The Korean War and the Environment
My project explores how the U.S. military involvement in the Korean War affects the Korean Peninsula's environment and marginalizes certain people and environments that are considered disposable. Through a digital storybook format, my creative project follows the life of Juno, who lived through the war as a child and grew up in post-war South Korea.
Juno’s Story
PART ONE
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There was a small, six-year-old boy named Juno who lived in a small town called Yangji Village in Korea. Juno lived with his mother, father, grandmother, and four younger siblings. Juno’s extended family, including his aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in the same neighborhood. Yangji village was an agricultural and residential area, and Juno’s family owned a small plot of land. They mainly farmed sweet potatoes, rice, and other produce. As the eldest child, Juno was responsible for a lot of things. For most of the day, Juno helped his father on the farm. His mother told him that next year, he could go to school like the other older children in the village. But in the meantime, Juno was to stay close to home and help out on the farm. Juno knew that his parents thought it was dangerous to venture far away from home. There was a war happening. According to Juno’s father, the war was between American “Caps” and Russian “Comms” that happen on Korean land. Juno remembered when he saw U.S. soldiers in uniform walking around his village for the first time last month. They were just passing through, but he and the other children in the village ran up to them and asked for chocolate. Juno tried American chocolate for the first time that day.
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The war had escalated since Juno started going to school. He went to school in the morning and helped his father with farming chores in the afternoon. One morning, a messenger ran through Yangji Village warning the community that villages farther up north had been bombed last night. Juno overheard his parents talking about the threat. Were they in danger too? Throughout the next few months, Juno heard about more and more bombings. The people of Yangji Village weren’t updated about the war on a daily basis. It was only through a messenger that they found out what was happening. Every couple of days, Juno heard airplanes flying overhead. A couple of times, Juno and his family had to hide because of a bombing threat. The village people gathered at a community temple at the foot of the mountain. Even though the thought of bombs was scary, Juno felt safe there with his family and the familiar faces of his neighbors and friends. Later on, Juno found out that these were U.S. military bombing campaigns aimed at northern parts of the country. However, Juno wasn’t sure if that meant that the Caps or the Comms were winning the war. Juno hoped it was the Caps because they were the ones who had given him chocolate.
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Juno’s father told Juno that his country had been split into two. His friends and teacher at school also talked about it. His teacher told him that the Korean War was halted by the Korean Armistice Agreement. It was important for him to learn about this because he lived very close to the division. Over the next few months, Juno became aware of the military presence in his village. The soldiers, from both the Korean and American troops, were building a wall to mark the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Everyone in his village was confused. It was hectic during the first few months following the end of the war. Juno’s older cousin who had been sent to university in a different city was unreachable. Juno’s uncle tried to search for Juno’s cousin, but the soldiers stopped him from crossing the temporary border. Juno and his whole extended family made efforts to send letters and get approval from a military authority to reach his cousin, but their efforts were futile. Juno was sad that his cousin was lost and his country was split into two, but Juno was glad that he was on the southern side of the country. That meant that he was closer to the Caps with the chocolate.
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Four years after the war ended, Juno’s life had somewhat returned to normal. He was still constantly reminded not to go past the fence on the edge of the meadow. His parents feared that getting too close to the DMZ could be dangerous. He hadn’t heard anything about his cousin for over three years. Juno believed that his cousin was still doing well at his university in the northern city. Just because the communication between them had been cut off didn’t mean that his cousin was in danger or lost. His cousin was smart. Juno convinced himself that his cousin was safe. Meanwhile, Juno continued to go to school in the morning and to his family farm in the afternoon. Juno was in middle school. One snowy December morning, Juno’s grandmother passed away. His family mourned their loss, and their neighbors and friends joined them. Juno was always close to his grandmother. Juno’s grandmother always told him about the cranes. “They’ll come in October and leave in March,” she used to tell him. She told him about the distinctions between the red-crowned crane, the white-naped crane, and the white-fronted goose. His favorite was the red-crowned crane, but it was also the most rare. When his grandmother passed away, Juno spotted a red-crowned crane looking over the valley on their way to the burial site. Juno decided that the red-crowned crane was his grandmother’s spirit looking over him.
According to Juno’s father, the war was between American “Caps” and Soviet “Comms” that happen on Korean land.
The soldiers, from both the Korean and American troops, were building a wall to mark the demilitarized zone (DMZ).
Juno’s Story
PART TWO
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Juno wasn’t sure anymore if he should be glad he was on the southern side of the border. The North had cut off the river water that came from Bognae Lake. The water supply to his agricultural village was scarce. His family’s rice field was low on water. Juno worried for his family’s well-being. The potential of losing their rice harvest was worrisome. Meanwhile, his family decided to send Juno to the city for university. Juno was hesitant to leave his parents and siblings while he went to study, but his father insisted on sending him to school. Juno decided to study biology because he was always interested in science. Juno planned to finish off his last year of high school and move to the city on his own at the end of the school year.
