- Oct 3, 2018
- 2,774
1998.01.28
While much of Europe and Asia had placed heavy emphasis on their New Years celebrations, South Koreans had largely spent the celebrations with their friends on the beachfront enjoying chicken and beer as they sat on the banks of the Han River. The warm chicken staving off the cold winds that whirled around at night across the capital. Across Korea, many took evening as an opportunity to meet friends and grab a meal and catch up on the latest on their important days. For Koreans however, Seolla was the big event of the year. Troops deployed along the DMZ were given special leaves to return home to help their parents with the preparations for the holiday festives and rituals. While office workers took their remaining leave days ahead of January 28 to help with the preparations for the holidays. The vast majority of the stress and hard labor was borne onto the wives and daughter-in-laws of the family as they spent much of the week preceding the New Years preparing traditional foods and for hosting the large amounts of people coming home.
The newly complete national transportation project made the 1998 New Years much more easier for many families along the Seoul-Busan corridor. Driving to their countryside homes, many people would leave the bigger cities where they worked to visit their parents and grandparents, but also the graveyards of where their families were located. The holiday festive were much more enjoyable for kids as they were given new Hanboks and of course...money. The smell of fresh 10 man-won and if generous the 50 man-won. The Bank of Korea had anticipated these changes and had in the past week restocked the supply of new banknotes for the holiday traditions ensuring that there was an adequate supply of new bills for exchange and usage. Although, issues would still come up regardless as they always do.
For the diplomatic community in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would deliver small parcels with Korean traditional rice-cake soup, a letter of good wishes and hopes for the new year, and a message from the Minister thanking them and their staff for their continued work and service in improving the cooperation between our countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its part would largely also be empty, with a few staff on-site for emergency matters. The Korean Military would still field a large number of troops across the D.M.Z. while a number of troops were given special leaves to return home for the occasion, most of the army and navy would be on the frontlines. The Ministry of National Defense would undertake a large logistical mission supplying large quantities of pigs, Korean beef, and traditional menu for the holidays as troops stayed alert on the frontlines. It was unfortunate times, but the national duty to the country had filled the unease amongst troops knowing very well what could happen if the North attempted to strike against the country.
Across the country, people did shopping..often very last minute, as they prepared the ingredients their parents and grandparents had enjoyed and liked, and bringing gifts home as they left the big cities and department stores and went to their smaller hometowns. Returning home, they would spend the two days before the New Years getting all their clothes cleaned and ready as the eldest member of the family welcomed back their family members from across the country. Bringing with them gifts and other treasures for the young ones, the elders sat around tables playing card games and traditional Yut...always ending up in arguments over rules and who was winning. The kids in the backyards playing Jeegichagi. They would all gather inside to offer their prayers and bow to their deceased relatives leaving plates of food in-front of the table in offerings to them. Then, each of the children would bow to their grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles receiving money in their silk pouches and warm embraces as the kids excited to spend their money on candy and gifts excitedly jumped around. All the siblings and grandparents smiling in the joy of their children. They would after the family bowed and prayed for their ancestors (Charye), they would go and eat traditional rice-cake sliced soups, dumpling soup, Korean pancakes, meat, and special regional dishes. They would turn on their TVs and watch some family shows and comedies.
At the Blue House, the President and his Wife would do their Lunar New Year address before going to President Kim's family home and join in on the family rites and prayers. Praying for a stronger Korea in the new year and hoping for a strong Korea and praying for the reunification of the Peninsula. He would move away from politics as he smiled and enjoyed the time with his children and his siblings.
Fellow Koreans,
Your hearts must have already arrived in your hometowns, haven’t they? I can imagine how kind-hearted people will be on Lunar New Year’s Day, wishing each other well and pressing families and friends to have just one more helping of tteokguk. The Lunar New Years reminds us of our ancestral rites and values, kindness, consideration, and love for one another, and I hope it will allow us to connect as neighbors, communities, and as a nation and to grow happier throughout this year. Joyous holidays start with the long preparations by our parents, but are justified by the happiness of our children. In 1997 we struggled a lot. Yet, just as every struggle we have faced, we have overcome it. The Government will do its part with care so that the public can enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday.
I wish you a warm, cheerful Lunar New Year’s holiday.
As evening set on Korea, diplomats who were around the city and foreigners not accustomed to the Korean New Years would see a spectacle of Korean culture and display of arts. Throughout the day parades and shows were put on by cultural groups and ordinary citizens as they celebrated the new years. In the cities, these festive events would attract crowds and offer deeper beauty to the Korean culture and new years. The day would continue as the cities grew quieter as people had stayed at home with friends and family. For some, there was no family to return too, or work had been demanding enough to keep them. Yet, they would still enioy the evening, after sending their money to their parents with good wishes, they would go to the bars to relax with friends. Some would go to the Han River splitting Seoul, and sit on its banks as they waited for the fire work show. The bigger spectacle compared to the Gregorian New Years, they would smile and laugh in this time of communal realignment. Some would make wishes for the New Years, and others would simply watch in silence as the dust moved across the sky from the fireworks and the New Years set in. Teenagers born in 1978 would be most excited, going into convenience stores and finally being able to get drinks on their own. The high schoolers now graduates would grab soju bottles and maekju cans as they sat outside the convenience stores and opened them savoring their drinks, for soju is sweet as long as our lives are bitter. Another year had closed on Korea, and in the cities, people reflected quietly on their future. Hoping for a better life tomorrow, to make more money, to live comfortably. This was all one could ask for. Thankful for their healthy lives, the destines would continue late into the evening as people attended parties with people who like them had no where else to go. Watching recorded baseball games and sports matches.
