On October 4th, a video titled "Almost Went to North Korea | Random Travel with Grandma (ft. Meeting Kim Gu, Nostalgic Snacks)" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Kim Young-ok.'
In the video, Kim Young-ok visits the 'Unification Observatory' at Odusan. Before heading up to the observatory, she explored a special exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Reflecting on the 1968 Kim Shin-jo incident, she remarked, "I remember it vividly."
Kim Young-ok shared, "Our house was right next to it," while looking at a photo of a young woman carrying a child during the Korean War. She recalled, "We went through harsh times, wearing traditional hanbok," as if it were yesterday.
Particularly, Kim Young-ok revealed a special story about her husband meeting Kim Gu by the Han River. She said, "Before the Korean War, my husband was playing by the Han River when Kim Gu approached him, complimented his looks, and patted his head." At the time, her husband did not realize who Kim Gu was.
Kim Young-ok continued, "The next day, we read in the newspaper that the person who patted my husband's head had passed away."
While at the observatory, Kim Young-ok also shared her family's history. Originally from Seoul, she said, "My eldest brother went to North Korea during the Korean War and we only reunited during a family reunion event." She added, "Though I'm not a displaced person, I understand their feelings," evoking a sense of poignancy.
Reporter Na-yeon Jo, Ten Asia nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr