Lee,+YoonjaeKWP

media type="file" key="IP.mp3" width="240" height="20" *Interview Questions are little bit modified from the basic questions

I am Young Ja Lee, 70.
 * Hello, what is your name and age? **

I was 8 years old.
 * How old were you when the Korean War started? **

I lived in Bu Pyong, Inchoen.
 * Where did you live when the war started? **

I lived with mother, father, a brother, and a sister.
 * Who did you live with? **

It was too young to know what the war was. I was so surprised by airplanes flying above me. Yes, it was very rare to see any planes back than. There was one or two maybe. It was shocking to see them flying very low above us.
 * What did you think when the 6.25 war started? **
 * Airplanes were rare back than, right? **

I was worried how I couldn’t go to school and meet friends. Back than, there weren’t any hotels or anything because it was battlefield. There was no safe place to sleep. When I walked through streets I slept at a foreigner’s house if there was no one in there. I once slept in barn, too. New-faced people come together to sleep and live. I walked at daytime and slept at night tim. Yes. At the first 6.25 war, I did not go as far. There was 9.28 서울수북, so we came back to our home after a while. However, at 일사후퇴, when the North Korean army came back with Chinese army, that was the time we went all the way to Busan. That lasted for a while.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">When you were evacuating to Busan Parameter, what did you think? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">So you evacuated with your family, only? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">How long did it take to go to Busan? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I still remember Chinese soldiers wearing white cloth with white backpacks, walking across the street. When they found children, they brought the children with them to evacuate. There was time when Chinese army helped us, although it was just for a short time. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Everyone was walking, so when the Chinese army found the children, they helped them. Also, another memory is when I passed Suwon, I saw a very big and long bomb, as big as human body, dropping near by. It was very shocking and scary. The worst memory I have is, when I was walking to Busan, I saw all dead bodies - from Korean Army to Foreign Army and evacuators - on the sidewalk. It was wintertime, so there were bodies with all those huge snow piles. No one cleaned up after the dead bodies. It was so sad and scary.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What is the most memorable event? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">There was time when the Chinese army helped us? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I was just happy to know that I was going back to school. I did not think of any political or military things because I was just a kid. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">War started because Kim Il Sung wanted to reunify Korea by using military power. It is very stupid and barbarian thinking. Of course, he didn’t accomplish his dream. North and South Korea is still divided up.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">How did you feel when the war ended? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Why do you think that the war started? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Well, if someone has to be responsible, Kim Il Sung and Mao Zedong has to, but they are dead. Mao Zedong has to because he was the leader of China back than. To my knowledge, his son died in the 6.25 war, because he participated in the war as a soldier. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Yes, to my memory. He did.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Who is responsible for the war? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mao Zedong’s son participated in the war? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">No. Nothing. War is about losing everything. 16 countries of United Nations Army has participated in the Korean War.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Was there any earnings from the war? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Well, I like U.S.A. because they helped us. They helped us a lot to live as a democratic country. On the other side, Communism basically failed. Soviet Union is gone and China has bad economy. North Korea is like the only Communist country.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of U.S.A. and Soviet Union as countries that “dominated” Korea? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I don’t like the fact that they are just threatning the world, including us, with their nuclear bomb. They should come out on the meetings and become a democratic country. They should help the citizens in the country. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Of course, they don’t give anything to us. They are just making us to surrender because they haver nuclear bomb. It is very barbarian thinking. Everything - including economy - is worse than South Korea. They are using their military power to make the world go in to shock.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of North Korea? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Is there any benefits that North Korea brings to us? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It is the nuclear bomb. They are using the bomb and their military to rip off things from us as if they are strong country. They don’t give any appriciation when they receive things form us. They assign us to give certain things. It is thinking that cannot exist. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">They will be very weak, so it can be more peaceful.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What is the worst problem between South and North Korea? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">So if there is no nuclear bomb, problems will be solved? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It is very barbarian action of North Koreans. They used their military power to kill and harm normal citizens. They have caused a event that can’t happen again in human history.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of Yeon Pyong Do Firing? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Just like YPD Firing, it is very bad and barbarian. We are in cease-fire treaty, so there shouldn’t be any fighting. They used their military to kill our army. They brought submarines to fire from under the boat just to kill young soldiers. It is so bad.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of Cheon Ahn Ham? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It is the border we have made on the sea. Any country that crosses the line is like calling a war on us. Any country, from North Korea, China, Japan, to any country, should not try to cross NLL. It is the law, so they should not break it. It is the political border that was created to protect South Korea from any wars.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of NLL problems? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">No, it does not have to happen soon. I would like to see it as soon as possible, though. It has to happen slowly, because South Korea will lose a lot of things, especially money, if reunification starts. North Korea does not have anything, money or economy, other than military. It should happen very slowly, one by one.