Did you know Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd is one of the leading Industries in the World?

In July 2009, the Presidential Council on National Branding organised a tour to some of the leading Industries in Korea. The tour comprised of students from all the continents (World Students in Korea), this group represents thousands of students studying in Korea. A group of 40 students drawn from 24 different countries had a rare opportunity to visit the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and other leading Industries such as POSCO based in the Southern Part of Korea.

HHI is among the 5 leading industries in the world together with other Industries in the USA, Japan, China etc. It is amazing to see the achievements in terms of expansion (which may be defined by the production) and the technology advancement that the HHI have attained in shortest time as compared to other Industries in the World. One would not talk of the Korean Economy without mentioning the HHI. In most African countries including Tanzania, one would see floating ships, construction gears and vehicles mainly KIA...mostly of these are made from HHI. About 5,000 vehicles are produced in one day in the industries that are based in Korea. HHI has also some production plants in other countries such as USA.Did you know that HHI is the leading shipbuilder in the World? The HHI built the World's largest shipyard in 19972. It is countributing immeasurably to the economy of Korea through tax payments and socio-economic activities such as schools, hospitals etc. There is a lot to learn from the History of the HHI todate for more information visit http://hyundaigroup.com.

Recreation Sites in Seoul: The Seoul Grand Park

Seoul Grand Park is one of the biggest Parks in the World to be found in cosmopolitan cities like Seoul! It is a very good site to visit in Seoul, you will experience the nature and human made influence in preservation of world animal species. It is a collection of animals from all the continents ( see the sheeps from Northern Africa, the King of the jungle, the Lion from Africa). You can also enjoy the nature while on the sky lift. It does not only preserve the caged animals but also provide condusive habitats for free ranging animals including the migrant bird species. One of the photo here shows a grey heron in breeding plumage (see the white crown, and the pink/red legs and beak), it not caged but inhabits the wetland within the Park. This is one example among the tens and thousands of other species that enjoy the preserved habitats!

A Maasai Shuka: Tarditional dress of the Maasai ethnic group found in East Africa

The Maasai Shuka is admired by many people across the globe! The Maasai tribe is found in Tanzania and Kenya, in the Maasai land. Traditionally they survived on meat, milk and blood from livestock. They practised wild animal hunting as part of their culture. However, they lived together with wild animals for years!!! It is one of the strongest tribe that has retained mantained its traditional culture. Recently they have started to supplement their life style with farming and small curios business. People from this ethinic group who managed to attend schools have attained the high ranking political posts and other jobs in governments and other insitutions.

The photo taken in July 2009 at Seoul National University, Korea: From left is Bolor Bold (Mongolian), Jasson John (Tanzanian) and Soumia Sadok (Algerian)

Worries on Cultural Erosion
A comparative approach between developed and developing countries with examples from Korea and East Africa..

There is no single country nor tribe in the world that can withstand cultural erosion in this era of globalisation. Most people don't want to say culture is being eroded but dynamism or advancement! For the most countries that were colonised, their present culture reflects the culture of their former masters. Very few countries have retained a significant percentage of their culture. In Africa there are some few tribes that have tried to retain their culture, and these includes the Maasai in the East Africa (Tanzania and Kenya) and the Hadzabe in Tanzania. Traditionally these are gathers and hunters, they survived by hunting wild animals, eating fruits, milk and meat from livestocks until recently. But with alteration of their natural habitats that has led to increased population of these families, but with limited resources such as wild animal declines, imposed protection laws and regulations by the respective governments that do not conform with the life styles of these tribes, have significantly affected their dream. Furthermore, some political leaders in these areas are addressing and imposing development policies that have been copied from developed countries or established during colonial rules without making changes depending on the current situations. Life styles of these tribes/communities and nations includes their languages, for example in countries that were colonised by British, if one can not speak or write good English is considered to be ignorant, uneducated and so on. Tanzania being one example, Tanzania official language is Kiswahili, a language that is now being spoken in many countries in Africa including Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and DRC-Kinshasa, but you will be surprised that the education system uses English as a teaching language from Secondary schools to higher learning institutions including Universities. Although the media of communication in most public offices is Kiswahili, but one is surprised that interviews for screening employees is normally held in English! Currently there is a debate whether to change the media of teaching from English to Swahili, but some influential people with old mind would urge that the nation will be isolated from the entire World community, and that it will significantly affect the rate of development, but sometimes in public will agree and pledge to support the proposal of using Swahili.

I am one of those people that significantly differ with those minds, having seen the level of development that Korean has attained, the technology they have all sort of exports they are making, they have reached this level using their language..Korean language... Korean is not the only example that use their language and have attained such high level of development in Asia but it is a unique example that some of our developing countries in Africa can learn from, because it was once a colony of Japan, and then afterwards entered into a three year war with their relatives, the North Koreans.

