HANGUK: A Semi-Sacred Element in Korean Culture! Respecting the Spirit of Koreans!

Like so many of our prejudiced views of the people of the world one of the post-WWII images of Korea was originally associated with a single word. In this case, “Gook,” a corruption of the Korean word Hanguk (Hahn-guuk), which means “Korean Nation.”   Somehow, during the the Korean War [1950-1953] American GI’s shortened Hanguk into “Gook,” first as an easy-to-remember and pronounce epithet for Koreans, and finally as a derogatory term that came to be used to express a growing dislike and contempt for Koreans.   The derogatory use of the term “Gook” quickly made its way to the American occupation forces still in Japan, where it was indiscriminately applied to the Japanese and Chinese as well—and for the next two or three decades helped to create a false and misleading image of Koreans, Japanese and Chinese among many Americans…and image that contributed to them being underestimated by American business as well as government leaders.   The point of this odd introduction to the term Hanguk is to once again emphasize how powerful a single word can be in the mindset and behavior of a people. To Koreans Hanguk is a semi-sacred phrase that incorporates their incredibly powerful feelings for their country and their national identity.   The last line in the Korean national anthem, Ae Guk Ga (Aye Guuk Gah), literally “Love Country Song” [written in 1896], does more to explain the pride and passion that North and South Koreans have in their nations than anything else I can think of.   It goes like this:   “Let us love, come grief, come gladness, this, our beloved land!”   But to fully appreciate the passion and pride that all Koreans have traditionally had in their land you have to be a Korean—you have to know its history; its glories, its tragedies…especially its tragedies.   Over the past two and a half millennia the Korean Peninsula has been invaded and occupied by the Chinese, the Mongols and the Japanese, and when they were not fighting outsiders they were savaged by internal regional conflicts—and yet, despite these travails, Korean culture produced some of the world’s greatest works of art, created masterpieces of poetry and made technical advances (including movable type for printing!) far earlier than any other people.   Another reason for the pride Koreans take in their nation is the natural beauty of the peninsula. The native religion of the Koreans, like that of the Japanese Ainu and American Indians, included the belief that they were a part of nature, and that recognizing and respecting the beauty of nature was a key part of their being.   In the 1990s the government of South Korea passed some of the most farsighted legislation in the world to expand and protect its forests and parks and the ambiance of its cities by making large set-backs and greenery mandatory for new buildings.   Knowing the way Koreans feel about their country and fully respecting their feelings, can be a major asset for foreigners visiting and living in Korea.   Much of this benefit comes from indicating knowledge and interest in Korean culture.   Establishing good, cooperative relationships with Koreans, and sustaining them, begins and ends with understanding and reacting effectively to the way they think and behave.   One of the first cultural elements in the character of Koreans that is essential for foreigners to learn and deal with is that individually they are not passive and reticent like the Japanese, or group-dependent like the Japanese. They are independent and volatile, and do not back down in a dispute or back away from a fight.   Copyright © 2009 by Boyé Lafayette De Mente ____________________ Boyé Lafayette De Mente is a graduate of Jōchi University in Tokyo and Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. He is the author of more than 50 books on the business practices, cultures and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico. For a list and synopses of his books go to: www.boyedemente.com .

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading HANGUK: A Semi-Sacred Element in Korean Culture! Respecting the Spirit of Koreans!.