#69 A Vivid Look Backwards: Color Photos of Korea from the 1950s

[스티븐스 대사]

Those of you who read my blog know I like photographs.  I want to commend to all of you a very special photo exhibition, the “Korean War in Color,” at Cheongwadae Sarangchae in Seoul, in commemoration of the 60^th Anniversary of the start of the Korean War.  The exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the U.S. Embassy.

John Rich in 2010

A young American photographer named John Rich took the photographs, some 900 of them, during his five years in Korea from 1948 to 1953 as a reporter for INS (International News Service) and NBC News.  While the news media of that era were still working in black and white, John Rich, experimenting with a new color camera, took these photographs in Korea for his personal memories.  Rich went on to become the Senior Asian Correspondent of NBC and Vice President of RCA Corporation, and these color photos were stored away and forgotten for decades.  They are on display for the first time in Korea, and present a uniquely vivid view of that era. 

I was honored to be asked to cut the ribbon to open the exhibit with Korean government officials, fellow Ambassadors, and Korean War veterans.

At the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, we were all honored to be joined by John Rich’s daughter Barbarine Rich-Okumura, who added her father’s moving memories of his time in Korea to the day’s events.  Here is what Mr. Rich wrote:     

My deep regrets that I am unable to attend because of age and creeky bones… (sic)

I was a reporter in Korea from the setting up of the government in 1948 to the end of hostilities in 1953.  I spent much time in Korea and became very fond of the Korean people.  Things were very different in those days but the Korean people are very strong, likeable and very intelligent people.  It was very terrible times and I hope the Korean people never have to go through it again.

It is my wish that these photographs will help you see what I saw: The Korean people were so impressive - the suffering they underwent - the destruction of the country and the strength that the people showed.  I felt I had to show the world what was going on there and how much they were suffering.  It was a bitter and bloody war. 

Korean people suffered greatly during the 3 years of the fighting.  They were very brave and very loyal allies to the United States.  All wars are brutal and this was one of the toughest - many lives were lost on all sides and it was a great tragedy.  It was very terrible times, and I hope the Korean people never have to go through it again - they have suffered more than enough.

I have a great affection for Korea and its brave and friendly people.  They have succeeded beyond any dreams any of us ever had in those days.

I came away from the Korean War with a lifelong admiration and liking for the Koreans.  I made lifetime friends there. The two young men I hired to be my guides became well-known cameramen themselves later on for American NBC television and stayed my loyal assistants and dear friends: Lim Yun Shul and Yu Youn Sang.

I wish the Korean people the very best and I wish them continued peace and prosperity.

John Rich

What is striking about Mr. Rich’s photographs is how much the addition of color brings these pictures into the here and now.  In an interview with the American magazine Smithsonian, Mr. Rich noted that what he remembered most about Korea was the bright blue of the sky and the many browns of the earth and battlefield.  The blue of the Korean sky is also one of my most vivid memories from my early times in the Korean countryside in the 1970’s. The sky was an extraordinary deep blue, especially against the stark winter landscape.

I am speaking at the opening ceremony.  John Rich’s portrait of a young boy waving from a downed plane is on the wall behind me.

While viewing the exhibit, I reflected on what these photos mean to the Koreans and Americans who lived through the war.  Over the years, when I have spoken with American Korean War veterans who have returned to Korea after decades, they invariably make the same observation.  They say something along the lines of: “I never could have imagined that the Korea I knew back then would become the Korea it is now.”  They also often say: “I wasn’t sure then that all the sacrifice and suffering was worth it.  But now I know it was.”

Their comments underscore how much the Republic of Korea has changed in a very short time, and how much it has accomplished.  Their observations point to the determination of the Korean people and the great strides they have taken since the Korean War.  They also recollect the great sacrifices made by UN-allied nations who came to the defense of the Republic of Korea, including the United States.  Out of the devastation of this war – and even with the overarching tragedy of a nation and a people divided – seeds of hope were planted, including the seeds of a strong U.S.-Korea relationship that has deepened over time.  As our two countries work together in the aftermath of the Cheonan sinking, this bond will help see us through.

One of the photographs in this exhibit shows a group of children with the blue sky as a backdrop behind them.  Some of them are wearing colorful outfits that are almost as bright as the sky – while the foreground is an earthen brown.  This photo captures the colors that Mr. Rich and I both remember.  And in these children’s clothing – so bright and beautiful during a difficult time – and in their faces, filled with curiosity and hope – you can see the unflagging spirit and drive of the Korean people.

A blue sky serves as the backdrop of a group of children who posed for correspondent John Rich. (Photo used with permission)

While Mr. Rich’s photographs give us a new view of the past, they also document just how far Korea has come – moving from a nation devastated by conflict to an economically prosperous and thriving democratic society that is taking a leadership role on the world stage.  This year is an important one for Korea – and for the U.S.-Korea relationship.  It gives us an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable success the Korean people have achieved in this short 60-year period. 

This photo of an achingly young Korean soldier with azaleas in his helmet moves me; after what had to be a horrendous winter, still he welcomes the beauty and hope of spring (Photo used with permission)

I hope that you will have a chance to see this memorable exhibit, which is open until June 30.  

 

[stupid tom]

Thanks for your amzing stories, remind us where we were. 1970's, I was growing up listening from our teacher that we have the most facinating sky, but I thought that's what we have only, no properties than any other world. Now we have a little, it's certainly better than before, but we need to find another views. Instead of those fantastic air (it has gone already around Seoul), to regain our fresh laugh and hearts in a backdrop to the blue sky of those times, this blog gives a lot seeings and ideas, Thanks for your writings!