winners - group i - english, grades 5-8

8/2/2019 Winners - Group I - English, Grades 5-8

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10th Annual Essay Contest, 2004-2005: Korean Heritage Commemorative Essays Winners - Group I, English (Grades 5-8) 2


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Group 1, 1st Place

My Korean FamilyDavid Shin

IS 230, 6th GradeTeacher: Ms. Sylvia Huh

Principal: Ms. Sharon TerrySuperintendent: Samona Joe Tait

The topic I chose to write about is my Korean family. Have you ever stopped

and wondered about your familys culture? Everyones families who have

immigrated to America had to adapt to the American culture. So what I am saying

is that most families have two or more cultures because they had to come to

America and adapt to the American culture while keeping their culture. I would like

to talk about my family and how the American culture influenced my family.

In Korea there are many kinds of things that are not in America. The language

there is Korean. So if my dad or mom came from Korea speaking only Korean, they

should have a hard time understanding people who speak English. My parents had

to adapt to America and learn at least a little bit of English for my brother and me.

Authors Statement:

I heard about the essay contest from my teacher, Ms. Huh. She came upto me and asked, Do you know theres an essay contest for Koreans? I was

puzzled. She told me about the Korean heritage essay contest step by step. I

didnt think much about it at first until she said that there was a prize. After

that, my eyes lit up. I knew that I definitely wanted to enter the contest.

Ms. Huh helped me edit and revise my paper and I wrote my final paper.

After I finished everything, I was just waiting for the results. One morning

I heard my name in the morning announcements announcing that I had won

first prize. I was so happy. In my head I was screaming Yahoo!!!!! I had never

thought I would win. I was excited. My classmates congratulated me and I

felt very proud of my work. This event will be memorable to me because ithelped me become more aware of my culture and of who I am.


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In my family, we use only Korean to communicate. We speak English outside the

home. I think that is how I maintain both languages. Our family also celebrates lots

of holidays because my family has two cultures just like most families. We eat

American food and Korean food mixed. Sometimes we would eat bacon, sausages

or steak. Then sometimes we would eat Korean soup, a spicy kind of food calledKim-Chee, and much more. So I would often see a fork and spoon or sometimes I

would see a spoon and chopsticks. We have to take off our shoes in the house and

we speak to adults with respect. My family has a lot of Korean inside us, but still we

are Americans at the same time. My mom wants me to eat Kim-Chee, but it tastes

so bad and I really hate it. I always refuse to eat it, so my mom always asks if I am

Korean. She asks, if you are Korean why dont you eat Korean food?!! I have a

habit of being American for a day or a Korean for a day because I was born in

America and raised with Korean manners, but treated like an American at school or

outside of my home.My conclusion is that most families have at least two kinds of cultures because

most families come to America from other countries and often have to adapt to the

American culture. I learned from my own family that there are many other Korean

families who have a mixed culture. This might cause an identity crisis for some

people because we can sometimes wonder if we should be acting Korean or

American. I think that its good to have this mixed culture because I have many

different options. If I get sick of American food, I can eat Korean food. If I dont

want to use chopsticks, I can just use a fork. So if people ask me what country I

am from, I am going to say both Korea and America.


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Group 1, 2nd Place

Korean New YearMinji Jo

IS 230, 8th Grade

Teacher: Ms. Sylvia Huh

Principal: Ms. Sharon TerrySuperintendent: Samona Joe Tait

There are many holidays in Korea. It is very important to celebrate the Korean

holidays even though we live in America. Korean people should try to maintain the

Korean culture. Solnal () is one of the most important holidays that are

celebrated in Korea. It is also my favorite holiday. I will talk about solnal() and

my experience celebrating this holiday in America.

Solnal() is a holiday that celebrates the New Year. It is celebrated on Jan.

1st just like New Years Day in America. On solnal() we get one year older.

On this day families get together and eat a lot of food. The most important food

Authors Statement:

A Korean teacher Ms. Huh asked me if I would be interested in writingan essay for a Korean Essay Contest. I had to choose a topic that is related

to the Korean culture. I chose to write about Korean New Year because it

was the topic that I knew most and I would have a lot to write about it.

I used the Internet to find out more about the holiday. I learned a lot

about the holiday. One thing I learned was the different kinds of food that

people ate. I found it interesting because people dont eat the food that our

ancestors ate in the past. I started to write my essay and Ms. Huh helped me

through the writing process. I wrote my first draft, which included the

introduction, body, and conclusion. Ms. Huh helped me edit and revise my essay

so that I could write my final paper.After a few weeks, the result of the Korean Essay Contest came. One

morning in school, I heard that I got 2nd prize and one of my friends got 3rd

prize. I was very happy and I felt very proud of myself. I never thought I

would win but I got the 2nd prize.


