My Name is Kim Sam Soon

On Jan. 13, 1903, the first Koreans arrived in Hawai’i to work on the plantation fields as laborers. From here, they moved on to Mexico and the Mainland for other opportunities.

Koreans have been in Hawai’i for 102 years and have become an integral part of the community — so much so, in fact, that our tie with Korea is unique.

For example, did you know:

The state flower, the hibiscus, is also the Korean national flower?

The first Korean democratic president was a resident of Hawai’i and has a church that bears his name (Syngman Rhee)? He also spent his last days here in a care home.

Julia Mullock Lee, a Ukrainian-American formerly married to the last crown prince of Korea, Kyu Lee, lives in Hawai’i? (She came to our K-Fest a few weekends ago.)

What’s the fascination of the United States as viewed by South Koreans, and how do Korean-Americans play a role in Korean dramas?

Has it hit you yet that whenever something goes wrong in a Korean drama character’s life, the character decides to leave to study in the United States? It’s almost as common as a K-drama character getting leukemia, cancer or some other terminal disease.

Hee-jin, in “My Lovely Sam-soon,” runs away to America for cancer treatment and to study for three years.

There have been many dramas in the past where problem children were always sent to the United States to study. This makes us wonder if South Korean people think America is some kind of rehab country for children, or perhaps a country for lost souls where drama characters try to find themselves.

Remember that education in the United States gives a job-seeker an edge in South Korea.

To put it simply, a degree from an Ivy League university was considered more valuable than a degree from the top university in South Korea, Seoul National University.

English fluency was always an edge, since a large part of South Korea’s economy was dependent on exports.

One thing is clear: The drama characters who did study in the U.S. always returned to Korea as successful people. Also, the problem child who was sent off to America to study always returned as a model citizen.

The United States is such a great country: We straighten out bad kids, cure illnesses that were terminal, and education almost guarantees success. Well, at least in Korean dramas we do.

Expect more English-language dialogues: “My Lovely Sam-soon” started a trend, with Hee-jin and Henry always conversing in English. We see a lot of Korean subtitles for a change. (Henry is a big star in South Korea. He has a modeling background. Half British and half Korean, he came to South Korea looking for his mother. Hundreds of wannabes showed up for blood tests, but no one’s DNA matched his.)

Source: The Honolulu Advertiser 4 Sep 2005