic fervor shown by Koreans for these things. I would like to tell you about three most impressive things, practically a miracle, that highlights the patriotism of the Korean people.

Patriotism and the World Cup
The World Cup is the world's most famous soccer event, and I think that the 2002 World Cup became a stage that highlighted the patriotic fervor of Koreans. The Korean people, regardless of whether or not they might be a soccer fan, filled the stadiums to root for their national team and to enhance the image of their nation. The stadiums, packed with Koreans wearing T-shirts of red, signifying their passion and enthusiasm, overwhelmed the opposing teams, enabling the Korean soccer team to achieve the unprecedented feat of reaching the semifinals! Thinking back about 2002 World Cup scenes is enough to get me excited, even though I am not a Korean.
At the time, the world paid more attention to the mental capability of the Koreans rather than their soccer skills. And because of this, my pride as a student majoring in Korean culture intensified. In awe of the seemingly boundless mental strength, I could only greatly admire the intense patriotism of Koreans.

Taekwondo for the Mind and Body
When you talk about soccer in Korea, another thing that naturally comes to mind is taekwondo. Although taekwondo became a competitive sport only about 50 years ago, for the Korean people it has been a part of their national culture with a few thousand years of history.
In Korea, there is a pan-national interest in matters related to the image of Korea or the Korean nation. As such, it is taken for granted that the entire nation should do their best to promote Korea's traditional culture. In the case of taekwondo as well, all Koreans take pride in the sport and hope for its development worldwide. Thanks to the efforts of the government, non-governmental organizations, and individuals like Choi Hong-hee, which have contributed to the establishment of taekwondo training centers and cultural research institutes around the world, taekwondo became an official event of the Olympic Games in 1984.
These days, people are eager to learn taekwondo, not only in Korea but also in many countries around the world. By learning taekwondo, you can strengthen your body and also learn about the traditional culture of Korea. In China, there are many parents who send their children to taekwondo training centers with a hope of having them learn the mental toughness and team spirit of Koreans. Some people take up taekwondo for health or sports reasons, while others practice taekwondo because of their interest in Korean culture. The latter are admirers of Korean culture and the mental capability of the Korean people.
It is said that: "Only the nation that recognizes itself can be recognized by the world." Accordingly, taking pride in one's own culture is especially important. Moreover, this kind of pride cannot be forced and is shown naturally through patriotism of the nation.
Nowadays, sports events are not just for the sake of sports, but also stages that showcase the overall capabilities and cultural characteristics of individual nations. As a foreigner, I witnessed the tremendous mental strength of Koreans through such events, experienced the traditional culture of the Korean people, and realized how true the notion of "strength through unity" can be.

Community-minded Campaigns
Further evidence of the national consciousness and patriotism of the Korean people are their community-minded campaigns, which include voluntary fund-raising initiatives led by the private sector under such themes as "one-time donation for the people" and "strength through unity." In Korea, there have been several cases of community-minded efforts in response to historic events. In particular, the efforts led by Korean residents in Japan to support the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, and when the entire nation joined hands to overcome the economic crisis that required IMF emergency loans in 1997-98, were especially impressive.
The community-minded efforts in 1988 were led by ethnic Koreans residing in Japan, who raised about 54 billion won to support the Seoul Olympic Games, organized a delegation to attend the games in Seoul, and achieved positive PR results, thereby strengthening relations with their home country. Such enthusiasm of Koreans living abroad as well as the pan-national support at home made the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games a huge success, along with elevating the profile of Korea around the world.
During the financial crisis that emerged in late 1997, Korea's most serious national crisis since the Korean War, a number of Korean banks and businesses collapsed, causing a sharp increase in the number of unemployed. At that time, Korea needed funds to pay back the IMF emergency loans. The Korean people thus launched a voluntary campaign to raise funds through a gold-collection drive, which helped to raise more than 41 billion won. This drive showed well the solidarity of Koreans and their determination to overcome the so-called IMF crisis. What enabled Korea to overcome the economic crisis so much more quickly than expected was the patriotism of its people.
These community-minded initiatives included fund-raising efforts for social welfare, reinforcement of the nation's spirit of cooperation, and enhanced awareness of social welfare needs as well as the rights and responsibilities as members of a democratic society. Community-mindedness, which is one of Korea's representative social characteristics, vividly demonstrates Korea's nationwide patriotism and solidarity, while creating a strong sense of admiration among foreigners.
Though the peoples around the world are diverse in nature, I do believe they all share a common sense of patriotism for their home country. And for Koreans, there is no shortage of this. Korea is a small country in terms of land area. Nonetheless, this small country has transformed itself from an impoverished nation into the world's 11th-largest economy in just a few decades, along with creating world-renowned brands like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. I believe this "Miracle on the Han River" was possible because of the Korean people's ardent patriotism.
Patriotism unites people and enables them to march together toward a common goal. Therefore, any efforts to strengthen a country should be based on patriotism. Witnessing Korea's achievements, enabled by the patriotism of its people, I came to fully realize the meaning of "Strength through unity."

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'Strength through Unity'-The Patriotism of Koreans

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'Strength through Unity'-The Patriotism of Koreans

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