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is ttokkuk(). We believe that when you dont eat ttokkuk() you dont get one

year older. To make ttokkuk() really tasty, you have to make it from scratch.

We wear traditional clothing that is called Hanbok (). There are different

kinds and different colors of Hanbok

(). I think it is very pretty. After

eating ttokkuk () we bow down to

our elders to wish them good health and

a good year. When we finish our bows,

we get money in return. Grandparents

give us so much money. But adults give

us like $20. On this day, you can make

a lot of money. When I was in Korea, I

bowed to my grandparents, aunts and

uncles and I got more than $100. Then all our family members come together andplay some games.

There are many games you could play on solnal (). Some of them are

yuthnori (), nulthigi (), kite flying (), and hwato (). I like

yuthnori() the best. It is very fun. There are four blocks and you have to throw

it up in the air. There are five different points for different position of the block. Then,

you move your teams step on the game board. The first one who goes to the end

first wins the game. While we are playing we share our thoughts and feelings and

learn more about our family. We might not know all about our family members, but

on solnal() you could meet them and catch up on the happiness in their lives.

American people dont celebrate New Years Day like Korean people do. We eat

a variety of food, wear traditional clothes, and play fun games. I think it is very

good to know about these things. When you come from Korea to America its very

hard to see Korean people celebrate the holiday like in Korea because not all of

their families are here. It is hard to celebrate this holiday without having all your

family members involved, but I still think that people should try to celebrate to

keep the Korean culture alive in America.

On solnal () we do a lot of things. Its the day when our families get

together and play and have some time to spend together. I think solnal() is a

great day to have, especially because you get a lot of money. I hope I could go toKorea to celebrate this holiday because I could meet all my family members. I think

I want to go to Korea because I miss my family. My grandparents, aunts and uncles

are there. I hope I could see them one day. My family celebrates solnal () in

America, but its not the same as we celebrate it in Korea. For dinner instead of

making ttokkukwe go out to eat. I dont get much money because not all of my

family members are here in America. I hope many people have fun on solnal().


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Group 1, 2nd Place

The Importance of CultureBoram Choi

Jericho Middle School, 8th Grade

Teacher: Mr. David C. Ahn

Principal: Ms. Cecile WrenSuperintendent: Mr. Henry L. Grishman

Koreans are what Americans would refer to as

new immigrants, immigrants with such an exotic

culture that they had difficulty adapting to the

American culture. Our culture is nothing short of

glorious, with a long history wonderful enough to be

remembered by most Koreans. Unfortunately, in

recent years, I think Koreans were too occupied with

being Americans that they have lost a sense of Korean pride. Our culture is too

dear to be forgotten. If you look around you, you may notice some people

upholding their culture; people who are not ashamed of their heritage in this

strange land they call America, people who have the love of their homeland. I

believe that they should be respected for not getting rid of their culture. Simply

living in America does not change the fact that our people emigrated from Korea,

which makes us true Koreans at heart. The truth is, before the world was swept up

with the doctrines of Christianity and the belief of only one God, there was the

creation of the sacrificial rite for our ancestors, which traditional Koreans have

Authors Statement:

In my essay, I discussed the Korean culture; particularly the traditionalculture of Korea. I mentioned the practice of the sacrificial rite for our

ancestors. I also described my experiences in performing this ritual. I

discussed the importance of preserving a culture, for culture is the identity

of a group of people. It is about how adapting to a new culture can cause

others to forget their traditions.


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upheld and practiced. There is nothing more that the Koreans consider of

importance than respect for our ancestors, and we show our respect through

the practice of this ancient custom.

The sacrificial rite for our ancestors ended up being highly honored in my

family. We went through with this practice three times a year; once in the lunarNew Year, once on a holiday, and once on the actual anniversary of my

grandparents death. I have been doing this ever since I can remember, and I know

the process like the back of my hand. Each time, we would set up the table for the

spirits of the deceased. We put traditional food on the table; fruit and special dishes

that were made just for the occasion. To ensure that the spirits would come, we

would have to inscribe their names on a piece of paper in Chinese characters and

paste it in front of the table. Wine is also poured in small cups to be rotated around

the table three times for the ancestors. I was always in charge of this job, and I

would have to remember to hold the cup with both hands. Every so often, theplacement of the chopsticks would change for the ancestors to dine, and finally

there is the bowing.

