ALL INDIA 8TH KOREA-INDIA FRIENDSHIP ESSAY COMPETITION

School name: Mount Carmel School

School Address: Anand Niketan - New Delhi
Student name: Nguyen Cam Tu
Class: XII-D
Father’s Name: Nguyen Hong Son
Contact number (Whatsapp): 8448509443 (Father)
Email of student: nguyencamtu0210@gmail.com

How South Korea Inspired Me

I first became aware of South Korea after listening to the song “Seoul” by RM (BTS). There was
just something special about it, from the lyrics to the tone, that gave me a small feeling of
attachment. I made a call to one of my Korean friends after that - Bada Kim, who agreed to
share a bit about her country. We met after a day in school.

Sitting on a bench, with “Seoul” on speakers, we started daydreaming about the song, and let
our soul soar deep into the wind and fly away to the land. A land called “South Korea” 

“This city’s harmony

It’s so familiar to me” 

To be honest I absolutely had no idea what South Korea looked like as a place to visit. But
through her, I got to know, it’s a place where everyday is a new chapter in one’s life. It’s where
the Han river is beaded with light when the night comes. It’s a place where tasty street food like
Bibimbap, Spicy Noodles, and Tokbokki are sold for the children after school. It’s quiet and
peaceful, the air is fresh and gives you great energy after waking up. 

Yet the book is so much better than its cover. The most amazing thing that made me fully
appreciate the country, is the Korean respectful culture for adults. In normal communication,
Koreans often greet each other by leaning slightly against the vertical axis and gently nodding, a
greeting a bit similar to that of the Japanese. But for the elders, or those with high status in
society, Koreans often show respect by standing with both feet together, bowing at a 45 degree
angle, hands clasped and pressed close to the body. The action somehow speaks for the
obeisance of Korean. 

“My friend often say that they will leave, 

I’m nodding but I can smile
I already love the fumes and the nastiness
Love the fishy smell of Cheonggyecheon
Love the lonesomeness of Seonyudo”

I asked Bada whether she missed Korea or not. Unsurprisingly, she said yes, but the thing she
missed is not just the Jeju Islands, the Gyeongbokgung Palace or the Moeng-dong market, but
also how the streets light up at night, where tourists explore the city. Prosperity in Korea is also
a thing that took my concern. They have Samsung, Kakaotalk that are used widely all over the
world. Also, you may notice that the cosmetics industry  in Korea are what people are looking
for these days for their popularity as well as extraodiness. People say if you love something, you
will love everything related to it. And that’s all to express my love for Korea. 

“If love and hate are the same words

I love you Seoul
If love and hate are the same words
I hate you Seoul” 

Our conversation got interrupted when the song reached this part. And yes, South Korea after
all still has a lot of things to be sad like any place in the world such as environmental problems,
women’s rights, etc. But Koreans still day by day try to work hard for themselves, for the better
of their country. I told her that everywhere is the same, we always have to look at the good
things to develop. 

We ended our conversation, andI felt like I’ve changed so much in such a short time. I started
making friends with more Korean, started joining programs related to Korea inside and outside
school. I signed up for Korean language class, got to know more about this country and in 2018,
I successfully organized a “Korean Country Week” with friends in my school. I love to talk about
Korea, love to talk in (broken) language. And I started loving this country, more than anything
ever inspired me before. 

“Seoul, Seoul…
Why do you sound like ‘soul’”