London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Journey to Korea—working for the common good: at Greencoat Place

Matthew Jackson will be well-known to many LKL readers for his many articles on Korea’s heritage. Please support his talk at Greencoat Place near Victoria on 22 November:

Journey to Korea — working for the common good

Matthew JacksonThrough screening short films, Matthew Jackson will highlight remarkable changes in South Korea since the Korean War (1950 – 53), from a nation impoverished by war and occupation to becoming one of the world’s largest economies. Jackson is an assistant UK co-ordinator for The Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project. He has visited Korea 15 times in the past 10 years.

He writes: ‘While media attention tends to focus on the tragedy of North Korea, the true spirit of the Korean peninsula remains largely hidden from view. This spirit goes back to the country’s establishment in the fifth millennium BC on the philosophy of Hongik Ingan, which means “to live and work for the benefit of all mankind”.

‘In modern times, this philosophy has manifested itself in the numerous remarkable advances South Korea has made since the Korean War, made possible by a spirit of the whole nation working together and sacrificing personal goals for the common good. As Korea continues to develop, advances such as those in the fields of energy and steel increasingly benefit the wider world.

‘Koreans attribute their current prosperity to the wisdom of their ancestors. Many of today’s achievements can be traced back to indigenous works of art and science in the country’s history.

‘The story of Korea before the Korean War remains untold in the West. In an age of increasing economic uncertainty and geopolitical tension, the spirit of Hongik Ingan presents a hope for all of us in the West and for the global community.’

24 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1RD (eight minutes walk from Victoria Station).
RSVP +44 020 7798 6000 or Email Greencoat Place reception

Light refreshments from 6.30pm. The forum begins at 7.15pm and will end at 9pm.

There is no charge for the forums, but a collection towards expenses will be taken.

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One thought on “Journey to Korea—working for the common good: at Greencoat Place

  1. The presentation by Matthew Jackson and the films were both good. Britain has much to learn from Koreans’ sense of national purpose and solidarity, and education. I found it interesting that when (successfully) applying for a loan from Barclays Bank in the 1970s, Hyundai pointed to the fact that Korea’s expertise in shipbuilding goes back to building ironclad ships in the sixteenth century (200 years before Europe). The publication available, Fifty Wonders of Korea (Science & Technology) explained more about this. Also important were the cultural aspects of the presentation (eg the origins of the Korean language’s Hangeul script). However, it’s important to point out that Korea’s car and shipbuilding industries did receive considerable technical assistance from Britain in the 1970s.

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