Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IconsFanatic]

I was rather surprised to learn that there is no ceremony on November 11th (Remembrance Day/Veterans Day/Armistace Day) at the UN Cemetery in Busan.

I guess there has simply been a lack of interest in the past, as the foreign community has only grown to a decent size in recent years.

I'm not sure about you, but it seems ridiculous that there's a UN Cemetery, with graves of numerous soldiers who gave their lives for the Korean War, and yet they're not remembered with a public ceremony on November 11th.

As a Canadian, it seems even more bizarre in light of the relatively new Monument to Canadian Fallen (see http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=collections/poster/poster2003).

I say that we get involved, and help organize a Remembrace Day ceremony for Busan's UN Cemetery, even if it won't begin until November 2004.

Who else is interested?

I for one will be at the cemetery on November 11th.

[Mosley]

I'd love to be at the UN Cemetery for Nov. 11, but I'm a hell of a long way from Busan. Have you ever been to the Can. Forces/PPCLI memorial ay Kapyong? It's a fairly modest one, but worth getting out to if you live in north-central ROK.

[Eazy_E]

Anything in the Seoul / Gyeonggi-Do area? I'm a Canadian too and I'm getting some poppies in the mail but I'd like to go to a service as well.

[ulsanchris]

I would like to go, and if it was on a weekend i would. But During the week. Sorry no. I will do a moment of silence on my own though.

[Gord]

[matko]

Gord,

He's talking about the FOREIGN community.

[erlyn]

Hey - I posted this on the Pepero thread, but it seemed relevant here, as well. Last year, the Canadian Embassy in Seoul was selling poppies in the main reception area. If you're interested, you can pick up a couple (I only got one, and, typically, lost it almost immediately).

Anyway, it's cool to see at least 5 or 6 Canadians who care enough to want to commemorate this day somehow. I understand that Korea has its own Memorial Day, but November 11 will always be the day I (formally, anyway) pause to remember.

[FUBAR]

Is there any place to get Poppies in Busan?

[IconsFanatic]

Here's the word regarding Remembrance Day in Busan - no ceremony at the UN Cemetery, but the Canadian consulate will be selling poppies.

>From: [email protected]
>Subject: FW: Poppy sales at Canadian consulate in Busan?
>Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 18:41:47 -0500
>
>Thank you for your inquiry.
>
> Presently there are no poppys located at the Consulate in Pusan.
>But we will have someone contact the Consulate and deliver some poppies
>tommorow. We think it would be a great idea but we have not broadcasted the
>message to any of the Canadians living there. We will be starting the Poppy
>Campagne tommorow here in the Embassy and it will last until 12 Nov 03. The
>only Rememberance Day service (ceremony) that will be held in Korea is the
>one held on 9th Nov 03 at the Anglican Church next to the British Embassy.
>This ceremony will be for all commonwealth nations.
>
>Hope this helps.

[IconsFanatic]

Just got back from the Canadian consulate in Busan, where I picked up a half-dozen of the little flowers.

Seems the green centre of the poppies has been changed to black! I guess it's more accurate to the real flower in nature....

DIRECTIONS TO THE CANADIAN CONSULATE IN BUSAN:

It's a bloody nightmare trying to find the place. There's a map (http://www.korea.gc.ca/aboutus/map_consulate.e.html), but it's not very helpful.

You want to take the subway to Jungang-dong (station #12), and get out at exit #7. It's a bit tricky finding the right exit, as it's in the underground market between the Jungang-dong and Nampo-dong subway stations, and is not marked from the inside (it's only labelled from the outside!). Best bet is to check the map inside Jungang-dong station.

Anyway, get out at exit #7, and just walk straight ahead. You should be right beside the huge post office when you exit, and the water should be behind you. Walk straight ahead, away from the water. You'll be walking on the right side of the road.

First you'll see the Seorabol Hotel, as on the map. It'll be on your right. The building is an ugly yellow (NOT brownish red, as it appears on the map). The building doesn't touch the sidewalk; it's further back than most of the stores, I guess because it's got an underground parking lot.

Then you'll pass the Korea Bank, which is a hideous concrete grey (NOT yellow, as it appears on the map). It's on the other side of the road. There's a gate around the bank that makes it look like some sort of military installation. The Busan Tower is directly behind the bank. Unfortunately, the bank's "sign" is only in Korean... it reads "Han Guk Eun Haeng" (in Hangeul).

Cross the road, and keep walking in the same direction (westward).

You'll soon get to the Busan Something-Rather Museum, which is on the corner. It's here you turn left. On your left will be the 6-story blue building. You should see it immediately after you turn left at the museum. The sign of the blue building is only in Hangeul, and there's an LG symbol above the writing on the sign.

Look for the Canada sign on the building.... take the stairs up... waaaay up!

Good luck!

[IconsFanatic]

Sorry, turns out this is the second year that the Canadian poppies have switched back to a black centre. I must live in a cave (or Korea).

Here's a news story: http://www.carleton.ca/ctown/archiv/nov0802/news4.htm

Now I'm royally pissed that this past Saturday I lost the poppy I brought with me from Canada, as it was one of the green-centred ones from 2001.

"Eiiiishhhhhh," as the Koreans say!

[Mosley]

Did anybody get to the UN (Busan) Cemetery on Nov. 11? If so, what was the deal?

[IconsFanatic]

I did, but there was no service. As is says earlier in this thread, the only service in Korea was on November 9th in Seoul.

I took these two photos of the Monument to Canadian Fallen at the UN Cemetery, just after 11:00am earlier today. It was surreal to lay a poppy without almost nobody about.

[IconsFanatic]

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae, 1915

[Mr. Pink]

As a fellow Canadian thanks for posting the pictures. It was raining a lot in Seoul on 11/11 so I wasn't going anywhere.