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I have welcomed Seollal, the great lunar New Year. It is not just "Lunar New Year" or "Old New Year"; it is a day to truly "celebrate" the Seol traditions, whereas the solar New Year’s Day is simply a public holiday for "resting." There is a difference between celebrating a tradition and merely resting from work. Since it is Seol, the KBS TV program Independent Film Theater aired a movie titled LArirang. For me, there were no new Seol clothes (Seolbim) and the house was quiet, so the holiday felt like it was barely there. My only joy was seeing my grandchildren through a video call, thinking of my children who are too busy to visit. LArirang is "LA + Arirang," with one 'A' removed. About 30 years ago, from July 10, 1995, to April 9, 2000, SBS aired a sitcom called LA Arirang. Back then, the LA we saw on screen was an object of longing, and many people harbored the "American Dream."
At the end of 1997, a painful event occurred. Because most companies kept double books and gave under-the-table money to politicians, foreign investors—claiming they could not trust corporate financial statements and that Korean companies might look shiny on the outside but be empty shells within—withdrew their capital. The term "window-dressing settlement" (accounting fraud) began to circulate. "Window-dressing" implies applying powder to a face to decorate it, meaning the natural face underneath is different. As foreign investors sold stocks and took out dollars in a short period, the available dollars ran out. The foreign exchange reserves dried up. While borrowing money from the IMF, South Korea had to accept strict international accounting standards. It was a massive task to remove the "bubble," as mutual investments between parent and subsidiary companies or consolidated investments among affiliates were merely imaginary numbers. We learned the word "restructuring" meant laying off many employees and selling off profitable assets first to pay back debts. To receive "guidance," we paid enormous amounts of money for consulting in English. Common people stepping forward with their gold jewelry to repay the national debt looked like women carrying stones in their aprons (Haengju-chima) during a siege.
Choi Chun-bae, a first-generation immigrant settled in LA, is a man who stubbornly adheres to Korean traditions that even people living in Korea no longer follow. He lives with his mother who has dementia, his hardworking wife, and his immature son. To celebrate Seol, his wife prepares a mountain of Korean food. As the head of the household, Choi Chun-bae is displeased with his wife’s suggestion to send his mother to a nursing home. His married daughter and son-in-law come to visit. The son-in-law, born and raised in America, speaks Korean at the level of a three-year-old. Choi is already annoyed that the son-in-law forgot to bring the Hanbok prepared for him, and when telling the son-in-law to sit, he simply says, "Sit!" Even I, whose English isn't great, do that. However, the son-in-law, rather than just understanding the intent, says he was flustered because that is a command used for dogs, and that one should say, "Have a seat." The father-in-law argues that the dictionary says "sit" means to sit, so what is wrong with it? He becomes prickly with resentment toward his blunt son-in-law. How dare he try to teach me!
Choi Chun-bae lectures his American-raised daughter and son-in-law, explaining that "Family" (Gajok) and "Table-companions" (Sikgu) are different. The son-in-law, clumsy with Korean, doesn't understand. Even as a Korean, I don't quite understand his explanation. Out of the blue, while explaining the difference, he claims that the married daughter is now a "stranger to the house" (Chul-ga-oe-in), while the daughter-in-law is "our family." The daughter is shocked, flustered, and then offended. Is this still an era where a daughter is considered a stranger once married? What is Gajok and what is Sikgu? Why treat a daughter and a daughter-in-law differently? It’s an old story. These days, I see "Vkki" on social media, and she corrects English expressions perfectly. I wonder why I’m only seeing this now. Because there was no place to teach or learn such things, I, too, have said many "Sit!"s in my time.
We live in an era where politics and economy are intertwined. Fortunately, our semiconductors, shipbuilding, and defense weapons are competitive, and while the automobile industry is sweating, it is keeping up. If we hadn't fumbled, the nuclear power industry would be soaring... It seems that since "Gangnam Style," our culture, cosmetics, and food have gained attention and influenced one another. What kind of country is "Palli-Palli" (hurry-hurry) Korea? Aren't we caught in a pincer attack between Japan, which is strong in the core materials, parts, and equipment of manufacturing, and China, which invested in the future—AI, robots, and batteries? It is one mountain after another.
They say when environments and cultures differ, one must follow the laws of Rome when in Rome. That is a given. Having traveled from this country to that, I get confused. Everyone lives according to their own way. Lifestyles and expressions are the products of wisdom refined to fit their environment. So, how can there be superiority or inferiority in culture? Our way is not the only "best" way; everyone’s own way is their best. While Gajok—the legal relationship of blood, marriage, and adoption—is important, the "neighbor-cousin" who helps and eats together as Sikgu (table-companions) is even more important and necessary. On this Seol, I think of my family, but I am also grateful for the Sikgu—the people I actually meet and share a meal with. / kieejo@naver.com
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