As highlighted above that in this era of globalisation, it is very hard to maintain the original/traditional status quo of the culture, but at least some remnants should be retained. Korean have tried to retain some unique cultural aspects such as dressing (but these days only on important functions, festivals and memorials) example the Hanbok (한복), the Korean traditional dress is very rarely seen dressed by people in these days especially in Seoul. It is now not uncommon to see ladies dressed in very short skirts...the mini-skirts, I happened to ask some old people here, they are saying in those old days one could not dress such short skirts and go in public events, it was considered as misbehaving but now they have accepted the wind of change by young generation in the expense of globalisation. You will see many boys (mostly teenagers), wearing ear rings which is thought to be a different culture of the old Koreans. Language has remained the special entity of the Korean culture, although there is also dynamism in languages always imposed by young people who always want short cuts and this is also happening in most communities. The street language and the language used by young generation is different, but the Korean have retained the honorific aspects in their language. Different patterns are used when making official speeches, writing articles in news papers, speaking to old and respected people, and this makes learning Korean language difficult, but a unique entity of their culture. There are also popular English medium schools in Korea especially in Seoul, which is a good thing, but still all Koreans use their language (한국말) everywhere you go. The other good things in Korea, they have many museums where one can see, experience, learn their history, and these museum are very much maintained and visited or used by Koreans and foreigners who live or visit Korea. However, Koreans have maintained the Taekwondo as one of the most traditional martial arts, it has gained an international reputation and now included in Olympic games. Kimchi is also their traditional food. These are most common and known traditional symbols of Koreans.

In summary, I am not trying to say that countries should be isolated from the entire world or completely resist the changes in their life style, but at least every country/ region or tribe should struggle to retain their good traditional culture as much as possible, this would be important to the future generations. If culture is left to be like a free trade, then all countries whether developed or developing may be loosing an asset that may regret in future!

Prepared by Jasson John
Seoul National University

Korea Development and Culture ( represented in photos)

Traditional marriage ceremony and Seoul streets!!!

Some Experiences in Korea

Winter in Korea















Foreigners enjoying eating famous Kimpapu in Jeonju city-Korea
















Korean Traditional House in Jeonju city















Traditional Korean meal served with many side dishes!


















I love Korea..My son must be sying that!! with the Korean made T-shirt

Does Tanzania share anything with Korean?

Dear Readers!

My first time to arrive in Korea on September 2, 2008 I couldn't easily notice anything that Tanzanians share with Koreans. But it didn't take to find some critical similarities between the countries. Although Tanzania have very little knowledge about Korea, but it is one of the best countries to be in Asia.

Usaually in Tanzania people would talk about China and Japan, mostly because most of the electronics and vehicles and other products are imported from the two countries. Some also thing that LG and Samsung brabds are from China....while these are Koreans! Furthermore the close friendship between the China and Tanzania historically during the "Ujamaa" by our first president, the late Mwl. Julius Nyerere leadreship. Tanzanians also find difficulties to differentiate people from China, Korea and Japan, to most of Tanzanian they all look the same and because, it is suspected that Chinese and Japanese in Tanzania outnumbers the Koreans.

I was amazed by the kindness of the Koreans despite the language barrier I faced in my first days in Korea. This is one of the strongest commonness one would talk about between Koreans and Tanzanian. All Koreans at the first encouter they will say Hanyong Haseyo? Means Hello! regardless were you come from, they all think that everybody understands Koreans, the same in Tanzania when you land at the airport they will say Jambo? Mambo? meaning how are are you? or same as Hanyong Haseyo? Tanzania is a developing country, the development levels between Korean and Tanzania cannot be compared. Tanzanians would share whatever little they have with foreigners, popularly called "WAGENI" in Swahili language, the same with Korean they will welcome you warmly.

When I first landed in Seoul, I was shocked by the level of development they have attained within the short time after independence and the Korean war (1950-1953), it is quite different from Tanzania that got independence in 1961 few years after Korea. The infrastructure from the Incheon airport, the bridges that connect that airport with the main land, bridges at Han River, the tall buildlings including the 63buildilng (yukusamu building), the wide roads, fly-overs, subway networks just to mention a few. It will take time for any Tanzanian like me to get used to all these new things in Korea, without mentioning thehigh population of people in Seoul!

Although Tanzania and Korea are all found along the oceans, food seems to be different, mainly because Tanznia is along the Equator and there is variety of what would be termed as food fresh from farms and in the wild!. There is sea food in Korea as in Tanzania but the way of preparing is quite different, and one would not eat in any traditional/typical Koreans cafteria at least for some days. The first food a foreigner would here is "KIMCHI" whoever visits Korea should have heard and I urge anybody visting Korea even for a single day to test KIMCHI, although it took me two months to get used to KIMCHI. This the most popular traditional side dish served at any meal.

There is a lot to share and learn from the two countries, Tanzania and Koreans both have good islands for tourists, the Chejudo Island in Korea is fomous as it is Zanzibar in terms of tourism. Koreans like climbing mountains, although they don't have tall mountains like ours, The Kilimanjaro (5,895m.a.s.l) and Mount Meru etc, you will see many old people climbing mountains everyday. And so Kilimanjaro mountais is famous that the country it belongs, Tanzania...sometimes when they ask me where are you from, I say Tanzania...some don't know where is Tanzania..then I ask them if they have heard of Kilimanjaro Mountain..they all all seem to know the mountais..and there is a popular song on Kilimanjaro here in Korea.

In Korea the security is at maximum!!!!

Many will be in the next posts!!

Jasson John
Seoul National University