An nyong ha sye yo?= Hello in Korean! My (Sal) first experince I can recall with a Korean were Korean-American I went to school growing up in St. Paul.
Then I encountered more of the Korean culture at UMM when I met adopttees, Korean Americans, and Korean int'l students through many activities at various college events (e.g. Asian Student Association).
Susan (Kor Am) and Young (Kor Int'l) having fun serving a Korean dish at the International Student Association Dinner in Winter Quarter of 1997
UMM has had pretty much an int'l student from Korea (eg. Yonsei Univeristy, a private "Christian" college that many students from Korea attend before coming here) every year since I attended UMM my freshmen year on 1995. One student from the summer of 2002 to the summer of 2003, shared some pictures from the DMZ (national geographic) similar to this, which I'm afraid to put in this website for security reasons.
Jun "Bug", Taeyoung, and Paul representing the Korean booth at the 2000 International Student Fair at UMM
Taeyoung and Me outside in the beautiful wintery Campus Mall
Another indirect relation experience is through shares and pictures from my sister, who had a life-time opportunity to visit South Korea. She went over there to visit her close friend, who was teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. A unique experience she had that some of my Korean friends has not had the opportunity to do is visit...
Cjeju Island
...It's like us "Americans" visiting Hawaii! This is an beautiful island in the southern part of South Korea for "honeymooners" and tourist. Please feel free to ask me to share some pictures my sister borrowed me from her trip there.
From my experience in my friendship relationships with Koreans that come study here, I've liked "kimchee" and love everything else of the Korean people ever since!
-Humanitaian Helping Hands Korea, from Family Care Production, a global ministry based in California "Helping Hands Korea (HHK), a Christian mission established in Seoul in 1990, launched its first endeavor to assist North Koreans in crisis in 1996, by providing famine relief to the northeastern portion of the impoverished nation, particularly to schools and orphanages. From 1998, HHK diversified its assistance activities to North Korea by giving special emphasis to direct aid for North Korean refugees in China and, in extraordinary circumstances, coordinating logistical support for their escape to third countries"
-Political North Korea, from Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama
-Testimonies What is God doing in North Koea?, from backtojerusalem "A North Korean escapee, who said that he fled his country because he was �starving to death� has issued an urgent prayer request to Christians around the world. �Please pray for a great revival in my country,� said the man, who asked only to be known as �Mr. Lee.� He went on, �I want every North Korean to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and only by God�s power is that possible. When I lived in North Korea, I never once heard about Jesus and so I know it will take a miracle for so many in my nation to be saved.� The North Korean said that he was an arts teacher in North Korea where his whole family�s income was only $1 US per month. �Back in 1996, I decided to make a trip by boat to China to sell some goods there so my family and I could survive,� he said. �When I went back to North Korea, I was arrested as a smuggler and sent to prison for a month.� He revealed that he then decided to try and go back to China and he succeeded and then something extraordinary occurred. �While I was in China, I met three missionaries from South Korea who traveled there as missionaries,� he explained. �They shared the Gospel with me and there and then I gave my life to Jesus Christ.� Eventually, he began the tortuous escape route that took him to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, and then he was able to finally get to South Korea where he was welcomed with open arms. Still, he said he missed his family and was �mourning� for them, but as he�s grown in his faith, he said, �I was able to overcome my fears.� The North Korean now attends the Manmin Joong-Ang Church in Seoul and concluded by saying, �One day I want to become a minister.�-Assist News Service, May 2004
Reccomnded Resources
Local
Education
-"Crossing Chasms" VHS Video $29.95 1-888-44-MAVEN, a Korean Adoptee Documentary (I personally have in my house)
-Stores
Dong Yang Oriental Foods; Central Plaza 725 45th Ave. NE; Columbia Heights, MN 55421; 763.571.2009 "MN's Largest Korean Grocery Store & Cafe"
-Delicacy Wang Food
*I love the Sukina: Garder Congele Rice Cakes, which I bought at Kim's Oriental in N. Snelling Ave.; St. Paul
-Testimonies My Life So Far - by Peter Schmidt
Oct. 3, 2004 (Church of All Nations in Brooklyn Park, MN)
