A Small View of a Book and Changing Korea
Authors: James R.
Lint, Dr. Anna H. Lint
Recently I wrote a travel book about Seoul, South Korea.
Many ask, why write a travel book on a faraway place. I have lived in Korea for
seven years. My wife, Dr. Anna Hyonjoo Lint is from Korea. We are both authors
and we have different perspectives from living and serving in Korea. One traveled with multiple tours of duty from
1987 to 2015, (2 military active duty tours plus 5 years of civilian service).
The other is a native of Korea with a Master’s Degree in Korea, and a Master’s
and PhD in USA. Both currently are professors in USA, and semi-retired living
in Las Vegas, USA.
This book is written after our last visit in October 2015. The
trip I took in 2015 was the first time I have paid for travel to Korea. Uncle
Sam has always footed the bill in the past.
Between the two of us, we have 47 trips going between USA and Korea.
This was my eighth round trip with Dr. Anna having almost double the number of
trips, with her start in 1983 and my first trip was in 1987. It is hard not to
learn from travel in this amount. This has broadened our minds and experience.
Both of us have also traveled to other countries in Asia, Europe, and Central America.
The dynamics of being a soldier and civilian in Korea for
seven years scattered over a 28-year period were interesting and that is
something unique we bring to this story. Life is seen differently from the
where you are standing. Dr. Anna, growing up and living in Korea for 40 years
sees Korea differently than I do, just as she has seen USA differently. These
are some of the dynamics we bring to sharing a view of Korea that may be
different.
The times changed is a slogan. In Korea they really do. There were great shopping opportunities in
Korea. Food is well priced, if you are eating Korean cuisine. If you are eating
foreign food, it gets more expensive, just like eating exotic food in USA is
costlier. American food is called foreign food in Korea.
I have been an unaccompanied married soldier, a single
soldier, a single civilian, and a married civilian. Married to a Korean in Korea is very
different. It does not matter if I was the best Korean linguist, if I am with
my Korean wife out in town ordering food…no one wants to talk to me. The order takers at the restaurants
completely ignore me and ask my wife what I would like to eat. It is humorous… after you get used to it.
Korea has a truly an amazing story of going from no two-story
buildings in Seoul in 1953, to a city of few buildings that are not high rise
skyscrapers in the capital city of Seoul in 2015. Seoul is a city of 11 million
plus people. New York City is a small
town of 7 million people. Real estate is very expensive in Seoul. There are some places with expensive real
estate in New York City. Most living quarters of a small US sized apartment or
condominium is extremely expensive in Seoul.
According to the Ministry of Government Administration and
Home Affairs, as of July 2015, the total population of Korea is 51,448,183,
ranking 26th globally by country. Out of the total population, roughly 20% live
in Seoul, the capital city of Korea. Other large and economically advanced
cities such as Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju and Ulsan have higher
population densities than other cities besides Seoul in Korea. [Data credit:
Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affaires (Korean, English)]
During my tour of duty in 1997, I had
shoulder surgery on my rotator cuff. Those that remember or were M*A*S*H television
fans will remember their higher headquarters was in the 121 Army Medical
Hospital. That was located in Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, Korea. That is
where I did my surgery and I did not see Hawkeye or Hot Lips in attendance. Being a single guy, with no family, living in
a foreign country, it is different going in for surgery. Being a tough guy, who
does now want to bother my fellow soldiers with my problems or issues can be
dumb. I was in the hospital long enough
so the meds would not interfere with driving and I was allowed to drive home. I
drove to my apartment with my right arm in a sling. Did I forget to mention the
apartment was on a hill, and my car was an automatic transmission…on the column
and I had to parallel park? This means
that on the right side of the steering wheel was a gear shift column. So, I
tried to parallel park using only my left arm. (I do not parallel park well
with both arms and a fit body.) It was an adventure. The small fairly new moped
in the next parking area was knocked over. Mirrors broken and moped
scratched. Lucky for me, I knew my
neighbors before I made any problems, and no one was mad. I compensated the
owner and he gave me a get well gift.
In 1998, I was a Defense Contractor in
the Washington, DC area working to support of an Army Headquarters, (INSCOM). They were sending a five-person team to Korea
to conduct an inspection of a unit in Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek (평택), South Korea. I had more experience
in Korea than the others who had more experience in Germany. I went over as the
advance team a few days early. An interesting point of this trip was during my
flight over, I missed my 40th birthday due to travel from
Washington, DC to Kimpo (Gimpo, 김포) Airport in Seoul and over the International Date Line. I
claimed that I never turned 40 years old. My Korean friends did have a great
party for me when I arrived.
For those who studied or did time in Korea, there are three
major time periods observed during US-Korean foreign relations. The Korean War 1950-53, Armistice pre-1988
Seoul Olympics, and post Olympics Armistice, after the 1988 Olympics. I am too
young for the Korean War, and many of those personnel are rapidly marching to
the final parade. I was there in 1987 for my first one-year tour. I heard much
about the 1970s and other good days for the Americans stationed in Korea. Just as in Germany in the old days, a former
broken country after war takes time to grow. Korea is truly an amazing story of
going from no two story buildings in Seoul in 1953, to few buildings that are
not high rise skyscrapers in 2015.
See the book
Co-Authored with Dr. Anna Lint, “8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel
Perspective of Seoul, Korea.” Multiple perspectives of Korea from both
Americans and Koreans. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BAEVN7I All proceeds go to scholarships at
Lint Center for National Security Studies charity.
First
book: “Leadership and Management Lessons Learned'
A
Book of Management Vignettes.” See http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G04EG1E
ALL
proceeds will go to charity.
FEB 2016 Became an Associate Member of the Military Writers Guild
About the
Author: James Lint recently retired as the civilian director for
intelligence and security, G2, U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. He
is an adjunct professor at AMU. Additionally, he started the Lint Center for National Security Studies,
a nonprofit
charity that
recently awarded the 38th scholarship for national security students and
professionals. He has 38 years of experience in military intelligence within
the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, contractor, and civil service. He was elected
as the 2015 national vice president for the Military Intelligence Corps
Association. He has served in the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis and
at the Department of Energy S&S Security Office. He started his active
military career in the Marine Corps for seven years and also served 14 years in
the Army. His military assignments include South Korea, Germany, and Cuba in
addition to numerous CONUS locations. He has authored a book published in 2013,
Leadership and Management Lessons
Learned and a new book “8
Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea.”
