Joyous memories of old Gyeongju Middle & High School days

By Choe Chong-dae

Many social gatherings in Korea were canceled or deferred in the past three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, however, meetings are resuming since we have shifted toward living with the virus.

Koreans feel nostalgic about their middle and high school days and their hometown alma maters. As the year ends, many people are busy attending various year-end gatherings, particularly alumni association meetings of their respective middle and high schools and universities or even prominent universities abroad.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a fabulous year-end party for the Alumni Association of Gyeongju Middle and High School for Seoul residents that was held at a hotel in Seoul.

More than half a century has passed since I graduated from secondary school in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Silla. Many of my fellow junior and senior alumni ranging from their 20s to 80s joined the yearend party. The majority of them were born and raised in Gyeongju until they finished high school.

Having lived in Seoul since entering university, I have had numerous opportunities to join a variety of alumni associations, other distinguished fraternal groups and even diplomatic receptions in Seoul. No meeting has been more joyful than my Gyeongju Middle and High School Alumni Association meeting.

As my four brothers also graduated from the same school in Gyeongju, I met both my classmates and many friends of my brothers. We exchanged many hearty greetings and old memories that had been buried for a very long time. We were able easily to recall the innocence of our youth. Transcending age, social status, wealth and social prestige, we were all united as if we were one. We happily regressed to what we were half a century ago, fresh and innocent like middle and high school students, talkative and playful. All barriers of class difference and distance disappeared in our hearts.

The atmosphere was enhanced by elegant music and songs and the Dongchun Circus performance led by its Director General Park Sae-hwan. He is a senior alumnus, an upperclassman, now almost 80. Thanks to his devotion and tenacity, the circus is very much alive. His enthusiasm continues to inspire the troupe despite his age.

Fittingly, Spanish fine wine was served during the party offered by Han Ju-sik (a senior alumnus), chairman of Jisan group. The Gyeongju Middle & High school was established in 1938 by Lee Ku-in, great-grandfather of Lee Tae-hyeong, who is now chairman of the board of directors of the education foundation of the school. We are proud of the school anthem that was composed by the famous Yun I-sang.

The school produced many distinguished figures in academia, politics, business, culture and art over more than eight decades. Yu Chi-wan (1908-1967), also known by his penname, Chong-ma, a great poet in modern Korean literature, was the school principal in the middle 1950s. His famous poem, “Flag,” evokes a romantic yearning that appears in Korean middle school textbooks. The poet Yu gave special instruction and inspiration to ambitious young writers while he oversaw the school as principal.

Although we tend to prefer new things and new friends as we progress in life and society, it is always fulfilling to recall old stories with aging classmates from long ago.

Like an adult salmon that returns to its birthplace during spawning season, I will return to my hometown to retrace the old roots of my school days again. I long to retrieve, if even just briefly, the innocence of my youth, and share lively memories of youthful friendships.

Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.