The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 29

29. To Prevent Descendants from Being Sold Off

In the early 1960s, the wounds of the Korean War were still raw, and South Korea’s per capita national income hovered around a meager 70 US dollars.

The nation was poorer than North Korea, and unemployment was rampant.

The average monthly salary for miners sent to work in Germany ranged from 650 to 950 marks (approximately 130,000 to 190,000 won at the time), a staggering eight times the average wage for workers back home.

Driven by the promise of such high earnings, countless Koreans yearned to go to Germany; over 46,000 individuals applied for the initial recruitment of just 500 positions.

However, many inexperienced miners suffered injuries, both major and minor, and long-term health problems.

Germany also sought to recruit nurses.

As Germany’s economy prospered, its citizens increasingly shied away from dirty, dangerous, and difficult (3D) jobs.

Night shifts in particular were hard to fill, and even with generous overtime pay, few nurses were willing to work them.

Hospitals were forced to hire Korean nurses to take on these demanding roles, but initially, they were treated more like hospital orderlies than medical professionals.

Coming from a less developed nation, they weren’t initially trusted with complex medical procedures. Instead, they were assigned tasks like cleaning corpses with alcohol, preparing bodies for burial (dressing them in shrouds), and tending to terminally ill patients in hospice wards.

However, the Korean nurses approached their work with remarkable dedication and compassion. They cared for patients with heartfelt sincerity, and when a patient passed away, they would cradle the body and weep while performing the *yeom* (염), the traditional Korean ritual of preparing the deceased for their final journey. This display of empathy deeply moved many Germans.

As time went on, when German nurses were unavailable or occupied, the Korean nurses stepped in to administer injections and assist patients, surprising their colleagues with their competence.

Gradually, perceptions of the Korean nurses began to shift, and they started to be entrusted with more significant medical responsibilities.

Notably, when critically injured patients arrived at the hospital bleeding profusely, the Korean nurses didn’t hesitate to provide immediate care, often becoming soaked in blood themselves. In dire situations where blood supplies were low, some Korean nurses even directly donated their own blood to save lives.

Witnessing the unwavering dedication of these Korean nurses, people began to call them “angels,” and the general attitude toward Korean workers began to transform.

West German newspapers and television regularly reported on these acts of selflessness, and news spread throughout Europe, including West Germany, that “angels have come from the East.”

As the tireless efforts of the Korean nurses and miners gained widespread recognition, West Germans were astonished that such a country existed, and public sentiment grew that the president of this nation should be invited to Germany as a gesture of gratitude.

In response, the West German government extended an invitation to President Park Chung-hee.

The Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president] was immediately abuzz with preparations for the visit, but challenges arose from the outset.

The most pressing issue was the lack of a suitable aircraft to transport the presidential entourage.

The only plane available to Korea was a small passenger aircraft that primarily serviced routes to and from Japan.

It was simply inadequate for a trip to West Germany.

A decision was made to charter an American Airlines plane, but the US government intervened, stating that they couldn’t provide transportation for the president of a country that had come to power through a military coup. This plan also fell through.

“Your Excellency, what are we to do?”

“Ah, a president of a country too poor to even accept a state invitation!”

“……”

“There’s nothing for it. Even if it’s humiliating, we must be honest. We must speak frankly.”

A special envoy was urgently dispatched to West Germany.

The Korean special envoy, upon meeting with President Lübke, delivered a humbling message.

“Your Excellency Lübke, Korea is unable to provide an airplane for the Korean President to travel to West Germany. Would it be possible for Germany to send us a plane?”

The West German president, who had assumed the envoy was there to finalize the visit’s details, was taken aback.

“You mean you don’t have a plane to come to West Germany?”

“Korea is a poor and weak country. I apologize deeply. Please, have mercy.”

“……”

After deliberation, an agreement was reached.

A regular Lufthansa passenger plane bound for Hong Kong would make a stop in Seoul to pick up the Korean President’s party. In Hong Kong, ordinary passengers would board in economy class, and the flight would then proceed to Frankfurt, West Germany, with stopovers in Bangkok, New Delhi, Karachi, and Rome.

December 6, 1964.

The presidential party, aboard Lufthansa Flight 649, was greeted by President Lübke and Chancellor Erhard at Cologne Airport and then traveled to the Ruhr region, the heart of Germany’s coal mining industry, where many Korean miners were employed.

Nurses from across West Germany, having heard the news of the Korean president’s visit, gathered to meet him.

Miners, still wearing their work clothes covered in coal dust, waited in the auditorium, having come directly from the coal mine.

The president entered the auditorium.

President Park Chung-hee lowered his head as he saw the faces of the Korean miners, darkened by coal dust to the point where they resembled Africans.

He did so to conceal his tears.

Someone began to sing the national anthem.

“Until the East Sea’s waters and Mount Baekdu are worn away…”

However, neither the miners, the nurses, nor the president could sing; they were all overcome with emotion.

Shoulders trembled, and sobs filled the air.

The national anthem was never completed, stopping abruptly midway.

Tears streamed down the miners’ faces, carving clean streaks through the coal dust.

The president crumpled the prepared speech in his hand.

