My trip to Korea on a Lufthanza Air Line via Munich, West Germany was rather tedious and boring due to long hour stay in Munich and Frankfurt on way back to the final destination Newark, NJ. This trip, first since the Covid-19 allowed me to stay the first night in Seoul at Kensington, Yeoido, Seoul, which used to be very expensive but on this trip half of what it used to be. Covid messed up even the express Airport bus schedules, because of it, I could not enjoy landing with a heavy luggage on front door, the changed bus line dropped me a quite far way bus station and I had to walk 10 minute with such a heavy luggage. On next day Jongsub Lee of Yang Pyung Han River Lion’s Club came to pick me up to Yang Pyung where I was to deliver scholarship to orphaned and handicapped children on May 12, 2023 in the amount of $10,000.00. Korean American Foundation started to deliver funds for those disadvantaged children since 2002 ranging from cities;Hwa Seong, Bucheon, Eiwang, Keumcheon and Incheon to help those disadvantaged children live and eat better with the mission of our foundation. The foundation has delivered the total of $250,000.00 for several hundred children, of which Korean American Foundation is proud. Before the fund delivery ceremony at a music concert, sponsoring organization offered me to go on a touring the old temple Yong Moon Sa to get a high spirit in delivering my speech and scholarship. I was happy to learn of some of history of Yong Moon Sa, which was named by a monk following the history that the King Lee Sungghe, the founding king of Lee Dynasty, was protected by many dragons while he was staying in the region right after he descended from the highest mountain Gasup Bong (1157 m) to stay over the night at Yong Moon Sa temple. when many mysterious dragons entered into his room and over his body. Sarisa temple near by was located in the heart of high mountains with long deep valley where fresh spring water is constantly streaming and making a look like water fall, near by I was induced to sink my bare foot in the gagling sound stream to get cool in the deep valley solitutude, which I always longed for. the view toward the high mountain in the ancient buddhist temple was spectacular breathing a fresh natural air accumulated over 1300 years since Koryo to Lee Dynasty. the spirit and energy springing from this historical valley feels like a dragon power. The long, deep valley reminds me of the valley of Baekdam Temple in Solak San, where a named monk and poet Han Yong Woon found and spent the whole of his life in Gangwon province, imploring the sadness of Chosun being stripped of its independence by Japanese colonialism. The period of Koryo and early Lee dynasty was also matching the one when my family ancestor established our Lee family registry by Heung Yang General, who was honored by the founding general of Lee Dynasty which was described on the epitaph of my ancestor graveyard in my hometown. On the day of scholarship delivery,grammar school orchestra team made a great ensemble with adult opera team that has provided a music concert for the past 15 years. Music professor, Sop. Kim MiMi along with Sop. Ko Eun Jeong and Sohn Minho have made tremendous contribution in upholding our scholarship ceremony as historical. Dr. Lee joined on the stage with 20 disadvantaged children to award scholarship certificates between part one and part two musical program and they were looking very happy to receive scholarship from the foundation, which is major function of the foundation to make me 7,000 mile fly from the mainland of the United States of America. Chairman Hubert Lee made a special remark in delivering the scholarship, recalling the powerful message a scientist Albert Einstein left prior to his departure from this world.” Let’s do our best to widen the horizon of compassion to accommodate all the living creatures, Nature and its beauty”. Dr. Lee expressed his proudness and honor to practice “spread love and compassion” into neighbors by helping children so that they could be motivated to grow and study with a dream and hope. Right after the ceremony, he was kindly requested by 50 young generation to give a lecture “How Korea can grow well in the midst of constantly hostile North Korea and its ally China. Miss Sunny Auyang of MIT professor made an impressive analysis on the struggle between Dragon China and Eagle America. Dr. Lee attempted to visionalize the 2000 year history of Korea by going back to Helenism, Confucism, Buddhism and three nation age-Kokooryo, Baekje, Shila and Chosun’s Lee Dynasty for 500 years and 36 year Japanese colonialism. covering the China-Japan War in 1895, Japan-Russia War, 2nd WWII, when Japan completely surrendered to America when attacked by an Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima, Dr. Lee suggested the possible role of broker by Korea in order to survive well in the hegemony battle between the super power China and US, considering its queer geographical location to be a successful emerging nation. His lecture with an hour summary of 2,500 year old human history and civilization drew educational attention especially from younger generation. Visiting new development in the region he met several young builder in building villas and multifamily residence in resort area of Yang Pyung and strongly indicated them to build the ancient style villa with blue or red tile construction even in the Catskill mountain to attract rich Americans into the temple style unique resort on the mountain top Catskill mountain. Dr. Lee who loves the mountain and Yang Pyung region was a commissioned Yang Pyung peace ambassador by mayor of Yang Pyung. Also professor Lee expressed his intention to give lectures in the future on capitalism and socialism to younger generation in college located near by Yang Pyung for global education. The proposed meeting with president Yoon Seok Yul was not materialized since Korean War Veteran who was permanently disabled, Fred Schweikert could not travel due to his heart problem and cancelled his trip this time. Meeting with chairman Heo Chang Soo, who was classmate of Dr.Lee in the same university, is in the cook by an arrangement of former professor Eor Yoon Dae, who wrote a preface on the book Dr. Lee published 15 years ago. A meeting with General Song Dae Sung was held at his office in Gangnam and Gneral briefed Dr. Lee for 45 minute about the purpose of AKUS in solidarifying the damaged allied relationship between Korea and US. The pork steak dinner General Song entertained was extremely delicious for the good memory of Dr. Lee team . Dr. Lee’s revisit to his ancestor cemetery in his home town in front of beautiful Cho Am lake, which was reconstructed by his 89 year older brother, was memorable to recall the history of the root of his family going back to date 1500 year when the founding King Lee Sungghe honored his grand father -in- law as heroic General and titled him Heung Yang royal, meaning a hero led to prosperity to eternality. This is the way a historian recorded the origin of my family register on the epitaph how my family root was planted. The family cemetery is located at the hill in front of Cho Am Lake , on which Dr. Lee would fishing, swimming and ice skating during his boyhood, pondering to compose poem on Nature. After a tribute to ancestors’s graveyard on his family estate, Dr. Lee had a big dinner inviting all family members to Thai Chinese Mansion for family reunion, in which he praised the devotion of his older brother to upholding ancestors and solidarity of family reunion is an unique tradition and morale Confucius taught us and it is Korea’s tradition and value of culture in comparable to other culture. A meeting with chairman Hong, who was his college Korea University Economics Dept. classmate, treated Dr. Lee and his secretary with angus ground beef Bee Beem Bob was excellent at his high story building in front Pagoda Park where 33 Korean patriots assembled to protest against Japanese colonial rule and declared Independence Resolution at the park in 1910. The last night stay in Korea was entertained by lady friends, a Korea’s Volley Ball champion and golfer who were joined in election campaign for President Park Geun Hye 10 years ago. The karaoke room was full of Korean and American pop songs, shouting our young hey day at Hap Jeong dong Rotary.
Dr. Hubert Hojae Lee, chairman of Korean American Foundation (https://kafusany.com). 1st vice President of KWVA Chapter 202, a former member of Presidential Advisory Group of president bush and Trump. May20, 2023 at Yang Han Jeong Hill, After return home from a fund delivery trip to Yang Pyung, Korea.
