Breakout of the Korean Civil War
The Korean Civil War is one of the biggest wars in Korea’s history. On the 25th of June of 1950, North Korean forces waged war on the South Korea. In order to prevent further advancement by North Korean troops, South Korean soldiers along with United Nations forces broke into the North Korean defenses. However, Russia and China, both countries supporting N. Korea at that time, were able to drive their forces into S. Korean territory. (Korean War) During the fighting, Koh Sung Kun was living in Pyongyang which is now the capital of N. Korea. Before the war had started, his family was constantly being targeted by the communists. The communists didn’t like wealthy families, families with soldiers, families with college degrees, and anyone who was smart enough to be able to stage a revolt. Living under the pressure that his family was always being watched, he went to school and lead a quiet life until the war broke out. Now they had to move out because they in danger from the advancing communists. It was only a matter of time before Pyongyang was to be taken over by the North Korean troops.
As S. Korean troops kept getting pushed back, the civilians moved to the Southern tip of the country. Koh Sung Kun and his family moved to Busan, a small island off the Southern coast of Korea. During the move, he lost seven siblings through starvation and sheer exhaustion and a lot of his wealth. The move was painstakingly tough. When he was being forced out the city, his family rode in the back of an army truck full of S. Korean troops. Not being able to accommodate the family anymore, they were dropped off on the barren streets, expecting to somehow find a way to S. Korea. Luckily, they found an abandoned army truck on the side of the road and his older brother was able to fix it. That was the truck that led Sung Kun and his weakened family to Busan. Because of the war, Daegwang high school was moved from Seoul to Busan and it was set up temporarily for students that had moved from other cities. In Daegwang high school, He was able to pursue his dream of becoming a chemist and hopefully, being able to study in the United States. It was in Daegwang high school where he learnt to study hard. If the war had never broken out, the communist parties probably would’ve destroyed his family like many wealthy families back in the day. Daegwang high school would have never moved to Busan as well. (Koh Soo Joung. 15 Jan. 2014) |
South Korean refugees escaping from the advancing North Korean troops. This is the condition in which Koh Sung Kun would have traveled with his family from Pyongyang to Busan.
Source: Cjthanley. "South Korean Refugees Mid-1950". Photograph. Wikipedia. Korean War, 28 March 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2014 |