It was an eloquent address that began with “Overseas Koreans!”, but it felt inadequate in this moment.

Struggling to maintain his composure, he delivered an impromptu speech.

“I am deeply ashamed, and my heart aches as I stand before you. As the President of the Republic of Korea, I place my hand on my heart and reflect deeply on my responsibilities. I am the one who brought you here. Because our land offers so little opportunity, you are forced to earn a living in this distant foreign country. Our miners descend into endless tunnels in this desolate and lonely landscape, breathing in black coal dust and extracting coal. I have heard that our nurses care for German patients twice their size and suffer herniated discs in less than two years. Why must you be sold to other countries so far away? It is all because our country is weak and incapable. But give me time and opportunity. I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure that our descendants will never be sold to other countries as you have been. I will make it so. I will definitely do it…”

The president lowered his head.

The nurses, the miners covered in coal dust, and the president and his wife embraced each other, weeping openly like children.

The West German president, witnessing this scene, was also moved to tears.

Even the reporters covering the event forgot their professional duties and shed tears.

The miners and nurses clung to the president as he prepared to leave, shouting “Long live the Republic of Korea!” and “Long live Mr. President!”

The farewell was prolonged, and it took over an hour for the president to finally depart the auditorium.

On the return journey along the highway, President Park couldn’t contain his tears.

The West German president offered his own handkerchief to wipe them away.

The presidential motorcade, escorted by West German police motorcycles, sped along the autobahn [German superhighway].

The experience of driving on the wide-open highway at speeds exceeding 120 km/h was a revelation for President Park.

President Park, deeply impressed by the autobahn, ordered the car to stop three times to carefully examine the road conditions, his eyes filled with tears.

And he sketched a highway in his notebook.

At a banquet hosted by President Lübke, West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard, referring to the president’s experience on the autobahn, remarked:

“Economic development requires the prior establishment of infrastructure such as roads and ports. Although the autobahn was initially built by the Nazis for military purposes, I am grateful for its existence. I often silently salute the autobahn when I enter it and when I exit the interchange ramp. In developing countries, highway construction is often considered an impossible undertaking, but the German people, even in times as challenging as those the Korean people are now experiencing, managed to build these industrial arteries and achieve the ‘Miracle on the Rhine’ [West Germany’s rapid post-war economic recovery]. Miracles do not simply fall from the sky; they are born from the blood, sweat, and tears of human beings.”

The president turned to the prime minister and asked:

“Prime Minister, you were instrumental in West Germany’s economic revival during your tenure as Minister of Economy. What was the key to your success?”

Chancellor Erhard served as Minister of Economy from 1948 to 1963, a period that saw West Germany achieve its remarkable economic transformation.

“The government took the lead in guiding industry, rather than simply observing from the sidelines. We prioritized basic industrial investment. We expanded social overhead capital [infrastructure]. We swiftly restored the market economy system with strong leadership. And we worked diligently to support small and medium-sized enterprises.”

As the banquet drew to a close, Chancellor Erhard grasped President Park’s arm and said:

“Your Excellency, economic prosperity is the only way for a divided country to overcome communism.”

The following day, the president began a private meeting with Chancellor Erhard at the Chancellor’s residence, accompanied only by an interpreter.

However, the meeting resembled a plea more than a discussion between heads of state.

The president implored the German chancellor:

“Please lend me money. Please lend Korea money! Like your country, Korea is divided and fighting against communist forces. Korea must revive its economy to prevail against the communists. I promise to repay the money. I am not a liar. The Republic of Korea never lies. Please, lend me money!”

Witnessing the president’s desperation, Chancellor Erhard finally spoke:

“Your Excellency, shake hands with Japan.”

The president glared at the interpreter, angered by the suggestion.

“What? Why are you talking about Japan when I’m asking for money? Are you flaunting your wealth?”

Chancellor Erhard, sensing President Park’s displeasure, spoke again before the translation could be completed.

“Your Excellency, Germany and France have fought forty-two wars throughout history. But Chancellor Adenauer met with de Gaulle and extended his hand, and our neighboring countries joined forces. Korea should also reconcile with Japan.”

The president bristled.

“Prime Minister, you are not familiar with the history between Korea and Japan. Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] was unilaterally plundered by Japan. They are war criminals, yet they have not even apologized.”

“Indeed? Japan should apologize. Germany has never lost a battle with France, but Germany has never won a war. My predecessor, Chancellor Adenauer, was a great man. Despite the animosity between Germany and France, he met with French President de Gaulle, shook hands, and forged an alliance. Your Excellency, leaders must look to the future, not the past or the present. We must create a cooperative relationship between our two countries to prepare for the threat from communist nations. Shake hands with Japan. You must be prepared to face criticism from your people in the short term. Your Excellency’s achievements will be judged a century from now. This is not for your personal benefit, but for the future of the country and the people who desperately need economic prosperity.”

The United States was pressuring South Korea to normalize relations with Japan, threatening to reduce the number of US troops stationed in Korea. Someone had to shoulder the burden.

“Spit on my grave!” [a Korean expression meaning “I will never do that!”]

President Park’s blueprint for South Korea’s economic growth began in this way.