Page 67 - NAKS MAC 2026 EBook

The Republic of Korea maintains its independence through the celebration of national
holidays and also through rising culture. For example, citizens celebrate Korean Liberation Day
(광복절) on August 15. It celebrates the nation’s freedom from Japanese control. Similarly,
March 1 (삼일절) is another holiday that commemorates the national protest that occurred in
1919. However, after both World War II and the Korean War, the country’s economic state
deteriorated drastically. To address this, the government implemented multiple
Economic
Development Plans, which transformed the nation’s economy through industrialization and
infrastructure development. This transformation was later called the Miracle on the Han River.
As economic stability was established, the spread of Korean culture began to rise. This
process
became known as the Korean Wave (한류), which included an array of K-lifestyle. Through this,
South Korea developed significant global influence.
The US and ROK achieved independence through shared values and are now able to
foster stronger relationships using cultural identity and alliance. A great example of
collaboration
was the 2023 Washington Declaration. This was a nuclear deterrence agreement creating the
Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) which aimed towards joint deterrence against North Korea.
Previous to this declaration was the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty which allowed the US to deter
nuclear attacks aimed at South Korea. However, this was a dependent relationship
rather than a
collaborative relationship. The Washington Declaration allowed South Korea to become more
involved through the NCG creating a joint protection process rather than a one-sided system.
That same year, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, launched an
initiative known as the 2023 Korea-US Cultural Partnership to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the ROK-US alliance. This initiative resulted in cultural youth exchange programs,
Korean expansion into the US business market, and special exhibitions featuring the
arts in celebration.
While it is crucial to highlight the upbringing of both nations’ independence, Korean
American independence, specifically, could not have been achieved without the efforts of both
nations. As a Korean-American myself, my two favorite foods are kimchi fried rice and a
cheeseburger. My favorite musician is Justin Bieber yet my favorite TV show is Squid Game. I
mainly speak English, yet there are just some words that I cannot seem to express in Korean.
One example is the word 자주. To many, its definition is “doing something frequently.”
However, its etymological meaning does not have an English translation because it derives from
Sino-Korean, Hanja. The root “자” means “self.” The root “주” means “master/owner.”
Together, the word roughly translates into “to govern oneself.” Just as the United States and
South Korea chose and fought to govern themselves, my Korean-American identity is exactly the
same. At times I feel too Korean to be American, but too American to be Korean, but I’ve
realized that I, too, can choose to govern myself as a Korean-American. To me, that is the true
definition of shared independence.

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