"Even now, I have many emotional problems I deal with on a day to day basis. I am uncomfortable around large groups of people. A combination of deep insecurity, paranoia, and drug use has damaged my memory and severely impaired the ability to create new memories. I have a hard time trusting people. I occasionally get aggressive and have a hard time controlling my temper. I also suffer from hallucinations, appetite problems, sleeping problems, and a host of other health issues. I used to smoke six packs a day, but I�ve been able to cut it down to one. I need God�s help to quit completely. All of my experiences since my teenage years have left me emotionally cold and physically weakened. But I�ve learned that you can�t live in the past. I now know that constant regret is a foolish waste of time and that I need to build on my past to create a better future.... ...I shared my entire life story with Pastor Jin, and then he asked me if I was a Christian. Having never gone to church or having any Christian family or friends, I did not really know what that meant. When he shared that God loves me for who I am, has loved me from my birth, and will love me to the end, I remember saying to Pastor Jin, �This is the good news I�ve always been waiting to hear.� He told me that his church needed people like me to be a part of the body of Christ. I remember thinking that that was the first time anyone had told me that I was important and needed. I prayed with him to accept Jesus Christ into my life and be born again. Even though my memory is not very good, I will always remember August 1, 2004 as my spiritual birthday when I became a Christian."
Arts
Koreana, magazine on rich cultural heritage on current artistic & cultural activities
-Football Hines Ward, 2006 Super Bowl MVP of the Pittsburg Steelers
*saw a cool documentary of his story growing-up biracial in South Korea and was looked down upon.. South Korea embraces Pittsburgh's Hines Ward
AP , SEOUL
Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006,Page 18 (Taipei Times) " Half-Korean Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward reached out yesterday to a country that has suddenly embraced him as a hero, expressing pride in his Korean roots although he shunned that side of his heritage after facing prejudice as a child.
"I'm proud to be a Korean, and that's something that when I was little as a kid I used to be ashamed of," Ward told a sea of journalists packed into a conference room at the central Seoul hotel where he was staying in a complimentary suite normally reserved for world leaders.
Ward was virtually unknown here before the Super Bowl, where American football isn't widely followed.
But since the Pittsburgh Steelers' February victory and Ward's MVP award, he has become a media phenomenon in South Korea -- also drawing attention to the discrimination faced here by children of mixed parentage. Ward was born in Seoul to a Korean mother, and his father was an African-American soldier.
From : George Allison orginial message
Sent : Monday, April 19, 2004 1:18 AM
To : saldapal@
Subject : Job Offer: Teach ESL in Korea Now!!!
Hello, I am a recruiter representing many Korean schools. I am wondering if you might be interested in teaching in Korea? Based on your qualifications, I can offer you a salary of over $20,000-30000 US, including free return airfare from anywhere in the world. 2 week paid vacation (all holidays), single or shared housing, health insurance, sponsored work permit, etc. We only require a one year contract. There is a bonus of approx one month salary after you renew your contract. * must have a university degree Applications WILL NOT be processed without a RESUME AND PICTURE. NATIVE SPEAKERS ONLY. Yours very truly, George Allison, Recruiter
Fear overcome for sake of hostages
Posted: 26 July, 2007 (Mission Network News)
* Topics in this story:
* demonstration,
* hostages,
* south korea,
* taliban
"Tuesday, locals in the Ghazni Province held a demonstration for the hostages' release, knowing they are Christians. This is a surprising act, considering the fear that surrounds the Taliban. Many people don't dare oppose the Taliban out of fear for their families' safety."
" KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan police discovered the bullet-riddled body of a male hostage on Wednesday, one of 23 South Koreans kidnapped by the Taliban last week.
Because of a recent spike in kidnappings � including an attempt against a Danish citizen Wednesday � police barred foreigners from leaving the Afghan capital without their permission.
South Korea reacted early Thursday by saying it would not tolerate the killing of an innocent civilian and vowed the kidnappers would be held accountable. It demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages.
"The killing of an innocent civilian cannot be justified under any circumstance or for any reason," Baek Jong-chun, chief presidential secretary for security affairs, said in a statement. The kidnappers "will be held accountable for taking the life of a Korean citizen."
