"Harmony and Progress"

World Peace Gate
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/World_Peace_Gate,_Olympic_Park,_Seoul.jpg

June 16, 1988: Part IV

While many of us were left with few details about our biological past, we theorized that we were born to single mothers and/or the economic conditions under which we were born were not sufficient to raise a child. Because the Korean War was the event that led to international adoption, it seemed rational to think that Korea was still trying to economically recover when we were born. Since most of us were now teenagers, it was hard to comprehend the economic growth that took place since the war, nor did we give it much thought.

With these notions, I had these really outdated, inaccurate visions of my motherland. I still imagined that Korea or even parts of Seoul would resemble scenes from the TV show M*A*S*H. Everything would be brown, dusty or camouflage green and tan. Although I knew that it wasn't going to be exactly what I envisioned, it was still surprising to see such a cosmopolitan city and to be able to tour the Olympic facilities that were built for the games that summer.

After leaving our agency office that morning, we headed towards the Olympic Park. Seoul was only the 2nd Asian city to host the summer Olympic games since Tokyo in 1964. What was remarkable was that only 35 years had passed since the end of the Korean War and now, Seoul was going to produce this magnificent event. When you consider other regions of the world that had to rebuild after a major conflict in the 20th century, Korea's post-war modernization is quite extraordinary. The motto of the Summer Olympics "Harmony and Progress" made perfect sense.

We toured the park and many of the competition facilities. It was quite impressive to see these places in person and I don't know if I would have taken an interest in the Olympics of 1988 if it weren't for this experience. The significance of this tour was not only to visit where history was going to take place, but it was also a reason to be proud of our motherland.

Now, the facilities are public venues for physical fitness and host concerts and other events. In addition, there is the Seoul Olympic Museum that houses commemorative items, sculptors and other artifacts from the summer of 1988.