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Do you think reunification is something that has to happen now? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">North Korea, itself. Kim Il Sung’s idea to unify Korea with military caused problem. It is continued to these days. Korean men goes to military only for 2 years, but both men and women goes to military for 10 years in North Korea. They should change their goals to economy rather than military. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It was good idea to help North Koreans, as a same people. However, it was bad how everything did not go to actual citizens. They all went to the government, mostly to Kim Jung Il and Kim Jung Eun. Millions of people die from starving. They should change their govern system.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Who is responsible for the strong power of North Korea? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of 햇볓정책? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">We can’t stop them to come here. If they really hope to become South Korean, we have to let them in. However, we have to be very careful to know if they came because they really want to or if they came because they are spy that was sent by the North Korean government. They should have a strict system. Back before Kim Dae Jung became president, There were lots of news about about hundred spies getting caught in Korea. However, after KDJ and NMH’s presidency - those who liked North Korea - it is very rare to see those news about catching spies.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What do you think of North Koreans coming to South Korea to live here? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I don’t know when - probably long time after - but reunification will happen. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It is not assumable, but probably, South Korea will be stronger because we have the stronger economy.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What is the future of North and South Korea? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Is one gonna dominate another? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">No, I don’t think North Korea is going to start any wars around here, with South Korea, China, Russia, or Japan. Do you think all those weapons of North Korea is threathning? The world has developed through helping each other, even though there was some rivary between countries. Nothing will be solved thorugh war.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Now, Russia and China has less power on North Korea. Do you think that North Korea will start any wars by itself? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I think we should be more friendly to North Korea. Someone has to open their doors to reunify country friendly. However, we should not be so friendly.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kim Dae Jung and No Mu Hyun helped North Korea, but Lee Myung Bak was very offensive and sensitive to North Korea and Japan’s problems. New president is elected soon - amongst Park, Moon, or Ahn. Do you think they should be friendly or offensive to North Korea? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Thank you for this chance to answer these questions related to North Korea. War should be avoided. They should be gone from the Earth..
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Thank you for your answers, any more comments? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Now, 62 years have passed from the beginning of the Korean War. The Korean War was an event that “we” went through. Now, time has passed and most of the people who went through the war have passed away. There are people still alive, from the soldiers to normal citizens. However, many people that remembers the Korean War was 6-7 years old than. As time passes, there will be very rare numbers of people who experienced the war, and tell people about his or her experiences. The Korean War was very significant portion of our history. We cannot let the war be forgot.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Thank you. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">One of the ways to keep the memory is to interview and record them. By interviewing, the thoughts people who lived through the war can be passed on to next generations, as a record. This interview is very significant because number of interviews were taken. This means that there are numbers of point of views to hear it from.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Also, the interview itself has meaningful contents. Although historians, including us, have different views on the war, the people who lived through the war has another point of view. I thought that 6.25 War caused everyone to evacuate right away, like what happens in the movies. However, that was not what I heard from my grandmother. The first day she heard about the war, she did not see any chaos in her village. The war was different than what I knew.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">An interesting fact that I learnt from this interview is that my grandmother’s thoughts on the war and other countries are not so different from mine. I expected that she would hate North Korea a lot. Personally, I do not see North Korea as a friendly country, but South Korea has to be more open to North Korea. I expected her answer to be about South Korea dominating North Korea. Her answer was that she wants South Korea to be on a better position, but, she did not feel very offended about North Korea, now. She did not like what North Korea did back in 50’s, but she did not hate so much like other elders, criticizing them and calling them Red People (Bbal Gang Ee).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In addition to her thoughts on North Korea, it was interesting to know her opinion on previous left wing presidents, Kim Dae Jung and No Mu Hyun. Our family are supporting the right wing. I expected that she would criticize them for the Sunlight Policy, which was about sending money and foods to North Korea, and working as “Jong Buk”, which means that they were trying to help North Korea and make them stronger. In addition, No Mu Hyun’s dialogue with Kim Jung Il about how No Mu Hyun stopped U.S.A. from starting war with North Korea was out on public. I thought she would hate them, but her opinion was different. She said that the Sunlight Policy was good policy to help the North Korean citizens that were dying from starvation. She worried about Kim Jung Il taking over the food and money, but she said that the policy was fine.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In addition to her opinions and thoughts, it was interesting to know her experiences in the war. It made me understand more about the history. Before the interview, I thought everyone evacuated to Busan at the 6.25 war, and came back up at the cease fire treaty. However, she said that she did not go to the Busan Parameter until Il Sa Who Tae and she came back up to her home often. It was new fact learnt from the interview. Also, it was very depressing to know that she actually saw a bomb dropping on people and all corpses on the sidewalk. It was worse that what I knew.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The interview was very meaningful and I would like to do more of these interviews. My grandmother like the interview, too, because she had time to think about her memories. It was very informative interview that helped me to understand the war a lot better.