My grandfather rarely spoke, except through his saxophone. He was a man of few words but a lot of heart.
I can’t pinpoint when exactly I learned that he was born in what is now called North Korea, but I do remember thinking, “I’m too old to be learning this for the first time.†Like thousands of Korean Americans, my family is still divided by the ongoing war in Korea and the current U.S. travel ban to North Korea.
kAm~? %F6D52J[ E96 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E 2??@F?465 E92E E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? H:== 6IE6?5 E96 EC2G6= 32? E@ }@CE9 z@C62 7@C 2?@E96C J62C] %9:D 5C24@?:2? 32? H2D :?:E:2==J :?DE:EFE65 :? a_`f F?56C 7@C>6C !C6D:56?E %CF>A 2?5 AC6G6?ED E9@FD2?5D @7 z@C62? p>6C:42?D 7C@> C6F?:E:?8 H:E9 72>:=J :? }@CE9 z@C62] p>6C:42?D 42? DE:== FD6 E96:C &]$] A2DDA@CED E@ G:D:E D@>6 4@F?EC:6D H:E9 EC2G6= C6DEC:4E:@?D[ DF49 2D rF32 2?5 xC2?] qFE ?@ &]$] A2DDA@CE :D G2=:5 7@C EC2G6= E@ }@CE9 z@C62] x?DE625[ &]$] 4:E:K6?D >FDE 2AA=J 7@C 2 E@E2==J D6A2C2E6 “DA64:2= G2=:52E:@? A2DDA@CE]†%96 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E 92D F?76EE6C65 5:D4C6E:@? 2D E@ H96E96C :E 8C2?ED E9:D A2DDA@CE[ 2?5 5@6D D@ @?=J :? 6I4665:?8=J 6I46AE:@?2= 4:C4F>DE2?46D]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 a_`f[ E9@FD2?5D @7 &]$] 4:E:K6?D EC2G6=65 E@ }@CE9 z@C62[ >2?J @7 E96> z@C62? p>6C:42?D D66<:?8 E@ C6F?:E6 H:E9 72>:=J 7C@> H9@> E96J 3642>6 D6A2C2E65 5FC:?8 E96 z@C62? (2C] %96 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E >256 E9:D 564:D:@? 56DA:E6 E96 C6A62E65 FC8:?8 @7 24E:G:DED E@ =:7E E9:D :?9F>2?6 32?]k^Am
kAm|J A2E6C?2= 8C2?572E96C 7=65 }@CE9 z@C62 5FC:?8 E96 H2C 2?5 =:G65 E96 C6DE @7 9:D =:76 D6A2C2E65 7C@> 9:D D:3=:?8D 2?5 72>:=J >6>36CD] s64256D 27E6C E9:D D6A2C2E:@?[ 96 A2CE:4:A2E65 :? 2? 677@CE 4@@C5:?2E65 3J 2 ?@?8@G6C?>6?E2= @C82?:K2E:@? E@ C6F?:E6 DA=:E z@C62? 72>:=:6D H96? EC2G6= E@ }@CE9 z@C62 H2D DE:== A6C>:EE65 AC:@C E@ a_`f] x? }@CE9 z@C62[ 96 H2D D9@H? 2 72565 A9@E@8C2A9 @7 9:D 6=6>6?E2CJ $F?52J D49@@= 4=2DD E@ G6C:7J E92E 96 H2D[ :? 724E[ C6=2E65 E@ 72>:=J >6>36CD H:E9 H9@> 96 D@F89E E@ C6F?:E6] |J 8C2?572E96C 72:=65 E@ C64@8?:K6 9:D J@F?86C D6=7 :? E9:D A9@E@8C2A9 3FE C64@8?:K65 9:D E62496C] %9:D 92AA6?DE2?46 C64@8?:E:@? A6C>:EE65 9:> E@ >66E 9:D D:DE6C[ 7C@> H9@> 96 925 366? D6A2C2E65 7@C ?62C=J d_ J62CD] w6 H2D 23=6 E@ >66E 96C 49:=5C6? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 2?5 =62C?65 E92E 9:D J@F?86C 3C@E96C 925 A2DD65 2H2J]k^Am
kAm~FC 72>:=J 92D @E96CH:D6 C6>2:?65 5:G:565]k^Am
kAmu@C J62CD[ x 96D:E2E65 E@ =@@< 2E A9@E@8C2A9D @7 @FC C6=2E:G6D :? }@CE9 z@C62 3642FD6 x H2D 27C2:5 @7 H92E x’5 766=] %@ 6G6? 5C62> 23@FE E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 =:7E:?8 E9:D EC2G6= 32? 76=E 7C:89E6?:?8 3642FD6 7:89E:?8 7@C 492?86 H@F=5 @A6? >6 FA E@ 962CE3C62<] x 92G6 366? E6>AE65 E@ D6EE=6 :?E@ A6DD:>:D> 2?5 5:D>:DD 2EE6>AED 7@C 492?86 2D ?2:G6] p? 6=56C z@C62? A6246 24E:G:DE 56D4C:365 E9:D E6?56?4J 2D “D@ z@C62?â€i E@ 3C62< >J @H? 962CE 367@C6 2?J@?6 6=D6 4@F=5 3C62< :E 7@C >6] $96 4@F?D6=65 >6 :?DE625 E@ 6?8286 :? A6246 25G@424J 2?5 =62C? 7C@> :?E6C86?6C2E:@?2= z@C62?D 7C@> 24C@DD E96 5:2DA@C2 H9@ 92G6 <6AE E96 7:89E 27=2>6 7@C 564256D]k^Am
