No.202-3

"You've been studying Korean for two years. It's about time for a field exercise." So, following Ms. Kim's suggestion, members of the Korean Class started preparations for their visit to Korea. "Make full use of the occasion to speak Korean and get in touch with the country and the people. For that purpose you will divide into teams of three or four people. Each team should make its own schedule, decide where to go, what theater to visit, etc. You should use public transport, like subways, buses, and trains." We would all be having Korean food for dinner on the first day, and grilled beef on the second day. Although there were some people who had to cancel the trip because of urgent business, a total of 15 people, including Ms. Kim and two non-student members, departed from Narita Airport on October 17th for the three-day trip. At Incheon International Airport, Ms. Kim rented out cellular phones for us to contact each other. We named the four teams Mugunfa, Tokki, Chingu and Agidoeji (shag, rabbit, friend, and big eater) before taking to the streets from Seoul Royal Hotel in Myongdong where we were staying.

From left; Chief Secretary Kim and our teacher
Ms. Kim, Far right in the front rank; Ms Shin

Visit to Korean National Federation of UNESCO Clubs &Associations One of the assignments given by Ms. Kim was to visit our acquaintances. My team, Mugunfa, chose to visit the Korean National Federation of UNESCO Clubs & Associations, just a three-minute walk from our hotel. It was a magnificent building with a few of its floors used by UNESCO-related organizations. Ms Shin, of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, introduced us to the Korean National Federation of UNESCO Clubs & Associations. Unfortunately, Director-General Mr. Jeong had just stepped out, but we could meet Chief Secretary Ms. Kim in charge of business/administration. I said "Gapjagi waseo joisonghamnida" ("Hello. Sorry we walked in without an appointment."), reading from sentences I had scribbled down on a skyliner. I wondered, "Did I make myself understood?" Leaving that question aside, I went on to say, "The purpose of our visit is to present our newsletter, Shortnews (Japanese and English versions) as a sign of goodwill on behalf of Meguro UNESCO Association. There are many Korean people in our organization in Japan. Our president, Ms Kato, asked me to convey her respects." I spoke all the more earnestly because members of Meguro UNESCO Association, including President Kato and directors, had supported this trip. The Chief Secretary seemed to understand me somehow and replied with an explanation of the structure and activities of their organization. She was easy to understand because our teacher Ms. Kim was translating her speech. She said that there were 16 local associations in Korea including one for the Seoul area, and that they were holding exhibitions of photos of cultural and natural assets at various places. Our visit ended successfully.
A Grand Dinner We took a cable car up to the Seoul Tower, where we all had Korean dinner at a restaurant where Ms. Kim had reserved a table. We enjoyed good but inexpensive food. Mr. Yamanouchi, Ms. Minami Kawahara and Prof. Ree joined us. Mr. Yamanouchi appears on TV with Ms. Kim, who is an instructor of a Korean language class broadcast by NHK. Ms. Minami Kawahara also used to appear on the program. Both of them had been members of the Korean Class until the beginning of the year. They are studying at the Korean Language Institute of Yonsei University now. Prof. Ree is an acquaintance of Mr. Asano, one of the tour members, and teaches at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. We had really good time together with such wonderful people.
Delightful Sightseeing On the second day, the members of the Mugunfa team took the 'Mugunfa Super Express' from Seoul Station to Suwon. We visited Hwasong Fortress (a world cultural heritage) and the Korean Folk Village. On the third day, we went to Deoksukung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace and other sights in Seoul. We bought souvenirs at Namdaemun Market. I was thrilled to hear the familiar railroad station names of Chongno and Dongdoemun, which I had known from a textbook. Members of the other teams also went through great experiences. Some people went to see a nanta, a Korean musical performance, and traditional performing arts in theaters. Some went to a casino and bought souvenirs from their winnings. Some had a terrible night driving experience when told to pull over by guards around the Unification Observatory. I also had a strange experience when I found that there was no city bus schedule in the town of Suwon, and that a bus would not stop unless you signal. We returned to Seoul from the Korean Folk Village by express bus. It was supposed to take one and a half hours but actually took two and a half hours due to a traffic jam. The fare was amazingly low; just 1,400 won (140 yen). Then, looking for a subway station, I said to a local person, ‘’

“Jigum eodieyo?’’ (“Where am I?”), pointing to a map. I was so surprised when I realized he had actually understood me.

Tour members at Incheon International Airport (Editor’s note: Mr. Nakamura, the writer of the article, is the third person from the right in the rear rank)

Kind People We Met During the Trip I had felt uneasy about the trip at first, because five of us had never been to Korea before. However, the trip turned out to be a memorable one thanks to the excellent planning and guidance of Ms. Kim, as well as cooperation among the participants. The trip also gave us a chance to encounter kindnesses extended by local people. I remember a cheerful lady giving us sweet confectionery on the express bus, a young girl going out of her way to show us the route to a restaurant, which served rice gruel for breakfast, when she heard that a stall keeper we had asked did not know, and another young lady showing us the subway platform when we lost our way to a restaurant where we had planned to eat supper. She even took the trouble to take the same train with us to make sure we got off at the right station. They both are kind and nice myongdong agaci (young ladies). We could enjoy the trip very much, thanks to the kindness extended by those people. I would like to express my thanks to them.

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