It amazes me how much I can recall about the ceremony. It is probably

because it has been such a huge part of my Korean life here in America. I think that

the sacrificial rite for our ancestors is one of the oldest surviving remnants of the

Korean culture that Koreans have brought with them to America. Most importantly,

my parents taught me to practice it. It has been in our family for generations. It is

because of my parents will to teach me these things that I have gained further

knowledge of the Korean culture. Culture is not something to be thrown away.Culture is really just a story about a certain group of people; the way they live their

lives, and who they are, and what characteristics they share. It is how foreigners

can distinguish us from the rest of the world. Once I learned what culture really

meant, and that culture was our identity, I began to have pride in being a Korean.

We live in this diverse nation of America, where everyone has their own ethnic

background. I think one of the reasons that Koreans have been overlooked is

because our culture has been weakened. We wanted so much to become American

that we left behind our Korean ways. It is for this reason that we did not receive

respect from society and have been ignored. We didnt have an identity. True powerrests with unity, and we can become one people if we unite under one banner. We

can come together as Koreans, for culture is the one thing thatll bring us together.

This is the only way that we can share our culture with others and become

respected. Since America was built on culture itself, I believe that we first must be

proud Koreans in order to become American patriots.


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Group 1, 3rd Place

A Korean GirlEmma McGrath

Manor Oaks/William R. Bowie School, 5th Grade

Teacher: Ms. Susan Schlueck

Principal: Ms. Diane WeissSuperintendent: Mr. Joseph Rudaitis

Hello, my name is Kim Chi-Young. Welcome to my world! I would like to tellyou some information about living in Korea. Korea is located in Asia. Korea is

divided in two, North Korea and South Korea.

I am a young girl living in South Korea in the capitol city, Seoul. It is a very

big and beautiful city. It is in the northwest not far from the North Korean border.

The city suffered greatly during the Korean War, which ended in 1953, but now it is

one of the worlds 20th largest cities.

The population of South Korea is 39,331,000 and our official language is

Korean .Our currency is South Korean won.

My country produces major electronics, ship building, clothing, steel, iron,textiles and many more items. We export all over the world. Our food products are

rice, cattle, fish, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

The weather here is very extreme. Winters are very cold. Summers are very

hot. We also have a short rainy season calledjangma.

I go to school every day and learn lots of new things! All of Korean children

Authors Statement:

Hello, my name is Kim Chi-young. I am a young girl living in South Koreain the capitol city, Seoul. Seoul is a very big and beautiful city. Our country

produces major electronics, shipbuilding, clothing, steel, iron, textiles, and

many more things. My family has family meals together. We eat rice, cattle,

fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables, and kimchi. We sit together on floor cushions

eating from a low table. This is a story about a Korean girls life.


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are required to keep a diary to write about school, work and home. After school I

take tae kwon do classes. It is a traditional Korean martial art. It keeps me fit. It

requires lots of time and patience.

We have family meals together. My family sits together on floor cushions

eating from a low table. The food is placed in the center of the table.We eat with chopsticks. We have kimchiand rice with every meal. Kimchiis a

pickled spiced vegetable. There are over 100 kinds ofkimchi. Koreans love kimchi

so much that we have a kimchimuseum near Seoul.

We have different types of religion here in Korea. The Buddhist religion was

founded 2,500 years ago. We celebrate Buddhists birthday in the beginning of May.

In Seoul hundreds of people parade with lighted lanterns. South Korea has over

700 Buddhist temples. South Korea has more than 9 million Christians that are

Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Korean people are big into sports. We are soccer crazy and are ping-pongchampions. In 1988 Seoul hosted the summer Olympics. So as you can see, South

Korea is a wonderful country. We are very intelligent people, and we love and

cherish our country. Maybe you would like to come and learn more about living in

South Korea.

It was a wonderful pleasure to be Kim Chi-Young and a great experience to

learn about Korean culture.

Resources:

The Korean WarCHI-HOON, A Korean GirlTFK South Korea

Take a trip to South Korea

People and Nations of Asia

Internet: Timeforkids com/gpsouthkorea


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Group 1, 3rd Place

A Friendship In KoreaJaewha Yang

George J. Ryan Middle School (MS 216), 8th Grade

Teacher: Ms. Janet Hehir

Principal: Mr. Reginald Landeau, Jr.Superintendent: Ms. Anita Saunders

Everybody has at least one friend in their life.

