Citizen diplomacy brings Korea, Japan closer
When you are abroad, you will more often than not find yourself becoming a patriot. Older Koreans say people tend to develop a greater sense of unity and solidarity with their community when they live in a foreign country. Their shared sense of identity often brings them closer together and helps them maintain a strong bond. It is common to see Koreans gather to share happiness, guided by the…
When traveling abroad, many people find themselves more patriotic than ever. Older Koreans often develop a stronger sense of unity and solidarity with their community while living in a foreign country. This shared identity typically brings them closer together and helps maintain a strong bond. It's common to see Koreans gather to celebrate happiness, believing that shared joy doubles and shared sorrow is halved.
In contrast, gatherings exclusively celebrating the achievements of Koreans by individuals from a different culture are rare, especially if the host is Japanese, given the nations' long and contentious history. However, an unusual event occurred in Houston, Texas, in September when Akemi Saitoh, the wife of Yasuhiko Saitoh, president of Japan's largest chemical company Shin-Etsu, invited around 70 guests - most of whom were of Korean descent - to their Houston residence on September 20 for a party celebrating Korean ballerinas.
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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- Citizen diplomacy brings Korea, Japan closer koreatimes.co.kr
