Learn to Remember – Historical Lessons from the Korean War

He is the founder of the Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial, which digitally stores video interviews with 1,500 eyewitnesses of the war. Under the care of the foundation, a special history textbook on the subject has also been developed. This textbook contains a thematic approach that could serve as a model for experience-based processing of other historical events, including those in Hungary.

For those less interested in Korean history, a report on the shared programs and the professor’s lecture might well end here—if it weren't for the moving realizations we shared with Professor Han.

The first touching moment occurred when our Korean guest arrived at MCC's camp in Révfülöp and saw the sign bearing the name “Scruton.” It turned out that about ten books by Roger Scruton rest on Dr. Han’s bookshelf, and Scruton's thoughts still play a defining role in his life. Thus, it was especially inspiring for him to talk about history, current events, and the situation of our countries on a stage named after Scruton.

To our surprise, we found numerous parallels between Hungary and South Korea. First, he reviewed the events of the Cold War with his conversation partners, János Setényi, Director of the Institute, and Richárd Fodor, Head of Research. Just as the Korean Peninsula became a kind of proxy battlefield between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1950, so too did the nations trapped behind the Iron Curtain suffer from the power struggle of the Cold War. But has the Cold War truly ended? Dr. Han passionately posed the question. In Korea, certainly not, he answered himself. But just as the Berlin Wall came down almost unexpectedly, so too does hope persist among Koreans that their nation will one day be reunited.

Another interesting parallel arose regarding the "pendulum" position of small nations. János Setényi brought up Hungary’s efforts toward international connectivity as an example. Democratic South Korea is in a similar situation—its business relations tie it closely to both China and the United States, while it must also stand strong amid intense regional competition. Dr. Han believes that leaders of small countries must prioritize their own nations’ interests. The primary question should be: what is in the interest of the Hungarian people? Just as in Korea: what is in the interest of the Korean people? In his view, international relations should be approached realistically—nations have always influenced and traded with each other.

Another thought-provoking topic raised was *oikophobia*, which János Setényi primarily attributed to globalization. He argued that in today’s globalized world, city dwellers often feel more connected to residents of other major metropolises around the globe than to their local communities. This makes it crucial to preserve our identity, and one powerful tool for this is the teaching of history.

Dr. Han emphasized that Korea has suffered many wars and, in the 1950s, was a destitute country, where people lived in utter poverty, nearly naked and without food. Its economic rise has been remarkable. Korea has no mineral wealth or natural resources, but its ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to education helped drive its development. Even when economic mistakes were made, they always learned from them and responded swiftly to challenges. He pointed out that, in Korea, education is a matter of national strategy, and the teaching profession is among the most respected in the country.

As for methodology, he believes we should not just make children memorize data, but instead pose questions they can understand and relate to. He gave the example that today's youth are interested in what food is available at popular fast-food restaurants. That is their culture, and he respects it. So, let's ask them questions like: what was the favorite food of people or soldiers during a particular historical war? This requires research, reading, and understanding of the events and the context.