Everybody has friends they can play with, go

shopping with, and talk to. Nobody thinks a friend is

useless or unimportant. A friend is very important,

as family is important. Everybody living on earth

may feel the way I feel. Americans make friends in

their own ways, and Koreans make friends in their

own ways also. However, the method of making

friends is not very different. We can make friends by

making conversation and by playing with them. It is

wonderful to get to know different people.

In Korea, the method of developing and

strengthening friendship is very similar to that of the

United States. Korean children walk to school with

their friends, eat lunch together, converse about

Authors Statement:

My essay is about the two different types of friendships in Korea andthe U.S. It explains how Korean childrens friendships are similar to or

different from American childrens friendships. Between the two countries,

there are many factors to compare or contrast with Korean children and

American children. It also explains the Koreans particular propriety toward

older people. It may help some American children to understand Korean-

Americans or American-Koreans.


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famous singers or actors and write notes to each other. It seems as if there is

barely any difference from the children living in the United States. However, there

are several factors that differentiate Korean customs from American customs.

In the U.S., when friends of the same sex link arms with each other, other

people make fun of them. However in Korea, for girls linking arms with one anotheris a sign of deep friendship. Especially during lunchtime, it is normal to see friends

embracing friends that are shorter than they are.

In Korea, it is expected of younger children to call older people by their title

and the children can't call them friends. However, in the U.S., the younger children

are free to call older people by their first name and acknowledge them as a friend.

Somebody may think Korean customs are a little bit difficult to understand.

Koreans and Americans have different customs, but there are many similarities and

different things. We must try to understand about different customs between

Koreans and Americans. Therefore, I think we can be good friends without anywords. We are the children who live on the earth. I think custom is only the

difference of people's cultures and way of looking at things. I wish everybody could

break down the barriers that we have and be friends.


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Group 1, 3rd Place

Chusok, Harvest Moon FestivalDami Ho

PS 102, 6th Grade

Teacher: Ms. Patricia Gatto

Principal: Mr. Anthony PisacanoSuperintendent: Ms. Lillian Druck

Chusok, which falls on August 15th of the lunar calendar, is perhaps the most

celebrated national holiday in Korea. Chusok is also called Chungchujol by the

elders since that was the former name. Chusokmeans autumn day.

Chusokis the time when close and far away family members gather together

to talk and enjoy harvested grains and fruits. The most important activity

performed during Chusokis when they give thanks to their ancestors, and also to

Mother Nature for providing a wonderful harvest.

In Korea, they have a national gown that women, men, and children wear.

These are called hanbok. After changing into hanbok, the family prepares side

dishes. Then, the dishes are offered to their ancestors, which are a way of showing

respect and giving thanks. This rite is called charye.

With the offering ofcharye, you will always find certain kinds of food such as

meat, fish, chestnuts, persimmons, dates, pears, and apples. Chusokwould not be

complete without songpyon. To those who do not know what songpyons are, they

are half-moon shaped rice cakes which are usually filled with beans. The dish is

always steamed on top of pine needles. Since I was very little, I used to and I still

Authors Statement:

Chusok is a national holiday in Korea. All family members gathertogether for a wonderful harvest. For showing respect for this cultural

harvest everyone changes into hanbok, traditional costume of Korea. During

the harvest you will find a variety of different kinds of food. Afterwards,

everybody goes to their ancestors graves to pay their respect. At last,

there will be games and dances to end the harvest.


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do love songpyons. Every time I would stick my two fingers to grab one on a plate

I would get in trouble by at least one or two aunts.

After the charye, all family members gather together to go to the graves of

their ancestors. They go to pay their respect and afterwards pull out weeds and

clear their gravesite.There are many games and dances about Chusok, and in the past, these

activities were done in a communal setting. The most famous activity ofChusokis

kanggangsulae. It is a combination of songs and dances where people hold hands

and spin to the rhythm of the songs. The main themes ofkanggangsulae are about

happiness, love, and longevity. Chusok is very busy time of the year and its my

favorite time of the year.


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Group 1, Honorable Mention

Korean CultureStefy Thomas




Have you ever wondered how Korea began? According to legend, the God King

Tangun founded Korea in 2333 B.C. Korea also celebrated New Years Day on

January first. If you read more, you can find more similarities.