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Juno was attending university. During the middle of his studies, Juno served his mandatory two years in the South Korean military. He was stationed at an army base near the border. After a couple of months of basic training, he served as a nurse. He was also introduced to some U.S. Army soldiers who were stationed at the U.S. Army base in South Korea. They were friendly, and Juno became acquainted with their presence while serving his two years in the military. The U.S. soldiers mentioned how lucky they were to be stationed in South Korea. Thanks to the division of the country, the country was at peace, and the soldiers themselves were safe. Juno couldn’t help but wonder if their safety was an illusion. It was only at the sacrifice of hundreds of Korean people’s lives that the American “Caps” could maintain the so-called peace on the Korean Peninsula. The division of the country causing family separation and the negative repercussions of the war were never mentioned. Did they know that Juno’s family was only barely getting by due to the lack of agricultural resources, or that Juno’s cousin had been missing since the end of the war?
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After graduating from university, Juno returned to his hometown of Yangji Village. Juno missed his family. As an adult, Juno understood the implications of the Korean War a lot better. His time at university and the military was an eye-opening time of personal growth and learning. Juno’s new job was working at a clinic near his village. His degree in medicine was helpful for him to find a job. Juno realized why his father insisted on Juno getting a college degree rather than just working at his family farm. His new job at the clinic felt rewarding to help other people in the community. After moving back to his hometown, Juno got engaged to Chunja. Although they attended middle school together, they were never close until their families arranged for them to meet in hopes of marriage. Chunja’s family also owned farming land, so when the two of them got married, they went to each other’s family farms on the weekends to help out with the chores. Juno’s life was stable. When he walked home from the clinic, Juno watched for cranes. He spotted a couple every day, but it was getting close to the time they migrated North for the summer.
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The South Korean government completed building the T’gyo Reservoir in 1976. Juno knew that this was meant to be better for the agricultural villages, including Yangji Village, which was affected by the North’s control of Bognae Lake. However, he couldn’t help but wonder what it meant for the agricultural villages in the North. It was almost as if animosity between the two countries was a prerequisite to having control over the agricultural water supply. Either way, Juno was glad that his family and his village now had a stable source of water. The village saw the T’gyo Reservoir as a gift from the South Korean government. Juno and Chunja now had two children: a girl and a boy. Watching his children grow in postwar Korea made him nostalgic for his own childhood. Compared to his childhood of learning about the war as it was happening, Juno was relieved that his children would learn about the war through history books.
It was only at the sacrifice of hundreds of Korean people’s lives that the American “Caps” could maintain the so-called peace on the Korean Peninsula.
It was almost as if animosity between the two countries was a prerequisite to having control over the agricultural water supply.
Juno’s Story
PART THREE
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Juno accepted an opportunity to research wildlife in the DMZ that he could not pass up. At first, Chunja was hesitant about the position due to the lack of safety precautions. However, after learning that Juno and the team of researchers would be supervised and protected by soldiers. So, he retired from his clinic and pursued the new wildlife research position. Juno was excited to be on the lookout for red-crowned cranes whenever he was allowed into the DMZ. He couldn’t help but notice how the luscious, untouched nature of the DMZ was considered to be one of the most dangerous places in the world. Throughout the past couple of decades, Juno would’ve never guessed how rich the environment of the DMZ grew to be. It was a stark contrast to the ever-urbanizing cities of South Korea. While the political war proved to marginalize certain groups of people, deeming them and their environments as disposable, the outcome of the Korean War in terms of nature left Juno speechless. It was quite ironic that the destructive war efforts made the DMZ seem peaceful, but in reality, the war had left so many people displaced, disrupting communities and their environments.
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Juno was now a grandfather. His daughter, the older of his two children, had two children of her own. His daughter and her husband lived in a city, much further south. He didn’t have the opportunity to see his grandchildren very often, but whenever they visited him in Yangji Village, Juno told them stories about his childhood. His young grandchildren were always so intrigued and captivated by his stories. Juno wasn’t sure if they understood that the Korean War was real and had lasting, devastating effects on the Korean people and the history of each community. Whether or not they realized it was “real” or not, Juno made sure to pass down the stories to the next generation. Seeing his grandchildren also made Juno reflect on his grandmother. Although rare, Juno was always on the lookout for the cranes that he and his grandmother watched. Juno told himself that he would teach his own grandchildren about the cranes one day while eating American chocolate.
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Juno still worked for the research institute discovering the species and their habitats within the DMZ. He supervised the younger researchers at the university and no longer went out into the field. He was also a guest lecturer and spoke at universities throughout the country. He spoke about culture, history, and nature to students of all ages. Juno’s life was fulfilling and happy. His children and grandchildren were loving and shared similar hobbies. They would go on fishing trips and bird-watching hikes together. Overall, Juno’s life had come a long way since the Korean War. However, no matter how long ago it was, Juno never forgot when he was six years old and tasted American chocolate for the first time.
