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"Who am I?"
If someone asked this question to everyone in this world, there must be a lot of answers. Some people answer their name, and others answer some words which are symbolized them. However, there is a common point to every answer. The answers are from some meaningful experience that made people to think about who they are.
I also have an experience about my identity. When I was young, I couldn’t understand why people emphasized patriotism. I thought nation is not very important concept just division areas.
However, my thought was changed when I went to New Zealand for school representative in a month. I studied with kiwies(The friends who were born in New Zealand). One day, I took a Japanese class. Suddenly, she told us about the falling of atomic bombs in Japan. The teacher said it's the biggest historical tragedy of Japan, so she would never forget about it. She insisted that Japan was the victims of World War II. The class was silent and they felt sadness about Japanese victims except me. How can she tell Japanese were only the victims of World War II? How about their brutality to many Asian countries? I revoked and felt that I should tell the truth because I am KOREAN. The strong feeling touched me very deeply. I raised my hands and asked a question to her very calmly.
"Mrs. Sakata, for what did American drop atomic bombs in Japan?"
At the moment, the class had some trembling with surprise. However, she didn't answer why Americans did it. She just repeated Japan is victim of World War II. Therefore, I thought I needed to tell the truth to these friends with blond hair and blue eyes who might not know about the suffering of another Asian people in World War II forever. Even though my English was not so good, at that time, it was really easy to tell the story about my ancestors and other Asian countries’ suffering very clearly. Friends listened to my story carefully and after my story, they clapped their hands to my braveness. Then, I found my country, my nation was important for me. Korea was my identity. It was a part of me and I was a part of it.
After my journey of New Zealand, I always said and wrote who am I ‘I am Korean.’ Korea is my proud and my identity. It was not the division area but the special parts in the world for me. My sources and my roots are from my country. Therefore, even though I will study in abroad and live in other countries, I will never forget Korea and call it from inside of my heart ‘KOREA’.
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