Korea celebrates New Years Day just like us. Most people decide to take days

off work so they can spend time together. Wow, we already have a lot of

similarities. We both take days off. One of the oldest traditions is to visit the oldest

family member during New Years Day and bow in respect to him for a longer life.

My tradition is to stand up when an honorable elderly person comes for

respect, too!

Amazingly, learning about Korean culture is more fun than I thought. I found

similarities between the Korean culture and my culture! Korean people pay respectto their elderly who passed away. To show respect to my elderly who passed away,

we usually put a picture of them on the wall. To show respect to the Korean

ancestors, they give offerings such as wine, fruit, meat, soup and other dishes.

Then the oldest family member bows in respect and offers those from the past a

drink of wine or liquor. Usually, the ancestor names are pinned to the traditional

board at the beginning of the ceremony. When the ceremony is finished, the names

Authors Statement:

My essay is about Korean culture. It shows the similarities from Koreanculture and my culture, which is the Indian culture. I want to show that all

people are the same. Even when people seem to have differences, the

similarities bring people together. This essay talks about the culture of

Korea: from New Years Day celebration to how people treat each other. This

is what my essay is about.


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are burned into ashes with fire. So during the ceremony there is no time to act

frivolously. I got another similarity; during the ceremony I would get yelled at if I

act frivolously. I know that you cant be silly on special moments, too. This tradition

is called Jesa, which means respect your ancestor. Well, I got a few similarities

from those traditions. Read more if you want to know what Korea looks like.

You might think Florida is the only wonderful place in the world. Well, you are

wrong. (Well, not completely.) Korea is also wonderful. Do not let the size fool you;

Korea is a peninsula in eastern Asia. Wow, I already found a similarity. I live on an

island, too. So Long Island and Korea both have seashores. Korea also has forests

and mountains, but Long Island does not. If you want to leave your horrid work as

far as possible, you better choose to go to Korea (or even India) because its

magnificent. Thats what Korea looks like.

New Years Day is not the only thing they celebrate. They also celebrate Lunar

New Year. Lunar New Year is based on the calendar of the moon, and every year

there is a different animal used to represent that year. (Ex: Monkey means clever,skillful, flexible and inventive). A common tradition for this family, especially the

children, is to come in a hanbok. These suits and dresses are often bright colors of

green, red, pink and blue. (I would pick red and blue). They are usually layered

clothes and are the most traditional outfits in Korean culture. Did you find any

similarities? Well, thats what Lunar New Year is about.

The most important tradition that impresses me the most is the importance

Korean culture gives their family. Its also a similarity in my culture. Korean culture

considers the oldest person in the house to be the wisest. It is done in my house

also. My father is the important decision maker in my house. We give so much

respect to our parents and grandparents. Thus, I feel my culture has many things

in common with the Korean culture.

Resources: www.google.com (Korean Culture Facts)


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Korean CelebrationsAndrew Pugliese




I decided to write my essay on Korean holidays. The reason I decided on this

was because I love holidays and I wanted to see what Korean holidays were like.

Hansik, Seol and Chusok were just a few of the many holidays I learned about.

After researching the Korean holidays, I found out that not only do we have a lot of

the same holidays, but we also celebrate them in a similar way.

On January 1st Koreans celebrate New Years Day, or Seol, just like we do. The

only difference is that they also celebrate the day after the New Year and we celebrate

the day before. On April 5th Koreans celebrate Hansik. This is the time of year when

the sky clears and buds begin to sprout. People dream of new hopes after the long

cold winter. It is a very religious time for them. The holiday that makes me think of

this is Easter. Winter is over and the spring is here and you can see trees growing

leaves and flowers blooming. It is a very religious time for many people in America.

On Korean Arbor Day government officials, teachers, school children and

Koreans throughout the country plant trees and plants. In America we also

celebrate Arbor Day. People plant all over. The Koreans say this is a reminder to

respect nature and the environment. I didnt realize that, but now I do.

Koreans have a day to honor their parents. They call this day Parents Day.

Authors Statement:

My essay is about what holidays Korean people celebrate and how theyare celebrated. I researched such holidays as Seol, Hansik, Arbor Day,

Parents Day, Childrens day, and Chusok.

After researching these holidays I realized that people in the Unite

States celebrate many of the same holidays and in the same way.


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Americans celebrate this at two different

times, Mothers Day and Fathers Day.

Waithere is a holiday Americans dont

celebrate and Koreans do, Childrens Day

(Orini nal)! They celebrate this on May5th. Children get gifts and money on this

holiday and they go to the amusement

parks, zoos, and national parks. I told

my mother about this holiday; she said

that Childrens Day is every day! On July

17th Koreans celebrate Constitution Day.

