Phillip Han

8th Grade

La Canada High School

Phillip Han

As an American-born Korean I was born to welcome and be matured into Korean culture. As a Third Generation Korean I learned about Korean culture from my Korean class, family, and school. I value the experiences that I have been given from the Korean culture. I believe in preserving the ways and the ideals of Korean culture so future generations could know about their origin and heritage. The March 1st movement (삼일 운동) and the independent activists (독립운동가) were some of the aspects of Korean History that intrigued me. My great grandfather was an Activist (독립운동가) who lays resting at Seoul’s National Cemetery (국립묘지) which i had the privilege to visit last year. My grandfathers lived through the devastating Korean War. My father lived through an era of Korea that was rebuilding, reinventing and working very hard to become one of Asia’s top nations.

I also visited The War Memorial of Korea which I really enjoyed and would highly recommend. Korea has survived the colonization from Japan, experienced massive casualties in the Korean War. Still present is the constant threat from North Korea. I was very fortunate to visit Korea many times since I was little. Korea now is a very modern country. They have so many nice things that surprise me every time I go. It’s hard to believe that Korea went through so much in the last 100 years. We have evolved from a war torn country to some of the best electronics manufacturers, amazing food culture, world famous K-pop and much more. I believe it is our culture and our history that makes us Koreans very determined. We should be proud of our ancestors and elders who have suffered to make what Korea is today. Stay true to your roots and be proud of your Korean Culture.