Chapter 9 For the first time on the diplomatic stage

One year the drought was very severe, and my father worried about the disaster day and night.One day at dinner he brought up the wilting of the crops and told him that this year was going to be tougher than ever. Mother's complexion is not very good.The topics on the breakfast and dinner tables in our family are all related to the current social situation. My father and mother will exchange opinions on various aspects such as economy, society, national defense, and culture. Everyone will be very happy when there is good news. My father would occasionally ask, "If you were the head of a certain department in the government, what policy would you implement?"

The young Zhiwan replied: "I want to be the Minister of Science and make robots." This made his father laugh out loud. Through "dinner table conversations" with my family, I naturally learned a lot. Not only did I become interested in various things, but I also thought about and researched them, and in the process, I cultivated a sense of patriotism.I don't know when, as long as my father was worried about drought, I would pray for rain and become a little adult who worried about the country.Looking back now, it would be a pity to have a memory or two of reckless behavior befitting my age at the time.

Cheong Wa Dae is often visited by experts in various fields, and I occasionally sit on the sidelines and listen to their conversations with my father.Every time the experts went back, my father would ask me for my opinion on what they had discussed. One day my father asked me about my major in college. I replied that I wanted to study electronic engineering. My father asked me why, and I said: "A doctor who visited Cheong Wa Dae last time mentioned that 'a small semiconductor is worth 20 to 30 dollars. , The weight of a 007 leather bag is tens of thousands of dollars, we in Korea should fight for the electronics industry'. Therefore, I want to become the main force in the industry to contribute to the country."

My mother, who usually hoped that I could go to the history department, was frightened by my words. "How to read such a difficult book..." My mother who feels sorry for me can't talk, but my father is different from my mother. Maybe he wanted to train me to be a professional talent very early on. "This idea is great. Dad believes that as long as it is you, you can achieve your dream." From that day on, my father began to give me many opportunities to see the bigger world.During a public visit to Australia and New Zealand, my father filled in the name of "Park Geun-hye" on the list of participants without prior notice. That experience was a fresh and shocking education for me.

I was very impressed by the houses in Australia and New Zealand that only appear in fairy tales.Every house has a white roof with big windows. The beautiful courtyard is full of flowers and trees. The trees in every household are full of attractive fruits. The clean courtyard is full of flowers, which symbolizes the country. rich.People walking in the evening have leisurely smiles on their faces. Seeing a country that is completely different from ours live a leisurely and affluent life, I fully understand why our country should vigorously develop its economy.Looking at their glamorous scene, I am quite envious of those countries that have escaped poverty.

The thought of "I can't be a frog in the well" instantly ignited my fighting spirit, "We must quickly surpass them so that our country can also enjoy a prosperous life."In this way, I returned to my country with the hope and ideal that my country will also be prosperous in the future. After entering university, I suddenly had an opportunity to visit abroad. In October 1972, Spain sent a letter inviting my country to participate in the sea trial ceremony of the tanker.The GULF company, which cooperates with our country, invited my mother after completing the production of the tanker, but because my mother's busy schedule has no time to spare, it was decided that I would participate instead of her.

Before I had time to get acquainted with the country of Spain, my first diplomatic mission started here. I read a five-minute speech on stage in front of a large crowd of Spaniards, announcing the naming of the tanker "God's Blessing".After the speech in Spanish, enthusiastic Spaniards whistled and cheered, and the scene immediately became a place for celebration. The Spaniards are as enthusiastic as they are rumored to be. There are handsome men and beautiful women with warm smiles everywhere. They live up to their reputation as a country of festivals. I have the impression that "the people are cheerful and happy by nature".A long time ago, I really wanted to participate in the Spanish festival "Running of the Bulls".Every year on July 6th, the Running of the Bulls Festival is held in the square in front of Pamplona City Hall. People shout "Long live the Running of the Bulls!" and light huge firecrackers at the same time, which is the most famous celebration in Spain.

I got to know this festival through Hemingway's novels. Hemingway has participated in this festival for more than ten years, which is very attractive.At that time, I expressed the hope that I would have the opportunity to participate in this festival in the future and feel the enthusiasm and freedom of the Spanish people. The staff immediately expressed that I was welcome to participate at any time. Thirty-five years ago, the "dream of a running of the bulls celebration" has not yet come true, but my desire for freedom and enthusiasm for Spain remains deep in my heart.Every time I see young people traveling freely around the world with backpacks on their backs, the desire to start is rekindled.

