Iraq, which was the core of the four major civilizations of mankind, is not an ordinary country. Their ancestors invented soju, beer, and bread. It is where the food culture that Koreans enjoy was born. Hyundai Construction earned dollars in Iraq, which helped the country overcome poverty and develop.
By LEE YEON-SIL (Cherry), Korea
Civil officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Science and Technology came to Korea for training. They entered the country last month and received two weeks of training from KOICA. They received training at a conference room at Sindorim Station hosted by the Future Resources Research Institute (Director Yoo Si-saeng) and held a graduation ceremony after completing their training course of a total of 18 people participated. The Iraqi Ambassador to Korea also attended, and Dr. Park Sang-deok, Senior Research Fellow at the Seoul National University Atomic Energy Policy Center, and Lee Heon-gyu, Director of the Future Resources Research Institute, also attended and graced the occasion.
The reason the civil servants from Baghdad came to Korea was energy. Paradoxically, Iraq, which boasts vast crude oil reserves, is one of the leading oil-producing countries in the Middle East. It was a country so prosperous that it gave crude oil for free to Jordan, which does not produce a single drop of oil, during the time of President Saddam Hussein. Iraq enjoyed prosperity in the 1970s.
In fact, Iraq is the land that gave birth to the Sumerian and Mesopotamian civilizations. It also boasts the world’s second-largest oil reserves. However, after the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 and the subsequent 40 years of wars, the country was caught in political and religious turmoil and its economy collapsed. Before 1980, Iraq was an economic powerhouse that was incomparable to South Korea, but today, its electricity situation is also poor. Electricity comes in for only 2 hours a day and is transmitted for only 2 hours. This is in a country where the temperature reaches 55 degrees in the middle of summer.
Baghdad means ‘God’s gift.’ They experienced both a glorious era and suffering. Korea did the same.
As a Korean citizen, the country I am grateful for is Iraq. When the Middle East construction boom occurred in the 1970s, Hyundai Construction earned a lot of foreign currency in Iraq. The Basra region, where the port is located, was no exception. At the time, the Iraqis felt sorry for ‘Koreans’ who came from a country they had never heard of and treated them kindly. There are many good stories among the testimonies of Korean workers who worked in Iraq during that time.
Once, I had the subway with Iraqi officers who had come to the Ministry of National Defense for training. There was a gentleman who had been a construction worker. The Korean gentleman who looked to be in his early 70s asked, “Are you from Iraq?” When we said, “Officers from Baghdad,” he suddenly grabbed the hands of the Iraqis. To us who didn’t know English, the gentleman said the following. “Iraq is the country that changed my life.”
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With tears in his eyes, he said, “Whenever Iraq plays a sports game against another country on TV, I unconditionally root for Iraq. When I was poor in Korea, I went to Iraq as a construction worker. I earned money back then and my family was able to live without starving. Thanks to Iraq, my family was able to stand up. Iraq is our benefactor. I spent my youth in the Iraqi desert.”
When I met a family of a naval officer from the port city of Basra, we were treated to a meal. When the gentleman, also in his early 70s, saw the Iraqis, he said, “I’ll definitely treat you.” It turned out that he was a man who had just gotten married and left for Iraq in the 1970s. He was part of the martyrdom of the Middle East construction generation. He told me about the residents of Basra, the port city of Iraq at the time. “They did not ignore our workers but treated them humanely. When I left my family behind to work in Iraq, I was moved to tears by the hospitality and encouragement of the people of Basra,” he said.
Iraq has abundant crude oil, and Korea has excellent technology. Now we must join hands and move forward together on the path to prosperity.
Iraq, which was the core of the four major civilizations of mankind, is not an ordinary country. Their ancestors invented soju, beer, and bread. It is where the food culture that Koreans enjoy was born. Hyundai Construction earned dollars in Iraq, which helped the country overcome poverty and develop. Over the past half century, South Korea has become one of the world’s top 10 economies. Unfortunately, Iraq collapsed due to war and other factors.
Iraqis have a great sense of humor and are cheerful. During the Al-Abbasid dynasty, they developed the world’s best culture and scholarship. Baghdad was a prestigious city with a population of over 1 million. Baghdad means ‘God’s gift.’ They experienced both a glorious era and suffering. Korea did the same. What is clear is the strengths of both countries. They have abundant crude oil, and Korea has excellent technology. Now we must join hands and move forward together on the path to prosperity.
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