Love in Korean War: Wartime bride's son traces mother's journey from Wonju to America
On the wooden veranda of a traditional Korean house, its lattice doors covered in paper, a young couple sits facing each other and smiling. The American husband, hair cropped short, has lather on his face and is about to shave. His younger Korean wife holds up a mirror for him. Last summer, their granddaughter shared 10 of the black-and-white photographs on Reddit, the American online forum. They…
On the wooden veranda of a traditional Korean house, a young couple - American Ralph Smith and Korean Park Yoo-sun - sit facing each other, smiling. The American husband, with short hair and a beard, is about to shave. He holds up a mirror for his younger Korean wife. Their granddaughter shared ten black-and-white photographs from the early 1950s, taken in Wonju, Gangwon Province during the Korean War, on Reddit, garnering attention from users in both countries.
The marriage, though bittersweet, carried a price. Women in Korea who married American servicemen in that era were labeled "yanggongju," or "Western princess," a derogatory term used against women associated with U.S. troops. The couple eventually settled in the United States during the 1960s. Their son, Charley Smith, now 74, has published a book titled "Yoo-sun and Ralph" through the Korean publisher Positive Thinking.
The book traces the family history intertwined with the turbulent course of the Korean War and the subsequent journey to America.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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