Korea

Anyeonghi keseyo, Korea

Goodbye, Korea.  Tomorrow is moving day, and my computer will be boxed up and shipped to the U.S.  The Internet router goes back to Korea Telecom on Tuesday.  This is probably my final blog entry in Korea before we depart for the U.S. on Wednesday.  We will head to Hawai’i for two weeks–two years after we last visited on our way here.  After Hawai’i, we will be in Seattle for about a week and then in Idaho for another week before heading to Virginia.  We will head to Paraguay next July. 
 
The goodbye parties are over, and all that’s left to do are check-out meetings and inspections.  When I have more time in the U.S., I will post some photos and tell you more about them (at least to the point where I don’t embarass someone–some photos are pretty crazy).  We had a wonderful tour in Korea.  Most people who serve here leave with mixed feelings.  Some love it, some hate it, but most enjoy it with caveats.  I really enjoyed my time here, so you can put me in the group who loved it.  My family enjoyed it with caveats.
 
In spite of spending a large portion of my life processing visas for 36,530 individuals, I leave Seoul with great memories.  I am thankful that I will probably never have to do another visa again (I did more than my fair share), but I will remember the time fondly–even at the visa window.  My family and I are looking forward to new challenges during Spanish training in Virginia and in Paraguay, but we leave with two years of great memories from Korea. 
 
And with that…hello, Hawai’i!

Goh stops presidential run

Former Korean presidential hopeful Goh Kun announced today that he would not seek office in December’s Korean presidential election.  The Korean Presidential election, held once every five years, was expected to be a very competitive race until former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak took a commanding lead in recent public opinion polls.  Mr. Lee, the leading candidate for the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), and his rival, Park Geun-hye, GNP party leader, placed first and second, respectively, in recent opinion polls.  Mr. Goh, a former GNP member, left the GNP last year to run as a centrist independent.  He was lobbied by members of the ruling Uri Party and the Democratic Party (DP) to serve as the presidential nominee for a unified, yet-to-be-named merged party.  However, Mr. Goh resisted attempts to join Uri and/or the DP, and he may have dropped out of the race after he determined that he could not win the presidency as an independent.
 
Mr. Goh’s departure affects the presidential race by strengthening the hand of the GNP.  Barring an unexpected popularity surge by another candidate, either Mr. Lee or Ms. Park seem assured to become the next Korean president, replacing outgoing President Roh Moo-hyun.  Some speculate that despite Mr. Lee’s popularity, the GNP will choose Ms. Park over Ms. Lee as its presidential candidate, because Ms. Park is the party leader and daughter of former Korean President Park Chung-hee, making her a sentimental choice for president within her party.  They point out that the GNP lost the presidency in 2002 to the Uri Party because it chose Mr. Lee Hoi-chang as its presidential candidate, even after Mr. Lee lost the presidency to Kim Dae-jung in 1997.  This implies that the ruling Uri Party or the DP could capitalize on a Lee-Park schism in the GNP to win the presidency.
 
The GNP might choose Ms. Park as its presidential nominee over Lee Myung-bak, even though Mr. Lee handily beats Ms. Park in opinion polls.  Who the GNP nominates as its standard bearer largely depends on how the GNP decides to choose its presidential candidate–an internal party primary system favors Ms. Park, or an open primary system favors Mr. Lee.  Both are strong presidential candidates, and with the third-strongest candidate, Mr. Goh, departing the race, their statuses solidify as presidential front runners.  Other potential candidates, including former Unification Minister Chang Dong-young and Mr. Kim Geun-tae of the Uri Party, or former Seoul National University President Chung Un-chan, do not have the stature or momentum going into the presidential election to seriously challenge either Mr. Lee or Ms. Park.  It is also unlikely that Mr. Lee would run as an independent or as the  presidential nominee of another political party in the event that the GNP chooses Ms. Park as its nominee.  Moreover, the GNP has won the last five elections and clearly has the momentum going into this year’s presidential race.  Unless a dark horse candidate comes up with a wildly popular solution to the Korean public’s biggest concerns–housing and jobs–Goh’s departure makes it even more evident that either Lee Myung-bak or Park Geun-hye will be Korea’s next president.  We’ll find out in December.

Closer and closer to transition

We’re just 26 days away from leaving Korea.  How will we ever finish everything we must do?  Now that time is growing ever shorter, I find myself choosing between priorities.  I wish I could clone myself and assign myself to do different tasks, like writing this blog.  Alas, I cannot.  Fortunately, the most pressing logistics involved with our move have already been set in motion–our trip is booked, my follow-on assignment is set, and the biggest move preparations are already planned, including scheduling the movers and vehicle pickup.  Over the next 26 days, we need to focus on all the "little" things, like changing addresses, finishing my job evaluation, and organizing paperwork for our trip.  If you’ve ever moved, which I’m sure you have, you’ll understand all that is involved with a move.  I’ve never heard anyone who said anything favorable about moving other than that they’re glad when it’s over.
 
What is unique about this lifestyle is that moves happen every two, three, or four years.  It’s an amazing experience immersing yourself in cultures such as Korea and Paraguay.  However, moving around the world nine or ten times over a 25- to 30-year period can be a tremendous grind.  This is compounded by the fact that some transitions stretch into months, even years, when training and home leave is involved.  For example, we will be on leave for one month, and then we will be in Virginia for four months to study Spanish.  During this time, our car and most of our worldly possessions will be boxed up and shipped to Paraguay.  For three months, we will live out of suitcases in a furnished apartment in Virginia with no vehicle.  Life won’t feel "normal" again–if you can call this life "normal"–until next August, after we unpack the belongings that will be shipped from Korea in about three weeks.  I shouldn’t complain, but it is a sacrifice to live such a transitory lifestyle.  I wouldn’t trade it for a stable life in suburban America, though.  I’m right where I need to be.