Good-bye, my Japanese friend

It may be quite provocative to bring up a story about a Japanese friend while the atmosphere between Korea and Japan is becoming increasingly more belligerent these days. Far more so if the friend is not an ordinary citizen but a diplomat, who stands at the forefront of bilateral confrontation.

I know, however, he is a good friend to many Koreans as he has tried to understand his host country and its people since he started work at Japan’s embassy in Seoul about eight years ago. The man I want to introduce is Mr. Yoshiyuki Tomi. He is now serving as consulate general on Jeju, the southern island province.

Most regrettable is that he is about to leave Korea. His next post is consulate general in Vancouver, Canada. I know he must feel uneasy these days, even while busying himself packing up to move, to think how the two neighboring countries have come to enter into a headlong clash in so abrupt a manner.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that he felt satisfied with the amicable relationship between the two countries with no serious bone of contention except for the seemingly regular bout of exchanges over Dokdo and history textbooks. True, the so-called “comfort woman” issue is a fish bone stuck in throats but he was confident of its eventual settlement through dialogue.

Of course, there has always been the possibility of across-the-board diplomatic war between the two longtime rivals, stemming from the history of Japan’s colonization of Korea, but he had never expected that it would come so suddenly and so fiercely like now.

It was just before the Dokdo dispute resurfaced when Mr. Tomi and I met for a farewell dinner in downtown Seoul. It was also his last trip from Jeju to say goodbye to Seoul where he had served four years before being transferred to the beautiful island. We looked back on past moments we shared as friends during the dinner accompanied by a few drinks, as he had to meet other friends on separate occasions later.

Without knowing the Dokdo issue would erupt imminently, we made several toasts for the two countries to enjoy peace and healthy competition undertaken in good faith. I am certain we would not have changed much had we met after the dispute broke out. When we departed that night, he made me feel embarrassed by presenting a small bunch of cookies while I hadn’t prepared anything but a valedictory glance.

I also remember having met him over lunch at an eatery in Yeouido last year. He was on his way to Gimpo Airport to return to his consulate office after finishing his business at the Seoul embassy. It was March 10, a day before the Great Earthquake shattered northeastern Japan, which made me recall our meeting more distinctly. The following day, I refrained from calling him to express my condolences, as I knew no amount of words could console him at that moment.

If my memory is correct, we first met about seven years ago when he began to adapt to Korean life. Most of all, he was frank and intimate with others. He was not only fluent in Korean but also a good singer of popular Korean songs. When he sings, people feel like they are listening to the great Korean singer Cho Yong-pil

He especially loved the nature on Jeju Island. During his stay there, he visited each and every valley of Mt. Halla. He never failed to visit Korea’s southernmost islet of Mara, while walking along the entire length of the “olle trail” (the circular trekking path of Jeju Island) and frequenting the biggest aquarium in Asia, which opened near Seoguipo City last month. He said he would never forget the superb panorama of Mt. Halla and the view from Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak).

During our dinner conversation, his interests began to move to the Korean society in Vancouver, his next place of duty. About 40,000 ethnic Koreans live in the Canadian city, outnumbering the 25,000 Japanese. If possible, he said, he would try to find a way for the two societies to get along well.

I hope, rather believe, he will come back to Seoul again in the not so distant future. And it’s also my hope that Japan and Korea will become much closer than now by then. He leaves Korea next week. Goodbye, and good luck, my friend. <The Korea Times/Hu Young-sup>

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