• In South Korea was much more developed than it had been when I
left seven years before. Major highways were paved; there was a superhigh-
way from Seoul to Pusan, and another from the east coast to Seoul was al-
most completed. There were far more automobiles. People had higher
expectations and were more confident in their abilities and future prospects.
Yet travel was still a little difficult in some areas, and I was determined to
see all of the ROK and become familiar with each of its regions.
Over the next year I traveled more than thirty thousand kilometers
throughout South Korea. I used every possible means of transportation,
including car, train, bus, military and civilian aircraft, and even an occa-
sional turnip truck. (I would sometimes hitch a ride on a small truck carry-
ing turnips or cabbage to help me get to know Koreans better; one does not
learn much or improve one’s language capability driving around in an em-
bassy sedan.) Later I purchased a small motorcycle and drove it to every prov-
ince of the ROK, taking five weeks to do so. My ten-year-old son accompanied
me on part of that journey, clinging closely to my waist with wide eyes all
the way. (Today he is a grown man and business executive, the father of four
children of his own, but we still fondly remember that adventure together.)
In the late summer and early fall of , I walked from Kojin near the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the border with North Korea, to Pohang, a jour-
ney of six weeks that also consumed two pairs of hiking boots. The modern
highway along the eastern coast had not yet been completed, so much of
this journey was along unimproved roads or footpaths. I explored the rug-
ged beaches and fishing villages of the scenic east coast and made side trips
to such areas as Kyongpodae, a lake near Kangnung where Korean royalty
used to vacation during the hot and humid Korean summer, and Soraksan,
the spectacular park of jagged peaks and abruptly rising mountains often
referred to as the “Rockies of Korea.” At Soraksan I climbed Bisundae Moun-
tain, slept under the stars, shared a meal with several Buddhist monks, and
drank from the mountain streams. In the city of Kangnung, I stayed for two
or three days while waiting for a resupply of hiking boots and money from
my office. I was warmly treated there by the proprietor of a small yogwan,
who provided accommodations despite the fact that I was temporarily out
of money and must have looked like a tramp, having just come from the
mountain experience at Soraksan.
I encountered many other acts of kindness from ordinary Koreans dur-
ing this trip, and it was a highlight of my second tour in the country. Seoul
is an exciting and vibrant city, but I think the real heart and soul of Korea is
in the countryside.