This day recognizes the adoption of the

constitution of the Republic of Korea in

1948. Americans celebrate the 4th

ofJuly. On July 4, 1776 America claimed its

independence from Britain. This is our Independence Day.

A holiday, which is also very important to people in Korea, is called Chusok.

Chusokmeans bountiful abundance. On this day Koreans spend it remembering

their ancestors that have passed away. Families also gather from all over the

country for this great holiday. This is usually in November between the dates of the

10th and the 12th. They also celebrate those who are living. They prepare a feast

with 5 rows of food. This holiday reminds me mostly of Thanksgiving. On this day

our family members gather at a table and have a feast. We give thanks for all thatwe have and the people who are with us. We also remember family who are not

with us. Finally, on December 25th Koreans celebrate Christmas Day. It is

celebrated a lot like Americans celebrate this day. Most people put up a Christmas

tree and lights, have a lot of food, shop, and exchange presents.

In conclusion, Koreans and Americans celebrate many of the same holidays.

Even though we are so far away from each other we have a lot of common

customs. This shows me that even though the world is made up of so many

different people from so many different places, we have some of the same customs.

We think people from foreign countries are very different from us. However, weshare many of the same customs, and we are more alike than we really know.

References:

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/calendar/holidays.cfmhttp://www.personal.psu.edu/users/n/f/nfk102/assign7.html

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Culture/spotlight.cfmhttp://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/holidays/festivals.htm

http://www.clickasia.co.kr/about/h0101.htm


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The History of Korean Separation andHope of Unification

Isaac YoonSouth Woods Middle School, 7th Grade

Teacher: Mr. Gary Greene

Principal: Ms. Michelle BurgetSuperintendent: Dr. Carole Hankin

I am proud to be a Korean. Korea has its own unique culture and long

history. From Go-Chosun to the Republic of Korea, there has always been pride in

this nation. I feel that our culture is very interesting and more people should know

about Korean culture. I strongly feel that if Korea hasnt been separated as two

different nations, our culture and history would be much more developed and

thriven. I wish North and South Korea would someday unify as one nation again.

We have been separated for 50 years since the Korean War. After the end of

World War II, the Soviet Union occupied the North and the U.S. occupied the South.

The USSR wanted Korea to have a communist government and the U.S. wanted

Korea to have a democratic government. So Korea was divided into two parts by

the 38th Parallel.

In June 25th, 1950, North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel to attack South

Korea. South Korea had to retreat down to the southern region of the Nak-dong

River, so 16 countries from the U.N. helped South Korea to fight against North

Authors Statement:

For over 50 years Korea was divided from the North and the South.

North Korea is controlled by communist dictatorship and South Korea is

controlled by a democratic government. This essay is about the day Korea

was separated by the 38th Parallel and the terrible war between the North

and the South to modern times about how people deal with being separated

and hope to be united as one nation as it did many years ago.


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Korea. General MacArthur was the leader of the U.N. troops. On September 15 th,

1950, the battle of Inchon had started. It marked the turning point in the War. The

U.N. troops crossed the 38th parallel and defeated the North Koreans out of South

Korea. Many Koreans believed they were going to be reunified once more after the

war. Unfortunately, the Chinese aided North Korea so the U.N. force had to retreat.After 3 years of intense fighting, on July 7th, 1953, an armistice was signed because

neither side could win. So the governments had to set up a new line to separate the

country.

After the Korean War was over, the U.N. didnt want another war between the

2 countries. So the DMZ had to be guarded. North and South Korea were not

getting along very well. During the 1960s, North Korean troops attacked the U.S.

and ROK troops. They were getting bad relationships. Many Korean families were

separated during the Korean War. Some lived in the north and some lived in the

south. So, a few years ago, families that were separated for 50 years got reunitedand rejoiced. In 2000, President Kim Dae-joong met Kim Jung-il to talk about

reunification and peace. Many families who were separated after the war are

suffering from long separation from their own families. North Korea and South

Korea has to be reunified to stop the misery.

In conclusion, Korea has been separated for a long time. After a devastating

war and long separation, families yearn to see each other again. I think we

shouldnt be separated. We are two different countries but we have the same blood.

Our traditional unique culture as one nation shouldnt disappear. We should reunify

and turn into the strong nation that we have been for the past thousands of years!

winners - group i - english, grades 5-8

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