kAmx7 :E H6C6?’E 7@C E96 H:D6 4@F?4:= @7 6=56CD H9@ >2A >@G6>6?ED :? =:76E:>6D[ E9:D H66<’D 2??@F?46>6?E H@F=5 92G6 366? 2?@E96C C62D@? 7@C A6DD:>:D>] w@H6G6C[ H6 >FDE C6>6>36C E92E H6 :? E96 &]$] — 6DA64:2==J z@C62? p>6C:42?D W8J@A@X — 92G6 2? :>A@CE2?E C@=6 E@ A=2J] x? E96 52JD 367@C6 9:D 6=64E:@?[ !C6D:56?E q:56? A=65865 “E@ C6F?:E6 z@C62? p>6C:42?D D6A2C2E65 7C@> =@G65 @?6D :? }@CE9 z@C62 7@C 564256D]†qFE 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D J6E E@ >2<6 8@@5 @? E92E AC@>:D6] q:56? :?DE625 6D42=2E6D >:=:E2C:K2E:@? 2?5 9FCE=6D FD 4=@D6C E@ ?F4=62C 4@?7=:4E[ D6?5:?8 ?F4=62C\42A23=6 DF3>2C:?6D E@ z@C62 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? ca J62CD] w6 2=D@ C646?E=J 4@?G6?65 2 EC:=2E6C2= DF>>:E H:E9 $@FE9 z@C62 2?5 y2A2?[ 7FCE96C 6?EC6?49:?8 2? 6D42=2E@CJ >:=:E2C:K65 2AAC@249 :==FDEC2E65 3J E9:D H66<’D =2C86\D42=6 “&=49: uC665@> $9:6=5†H2C 5C:==D H9:49 :?G@=G65 E96 A2CE:4:A2E:@? @7 `a 4@F?EC:6D E@E2=]k^Am
kAmp4E:G:DED 92G6 366? 7:89E:?8 282:?DE E9:D 2=2C>:?8 >:=:E2C:K2E:@? 2?5 7@C6G6C H2C\>2<:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C@F89 2 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 3:==[ E96 !6246 @? E96 z@C62? !6?:?DF=2 p4E] %9:D 3:== 42==D 7@C FC86?E 5:A=@>24J :? AFCDF:E @7 2 A6246 28C66>6?E E@ 7@C>2==J 6?5 E96 z@C62? (2C 2?5 FC86D E96 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E E@ C6G:6H 2?5 C6G:D6 :ED EC2G6= C6DEC:4E:@?D] (9:=6 E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 &]$] AF3=:4 DFAA@CED E96 A6246 AC@46DD :? z@C62[ :E :D FA E@ 4@?DE:EF6?ED E@ 6?DFC6 @FC 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D C67=64E E9:D] rFCC6?E=J[ bc >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD 2C6 4@\DA@?D@CD @7 E96 !6246 @? E96 z@C62? !6?:?DF=2 p4E[ 2?5 E9C@F89 @FC 25G@424J[ H6 42? 8C@H E9:D ?F>36C]k^Am
kAm~? E96 f_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 z@C62? pC>:DE:46 p8C66>6?E =2DE >@?E9[ D49@=2CD 2?5 24E:G:DED 82E96C65 E@ 42== 7@C 2 A6246 28C66>6?E E@ 7@C>2==J 6?5 E96 z@C62? (2C] p>@?8 E96>[ sC] z66 !2C<[ 2 724F=EJ >6>36C 2E w2CG2C5 |65:42= $49@@=[ 564C:65 E96 4FCC6?E D2?4E:@?D :>A@D65 @? }@CE9 z@C62 3J E96 &]$][ &]}] 2?5 @E96CD 2D 5625=J 2?5 “:>>@C2=]†!2C< 92D EC2G6=65 E@ }@CE9 z@C62 @G6C a_ E:>6D[ 2?5 D2:5 z@C62? p>6C:42?D >FDE 24E 2D 2 3C:586 7C@> @FC 4@>>F?:EJ E@ E96 86?6C2= &]$] AF3=:4]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 EH@ z@C62? 8@G6C?>6?ED 92G6 724:=:E2E65 2 92?57F= @7 3C:67 “C6F?:@?D†36EH66? C6D:56?ED @7 $@FE9 2?5 }@CE9 z@C62[ z@C62? p>6C:42?D 92G6 366? =67E @FE @7 E9:D AC@46DD 6?E:C6=J] %9:D &]$]\:>A@D65 EC2G6= 32? :D F?;FDE 2?5 :?9F>2?6] u@C z@C62? p>6C:42?D[ H6 42??@E 962= E9:D :?E6C86?6C2E:@?2= A2:? F?E:= E9:D EC2G6= 32? :D =:7E65] (6 >FDE DEC2E68:K6[ @C82?:K6 2?5 65F42E6 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D E@ 6?DFC6 E92E E9:D 5C24@?:2? 32? :D ?@E C6?6H65 282:?]k^Am
ÌýÌý
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÂ
