SEOUL - NOVEMBER 20, 2000
I was awoken early one day this weekend. It was approximately nine in the morning. There were women yelling and screaming. I continued trying to sleep, but the curiousity got the better of me (and the noise was too loud). I went to my window and saw a large group of young men fighting with their girlfriends trying to break them up. There were also other men around trying to prevent the fighting. But the groups of men who wanted to fight, were extremely persistant. I was able to watch it all from my window. There were approximately two or three people fighting another group of approximately two or three people. The women were dressed in the high heels and skirts and pretty clothing, so I thought they had all been out all night drinking, and still hadn't found their way home yet. (Although, you can find women dressed like its Saturday night anytime time or day of the week). But the 9am fighting is a little strange, so the obvious conclusion was that they had just recently funnelled out of some bar on this early Sunday morning.
Anyhow, watching from my window, I couldn't believe the determinition on these guys to beat the other guys senseless. A few of the guys had white shirts on, and there was blood splattered here and there (and quite obviously seen from my third story window). There were also some small pools of blood littered here and there in the streets. A little background of Korea (for the non-knowing non-Koreans), its mandatory that every Korean man must serve in the military for two years. (Another fact is that everyman who is born in North Korea - the 'enemy', must serve in the military without marriage until he is 30 years old). We should all be glad we don't live in North Korea. If I were there, I would just be completing my 12-year mandatory military career, as I just turned 30 recently. I guess it is the world's largest standing military army.
Back to my story in South Korea, these young Korean men fought in the streets for nearly one hour. They kept going after another. One or two of them would get pounded senseless, and be knocked out against a wall, and then others would be trying to fight the others, and other guys were wrestling their friends to the ground to keep them from fighting. The girls were trying to pull their boyfriends away from the entire scene. Here and there, guys would escape the other guys who were trying to hold them back, then there was some hard hitting and kicking. They throw everything they have into their fights. It must be the extensive Tae-Kwan-Do (Korean martial arts) military training.
Anyhow, I was litterally shocked to watch six or seven "Cool Hand Luke" guys (its a 70s movie about a guy who never gives up). Anyhow, I spent one of my mornings during the last five days watching that from my window. Very entertaining. Eventually the police did show up, and all of the guys were still there, and a handful were arrested. No one walked away from the fight, not even when the police arrived. I wonder if they would have fought all day?
To read the Next Journal Entry: November 25, 2000
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