While much of Europe and Asia had placed heavy emphasis on their New Years celebrations, South Koreans had largely spent the celebrations with their friends on the beachfront enjoying chicken and beer as they sat on the banks of the Han River. The warm chicken staving off the cold winds that whirled around at night across the capital. Across Korea, many took evening as an opportunity to meet friends and grab a meal and catch up on the latest on their important days. For Koreans however, Seolla was the big event of the year. Troops deployed along the DMZ were given special leaves to return home to help their parents with the preparations for the holiday festives and rituals. While office workers took their remaining leave days ahead of January 28 to help with the preparations for the holidays. The vast majority of the stress and hard labor was borne onto the wives and daughter-in-laws of the family as they spent much of the week preceding the New Years preparing traditional foods and for hosting the large amounts of people coming home.
The newly complete national transportation project made the 1998 New Years much more easier for many families along the Seoul-Busan corridor. Driving to their countryside homes, many people would leave the bigger cities where they worked to visit their parents and grandparents, but also the graveyards of where their families were located. The holiday festive were much more enjoyable for kids as they were given new Hanboks and of course...money. The smell of fresh 10 man-won and if generous the 50 man-won. The Bank of Korea had anticipated these changes and had in the past week restocked the supply of new banknotes for the holiday traditions ensuring that there was an adequate supply of new bills for exchange and usage. Although, issues would still come up regardless as they always do.
For the diplomatic community in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would deliver small parcels with Korean traditional rice-cake soup, a letter of good wishes and hopes for the new year, and a message from the Minister thanking them and their staff for their continued work and service in improving the cooperation between our countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its part would largely also be empty, with a few staff on-site for emergency matters. The Korean Military would still field a large number of troops across the D.M.Z. while a number of troops were given special leaves to return home for the occasion, most of the army and navy would be on the frontlines. The Ministry of National Defense would undertake a large logistical mission supplying large quantities of pigs, Korean beef, and traditional menu for the holidays as troops stayed alert on the frontlines. It was unfortunate times, but the national duty to the country had filled the unease amongst troops knowing very well what could happen if the North attempted to strike against the country.
Across the country, people did shopping..often very last minute, as they prepared the ingredients their parents and grandparents had enjoyed and liked, and bringing gifts home as they left the big cities and department stores and went to their smaller hometowns. Returning home, they would spend the two days before the New Years getting all their clothes cleaned and ready as the eldest member of the family welcomed back their family members from across the country. Bringing with them gifts and other treasures for the young ones, the elders sat around tables playing card games and traditional Yut...always ending up in arguments over rules and who was winning. The kids in the backyards playing Jeegichagi. They would all gather inside to offer their prayers and bow to their deceased relatives leaving plates of food in-front of the table in offerings to them. Then, each of the children would bow to their grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles receiving money in their silk pouches and warm embraces as the kids excited to spend their money on candy and gifts excitedly jumped around. All the siblings and grandparents smiling in the joy of their children. They would after the family bowed and prayed for their ancestors (Charye), they would go and eat traditional rice-cake sliced soups, dumpling soup, Korean pancakes, meat, and special regional dishes. They would turn on their TVs and watch some family shows and comedies.
At the Blue House, the President and his Wife would do their Lunar New Year address before going to President Kim's family home and join in on the family rites and prayers. Praying for a stronger Korea in the new year and hoping for a strong Korea and praying for the reunification of the Peninsula. He would move away from politics as he smiled and enjoyed the time with his children and his siblings.
Fellow Koreans,
Your hearts must have already arrived in your hometowns, haven’t they? I can imagine how kind-hearted people will be on Lunar New Year’s Day, wishing each other well and pressing families and friends to have just one more helping of tteokguk. The Lunar New Years reminds us of our ancestral rites and values, kindness, consideration, and love for one another, and I hope it will allow us to connect as neighbors, communities, and as a nation and to grow happier throughout this year. Joyous holidays start with the long preparations by our parents, but are justified by the happiness of our children. In 1997 we struggled a lot. Yet, just as every struggle we have faced, we have overcome it. The Government will do its part with care so that the public can enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday.
I wish you a warm, cheerful Lunar New Year’s holiday.
As evening set on Korea, diplomats who were around the city and foreigners not accustomed to the Korean New Years would see a spectacle of Korean culture and display of arts. Throughout the day parades and shows were put on by cultural groups and ordinary citizens as they celebrated the new years. In the cities, these festive events would attract crowds and offer deeper beauty to the Korean culture and new years. The day would continue as the cities grew quieter as people had stayed at home with friends and family. For some, there was no family to return too, or work had been demanding enough to keep them. Yet, they would still enioy the evening, after sending their money to their parents with good wishes, they would go to the bars to relax with friends. Some would go to the Han River splitting Seoul, and sit on its banks as they waited for the fire work show. The bigger spectacle compared to the Gregorian New Years, they would smile and laugh in this time of communal realignment. Some would make wishes for the New Years, and others would simply watch in silence as the dust moved across the sky from the fireworks and the New Years set in. Teenagers born in 1978 would be most excited, going into convenience stores and finally being able to get drinks on their own. The high schoolers now graduates would grab soju bottles and maekju cans as they sat outside the convenience stores and opened them savoring their drinks, for soju is sweet as long as our lives are bitter. Another year had closed on Korea, and in the cities, people reflected quietly on their future. Hoping for a better life tomorrow, to make more money, to live comfortably. This was all one could ask for. Thankful for their healthy lives, the destines would continue late into the evening as people attended parties with people who like them had no where else to go. Watching recorded baseball games and sports matches.
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