The South Korean victim was found with 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach in the Mushaki area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, the region where the group was seized July 19 while riding a bus, said Abdul Rahman, a police officer.
A police official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said militants told him the hostage was sick and couldn't walk and was therefore shot.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry identified the victim as 42-year-old Bae Hyung-kyu.
A Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose information, said reports had circulated Wednesday that eight of the hostages had been released. But he said those reports had never been confirmed.
Marajudin Pathan, the governor of Ghazni province, said the militants were still holding the remaining 22 South Korean hostages.
"No one has been released, and there has not been any exchange," Pathan told The Associated Press over the phone. "They are still in Taliban custody."
A South Korean official declined to comment Thursday on the condition of the remaining hostages or whether they had been transferred.
"The eight South Koreans are not in South Korean custody," the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Pathan said authorities were in contact with kidnappers early Thursday trying to secure the Koreans' freedom. The militants gave a list of eight Taliban prisoners who they want released in exchange for eight Koreans, he said.
An Afghan official involved in the negotiations earlier said a large sum of money would be paid to free eight of the hostages. The official also spoke on condition he not be identified, citing the matter's sensitivity. No other officials would confirm this account.
Foreign governments are suspected to have paid for the release of hostages in Afghanistan in the past, but have either kept it quiet or denied it outright. The Taliban at one point demanded that 23 jailed militants be freed in exchange for the Koreans.
The South Koreans, including 18 women, were kidnapped while on a bus trip through Ghazni province on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, Afghanistan's main thoroughfare.
South Korea has banned its citizens from traveling to Afghanistan in the wake of the kidnappings. Seoul also asked Kabul not to issue visas to South Koreans and to block their entry into the country.
Baek will fly to Afghanistan later Thursday as a presidential envoy to consult with top Afghan officials on how to secure the release of the remaining captives.
The South Korean church that the abductees attend has said it will suspend at least some of its volunteer work in Afghanistan. It also stressed that the Koreans abducted were not involved in any Christian missionary work, saying they provided only medical and other volunteer aid to distressed people in the war-ravaged country.
Two Germans were also kidnapped last week. One was found dead and the other apparently remains captive. A Danish reporter of Afghan origin escaped a kidnap attempt in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the Danish Foreign Ministry said.
The unidentified man "was close to being caught but managed to get away and reach a local police station," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ole Neustrup said. The Dane was first reported to be German but that report was false, Khan said.
The series of recent kidnappings prompted the Afghan government to forbid foreigners living in Kabul from leaving the city without police permission.
Police said officials stationed at checkpoints at the city's main gates would stop foreigners from leaving the capital unless they informed officials 24 hours in advance of their travel plans, said Esmatullah Dauladzai, Kabul's provincial police chief.
Elsewhere, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said a soldier was killed in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade. ISAF didn't release the soldier's nationality, but the majority of troops in the east are American.
Britain said one of its soldiers was killed and two others injured when an explosion struck their vehicle in southern Helmand province on Wednesday.
The U.S.-led coalition said 20 suspected Taliban militants were killed Wednesday after a failed ambush on coalition and Afghan troops in Kandahar province.
Associated Press writers Noor Khan and Jason Straziuso in Kabul, Afghanistan and Kwang-Tae Kim in Seoul, South Korea contributed to this report." Taliban: 2 female Koreans to be freed, By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 46 minutes ago (news.yahoo 8/11/07) ""God willing the government (of Afghanistan) and the government of Korea will accept this," Bashir said outside the Ghazni office of the Afghan Red Cross, which is acting as a neutral intermediary. "Definitely these people will be released. God willing our friends (Taliban militants in prison) will be released.""
"
Bibles are needed for Christians in restricted access nations. (Open Doors photo)
Afghanistan (MNN) � Taliban insurgents and South Korean negotiators have come to an agreement that allows for the release of the remaining 19 South Korean Christians. The insurgent group seized 23 Korean volunteers on July 19 from a bus in Ghazni province. The Taliban later released two women hostages as a gesture of goodwill during the first round of talks. Two others were killed.
