Korean War vet and pianist Bernstein revisits Korea

Seymour Bernstein

By Jun Ji-hye

Seymour Bernstein, a world-renowned pianist and a Korean War veteran, will visit Korea with his former comrades, Thursday.

The American pianist, 89, is among 70 visitors that include former U.S. soldiers who fought in the Korean War (1950-53) and their relatives as well as Korean veterans living overseas.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs invited them for a visit until Tuesday.

Bernstein, a New Jersey native, joined the U.S. Army in December 1950 at the age of 23 and was dispatched to Korea after completing his 14-week training.

He arrived by ship in Incheon in April 1951 and served in the war as a private first class infantryman belonging to the 8th U.S. Army until he was discharged in November 1952.

His special mission was performing at military camps to boost the morale of the troops.

“Bernstein served in the war both with arms and a piano,” the ministry said in a release. “He performed around 100 concerts for the frontline units.”

Recalling his war memories, Bernstein said in an email interview with the ministry, “Performances for the frontline units took place by placing an upright piano at the foot of hills, and soldiers sat on the slope of the hills.”

He also said the Air Force flew over the hills and protected them in case shells were directed to their location.

“Violinist Kenneth Gordon, who was also a soldier, and I performed on a hospital ship for wounded soldiers who were terminal patients,” he said.

Bernstein then returned to Korea in 1960 under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department to give concerts, lessons and lectures here. But all plans were canceled following the April 19 Revolution, the pro-democracy civil uprising that led to the ousting of Syngman Rhee, the nation’s first president.

At the time, Bernstein received permission from then-U.S. Ambassador to Korea Walter P. McConoughy to perform in the wards of Seoul National University Hospital for wounded students to demonstrate that the U.S. was on their side.

“International reporters picked up the story and I was videotaped internationally performing for the wounded students,” he said.

Bernstein was the subject of the documentary “Seymour: An Introduction,” directed by actor Ethan Hawke and released in 2014. Hawke described Bernstein as a mentor.

During his stay, he will visit the truce village of Panmunjeom as well as the Seoul National Cemetery with other visitors.

He will hold a press conference at Hotel Grand Ambassador Seoul Friday, and give a concert at a banquet dinner party Monday arranged for the war veterans by Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Sung-choon.