My first time in Korea

By Adam Borowski

I've never been to South Korea. And yet, here I am ― writing an article for The Korea Times. Strange, I know. How are South Koreans seen in Poland? As a hard-working, economically developed, highly intelligent people. Oh, and how could I forget Gangnam style? I worked in China, and it's my impression many Chinese people believe hierarchy and seniority are more important in Korea. It's also shameful to admit the Polish smog is sometimes worse than what I went through in China.

Then, there's the North. Poland took in 2,000 North Korean orphans during the Korean War. Apparently, Russian served as the lingua franca of North Korean-Polish relations. I came across a sizeable Korean population in the Vancouver area. Intrigued, I read up on the Korean Peninsula history. Parallels can be drawn between Polish and Korean history. Japanese occupation, Koreans forced to speak Japanese, adopt Japanese names. These points mirror the Germanization and Russification policy in Poland. Poland was partitioned by Austria, Prussia, and Russia ― for 123 years.

The country was reborn in 1918. The government had to unify railway systems, currency and the language. Poland couldn't catch a break. In September 1939, Poland was wiped off the map by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Twisted Nazi ideologues recognized a substantial Aryan (the Nordic ideal, as the Nazis called it) presence in Poland.

The Lebensborn program targeted racially desirable Polish children, abducting them to the German Reich. The children were given German names, adopted by German couples, speaking Polish was forbidden. Many Germanized children went through an identity crisis after the War. What happened to the children deemed “non-Aryan”? A gruesome death ― phenol injection into the heart. The Rising Sun flag evokes powerful emotions in Koreans ― Poles know exactly how it feels to be the target of another country's imperial ambitions. A Pyrrhic Polish victory in the Second World War turned the country into a Soviet Union satellite state. Stalin rejected the Marshall Plan aid for Poland.

To this day, many Poles feel betrayed by the U.S. for “selling Poland to the Soviets.” Polish elites were decimated by the Nazi and Soviet regimes. The Mayor of Warsaw said in September 1939 “I wanted Warsaw to be majestic.” Sadly, he didn't survive the War, and Warsaw was literally burned to the ground in 1944. The Polish national psyche has been irreversibly altered.

While Korea is steeped in Confucianism, where you have two Poles, you'll have three opinions. Personally, I firmly believe Polish society could use less pointless philosophizing. As Koreas work tirelessly on the Unification, Poland is divided, mired in the past. The Gdansk mayor was recently stabbed onstage during a major charity event. Dwelling on the past fuels the collective victim mentality. Dredging up old demons is the political sleight of hand, with demagogues skirting pressing national issues.

On a lighter note, South Korea is replete with folklore, myths and legends. As an aficionado of all things mysterious, I look forward to my South Korean exploratory journey, and meeting fellow Korea Times contributors. Who knows, I might even venture to the North someday, although I don't think they'd like my American-accented English.

Adam Borowski (adam.borowski1985@gmail.com) teaches business English to students at all levels of advancement. His short novel can be found at: https://existentialtableau.wordpress.com/2018/01/14/existential-tableau/