Two Score and Ten Flashbacks on Korea

By David Shaffer

November it was
1971
A jet plane going East but flying west
To the Land of Morning Calm

To the Hermit Kingdom, the Korean War battlefield, the DMZ
To a land divided, a land of tears and despair, of military coup
Arrival at Kimpo International
Brings a wide-eyed idealist with much to view:

Park Chung-hee re-elected narrowly, martial law declared forcibly
Power consolidated rapidly, Yushin Constitution enacted forcefully
Kim Dae-jung kidnapped in Tokyo, imprisoned in Seoul
First Lady assassinated, President Park’s the goal

Panmunjom axe murderers kill U.S. soldiers gruesomely
Dynamite train at Iri Station explodes powerfully
KCIA bullet kills President Park stunningly
Shockingly, jarringly, sensationally

General Chun leads 12/12 coup stealthily
Martial law extended needlessly
Gwangju protests vehemently
Ten days of blood, of death, of darkness.

KAL passenger plane downed by Soviets
Chun targeted by Northern assassins
Seoul ’86 Asian Games boycotted by socialists
KAL airliner bombed by Northern agents

General Roh morphs into President Roh
’88 Olympics seal “highly developing nation” status
Nationwide labor strikes erupt violently
North Korean war tunnels found repeatedly

North and South reach accord
The two Koreas the UN join
Agreements reached, treaties signed
’Fore a 400-strong spy ring find

Kim Young-sam as president elected
First civilian in 32 years selected
Expo ’93 shines hope so bright
From Daejeon’s “Tower of Great Light”

But short-lived this light shall be
As Seongsu Bridge collapses
As Daegu gas line explodes
As Sampoong building crumbles

Guilty as charged! Both Chun and Roh
But one year later, scott-free they go
More widespread labor strikes, largest ever
As “IMF” crisis saps Korea’s treasure

Activist, death-row prisoner, and president finally
Kim Dae-jung frees political prisoners, grants amnesty
Travels North with Sunshine Policy
Wins Nobel Peace Prize as his legacy

World Cup hosts are Korea and Japan
As UN boss, Ban Ki-moon’s the man
Korea in OECD, “advanced nation” implied
The new millennium brings national pride

Lee Myung-bak takes the throne
Pushing Seoul–Busan canal zone
Namdae-mun burns, money crisis returns
Roh Mu-hyun jumps off the cliff

North sinks Cheonan warship
Before Kim Jong-il departed
The Yeosu Expo opens
Before first female president elected

North attacks on land, at sea, in cyberspace
The Sewol sinks, youthful souls it takes
Park Geun-hye protested, arrested
Immeshed, impeached, imprisoned

Moon Jae-in steps into Chungwa-dae
Number 12 for Korea, number 10 for me
Wintry Pyongchang puts on Olympic display
Parasite wins Oscar big, but Covid starts global spree

Through 50 years of Korean memories
That young idealist has melted away
But through it all and come what may
A wiser man resides today