The Day when Seoul was occupied by N.Korea during Korean War

“There were no signs or traces of people anywhere. As if I was slightly cut with a cold blue sword in my backbone, I felt shivering. No one was seen at a major street where I even could clearly see Dongnimmun (Independence Gate), alleys or households. How can there is no single house where smoke is emerging! If there were the North Korean flag hanging at the prison, I would feel rather less scared.” This is a scene near Hyeonjeo-dong in Seodaemun district in Seoul at the time of January 4, 1951 retreat during the Korean War, as described in the novel "Who Ate Up All the Shinga?" by late novelist Park Wan-seo. This sounds unrealistic, but it is an account of her own experience as a freshman at the Korean literature department at Seoul National University.

The opening part of the movie "Ode to My Father," which was a box office hit in Korea early last year, is based on the background of “Withdrawal from Heungnam (in North Korea)” by allied forces as they were pushed back by the Chinese military in December 1950. Soon after then, all Seoul citizens had to evacuate the city and take refugees until the city was occupied again by the North on January 4, 1951. Seoul citizens had suffered from atrocities committed by the North Korean People’s Army after the outbreak of the war as well as hardships resulting from "hunting of communists" to the day of retake of Seoul on September 28, 1950. The citizens scrambled to vacate Seoul and took refugees to the south in search of safety when they faced an extremely precarious situation in the face of the Chinese military‘s offensives.

In his book entitled "The Korean War and Peace," Yonsei University Professor Park Myeong-lim said, “It was more shocking when the U.S. military was defeated by the Chinese military and handed over Seoul when the South Korean military lost to the North Korean military. He notes the January 4 retreat was “retreat by the imperial United State.” If China had not intervened in the war at that time, the North Korean regime would not have been existing today. As such, South Korea has no choice but to hold China historically responsible for the loss of opportunity to unify the Koreas.

With the opening of a military hotline between South Korea and China on December 31 last year, Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan held telephone talks and vowed mutual cooperation. The hotline is South Korea’s third one after the communication links with the U.S. (1995) and Japan (1999). By securing a channel through which their military authorities, Seoul and Beijing can hold urgent communications in the event of emergency including a rapid change in North Korea. This is a dramatic twist that was impossible even to imagine 65 years ago. It is difficult to predict what kind of rapid changes will unfold on the Korean Peninsula, which is sandwiched between hegemonic strategies of the U.S. and China. Today, South Korea must solemnly remember the meaning of history.

eligius@donga.com