The following year, an invitation letter was sent to the "70th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony of Korean Immigrants" held in Hawaii. My mother was also invited that time, but my mother sent me to go instead.The purpose and significance of that visit to Hawaii was different from the visit to Spain in the past, because it was a national level event, so the responsibility was even greater.The secretaries were worried that I might not be competent due to my young age and inexperience, but my mother said to them with confidence: "You can rest assured that Jinhye will do a good job."

To this day, I can still clearly recall the feeling of nervousness and anticipation at that time.That ceremony was attended on behalf of all our citizens, and no mistakes are allowed. It is an extremely important ceremony, so full preparation is required.I not only read the relevant materials of the ceremony, but also studied the local customs, economic strength, cultural differences, important people, political disputes and other materials. Clothing is also an issue.We choose and match clothes according to the atmosphere of the ceremony and banquet we are invited to.Clothes, leather shoes, watches, bags, etc., there are quite a lot of things that need to be prepared.As a student at the time, I couldn’t buy all new ones, so I decided to borrow appropriate ones from my mother’s clothes and accessories. Of course, my mother also agreed with my idea.

My mother gave me an assignment to think about what kind of gift would be suitable for the inviting party.It took me several days to list several meaningful gifts with Korean characteristics and make a gift list.I mainly focus on works of art such as Kim Hong-do’s picture albums that can promote our country’s culture, while my mother carefully observes the whole process from the sidelines, but all matters are fully decided by me, which also means that I must be solely responsible for all decisions. The night before departure, I was reading a book because I couldn't sleep, and my mother quietly opened the door and came in.It was close to midnight at that time, and she had just finished her full schedule at that time, with a tired look on her face. "Why aren't you sleeping?" "a little nervous." "Don't be nervous, you're going to do fine, go to sleep. Just go about your business as usual." My mother's trust in me gave me great strength. At 6:10 am on January 12, 1973, I arrived at the airport in Hawaii. The overseas Chinese welcomed me very warmly, and the attitude of the Hawaiian state government was quite solemn. The appreciation party held at the Kahala Hilton Hotel, from the commander of the Pacific region to the people in power in Hawaii, all attended the scene, and the scene was very lively.I was invited to be the guest of honor for the opening ceremony of the Hawaii Senate. It was an exceptional treatment and an unexpected situation, so I and my entourage immediately made busy preparations. On live television, I read the opening speech of the Hawaii Senate.After the ceremony, the reporters swarmed up and asked a bunch of questions, and I answered them one by one in English.After I calmly answered the last question, the people who were worried about me finally showed a reassuring smile on their faces. The overseas Chinese who watched the TV broadcast also responded enthusiastically.I was invited to a gathering with nearly 500 overseas Chinese, and I shook hands with them one by one. Looking at the first-generation overseas Chinese who held my hand and cried, I felt an indescribable sadness in my heart.In an instant, I figured out one thing - if we want to repay the overseas Chinese for their hard work in other countries, we must make our country prosperous and strong. On the car back to the residence, looking at the gorgeous and twinkling scenery of Hawaii outside the window, I thought of the rough hands of a certain old woman when I shook hands just now. Her sad eyes revealed the longing for the motherland.I thought to myself that for them, the Republic of Korea should quickly join the ranks of developed countries. After my public trip to Hawaii, I got on a plane and left Hawaii.At that time, my mood was not easy. Although I successfully completed the task, I felt guilty for the overseas Chinese who stayed in Hawaii. After getting off the plane, I saw my parents, grandma, and younger siblings coming to pick me up. I went to my father to say hello, and then walked to my mother.The sense of security of returning to the motherland and hometown came spontaneously, and tears fell down without disappointment. At dinner, my father and mother asked me how I felt about the trip: "What impresses you the most?" "There is a Korean Pavilion in the Hawaiian Museum. I visited it, but there were not as many things on display as I expected. I think we should quickly promote our country's cultural heritage abroad. Those immigrants who have immigrated to distant places have worked so hard. If we don't improve our country The image of the country will make it difficult for the local Chinese to hold their heads high.” "We Geun-hye will still care about these things, it seems that this trip is not in vain." Father's words are very encouraging to me. Soon after, my father customized a set of Hanbok and donated it to the Hawaii Museum. The Hanbok full of Chinese traditional charm has since been displayed in the museum, showing the beauty of Hanbok to the world.