However, the agreement could have an impact on missions work in Afghanistan, says the President of Open Doors USA Carl Moeller. "The most troubling aspect of this announcement for us is that there is an apparent commitment by the South Korean government to restrict missionary activity on the part of Christians from South Korea."
South Korea's presidential Blue House issued a statement saying their agreement was on condition that it withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within the year and stop its nationals doing missionary work there.
Taliban representative, Qari Mohammad Bashir, confirmed a deal had been struck. But the Taliban demands did not include their main previous condition -- the release of a group of militants held prisoner by the Afghan government.
Moeller is concerned about this agreement. "Governments may want to use this in future cases as an opportunity to appease the Taliban or other extremist groups, but I can say also clearly that there are always going to be Christians who go where faith costs the most, no matter what the government's restrictions might be."
Open Doors support Christians in countries where it's illegal to practice their faith, and owning a Bible is equally unlawful. However, Open Doors provides them with God's Word, but they need your help. "$4 will deliver a Bible anywhere in the world to a persecuted Christian. The places we go and things that we do to get that Bible into the hands of a believer are somewhat extreme in some of these places."
If you'd like to help Open Doors with Bible distribution, click here. "
"SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (ANS) -- The youth pastor who was leading the group of 23 South Korean aid volunteers in Afghanistan was killed for refusing to convert to Islam, the head pastor of the church revealed after the final 19 former hostages arrived home.
According to a report on the Christian Today website, "Among the 19 hostages who returned on the second (of September), some were asked by the Taliban to convert and when they rejected, they were assaulted and severely beaten,” reported Park Eun-jo, pastor of the hostages’ home church, Saemmul Presbyterian Church in Bundang, just south of the South Korean capital Seoul.
“I heard from the hostages that they were threatened with death,” he added, according to Christian Today Korea. “Especially it is known that the reason Pastor Bae Hyung-kyu was murdered was because he refused the Taliban’s demand to convert.” "
"Only U.S. Band Invited to Play 25th Annual Friendship Art Festival
Atlanta-based, GRAMMY Award-winning band Casting Crowns received a rare invitation to participate in North Korea�s 25th Annual April Spring Friendship Art Festival in Pyongyang, D.P.R.K last week. Casting Crowns played three standing-room-only shows April 11-13 at the high-profile event which emphasizes artistic exchange and the promotion of peace and goodwill within the country.
Performers from around the world were invited to the festival with Casting Crowns being the only native U.S. band to attend. Global Resource Services (G.R.S.), a U.S. based humanitarian organization, has worked in North Korea for the past ten years, and cooperated with the organizing committee of the Friendship Art Festival to facilitate the band�s participation.
The band incorporated a few Korean favorites in its live show including the popular song �White Dove, Fly High� which is recognized as an anthem for peace. The band�s rendition of the song was warmly received by the full-capacity crowd. The Vice Chairman of the festival personally shared his gratitude to Casting Crowns for their participation and especially for the beautiful performance of the peace song. He further expressed his hope that groups like G.R.S., Casting Crowns and the people of the D.P.R.K. can work together to bring unity and peace.
For more on Casting Crowns, visit www.castingcrowns.com, and for more information about Global Resource Services, please visit www.grsworld.org....." CrimsonLight.com yourmusiczone.com
Psalm 25:5
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long
Jun Soo with his family all the way from South Korea after UMM's 2003 Graduation
Thank you for visiting UMMAlpha! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at ummalpha@yahoo.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website.
This page is dedicated to Anthony Wiehle, a former active leader while he attended UMM 93'-97', who was born in Korea and adopted in Bloomington, Minnesota-U.S.A. He currently speaks nationwide and is co-founder of Senior Capital Group, "....bring dignity and integrity back to the senior population". Anthony (a.k.a Tony"), was a great encouragement in my early years of coming to the Lord in 1996 (freshmen year). He was my floormate in UMM's Clayton A. Gay Hall my second year of college, and I still "try" to keep in touch with him since he graduated in 1997.
Thanks Anthony for your time serving the Lord here in "Motown" during and still after being a student.
Please feel free to submit any additional comments on Anthony Wiehle down below:
Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!
Cjeju Island
