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00:01South Korea by rail.
00:04These trains are capable of more than 200 MPH.
00:08The opportunity to explore one of the world's most successful countries.
00:14Amidst towering skyscrapers in gleaming megacities.
00:18An architectural statement.
00:21I'll ride the wave of Korean culture sweeping the West.
00:25It's got this very spicy sauce.
00:27And encounter ancient civilizations and traditions.
00:32On a peninsula divided by war.
00:35Along a border between capitalism and communism.
00:39The sense of tension here is powerful.
00:42I'll see how out of destruction and partition.
00:46South Koreans have forged an impressive new identity.
01:03The ATX Fanshawe train.
01:06Number 427.
01:08Departed 4.
01:09Boom Cool.
01:10At 1825.
01:11It's now a departure.
01:135-4-5.
01:14Seating ways behind the yellow.
01:168-5.
01:169-5.
01:219-5.
01:229-6.
01:259-6.
01:279-6.
01:299-6.
01:309-6.
01:309-6.
01:31My Korean excursion, which began at the frontier with the North, is nearing its end in the south of the
01:37peninsula.
01:39My impression of Korea, from the train window, is that it's in two parts, city and mountain.
01:48And the trains cut through the mountains in tunnels and on viaducts.
01:53It's an amazing achievement of civil engineering.
01:56But the tunnels are very frequent and they're very long.
02:01So don't expect to get many glimpses of spectacular Korean countryside from the train.
02:11Starting at the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, my first stop was the dynamic capital of Seoul.
02:18I visited Daejeon, an historic Gyeongju, before exploring the southern port of Busan.
02:26From Gyeongju in the west, I'll travel to the city of Gwangju, synonymous with Korea's fight for democracy.
02:33And I'll finish on the subtropical volcanic island of Jeju.
02:41This morning, my high-speed KTX train, traveling at almost 200 miles per hour,
02:47has brought me to Gwangju, the country's sixth-largest city, with a population of one and a half million.
02:55The transport hub of the southwest, on the River Yong, in the center of North Juella province,
03:01it lies at the foot of Mount Mudung, almost 4,000 feet above.
03:14In the rural area of Gwangju, around 8 miles out of the city,
03:19I've come to discover a passion that is integral to this nation's culture.
03:26One food could be said to be the most characteristic of Korea.
03:30They'd been making it for more than 3,000 years.
03:34In the cold winters of the peninsula, people had no access to fresh food.
03:40And they staved off starvation by, in the autumn, fermenting vegetables that were then stored.
03:47It's called kimchi.
03:50And today, it appears at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
03:57South Koreans eat around 2 million tons of the spicy dish every year.
04:03And over the past decade, it's become increasingly popular around the world.
04:07At her village restaurant, kimchi expert Ran Lim is going to share her recipe with me.
04:13Mrs. Lim, hello.
04:17What a pleasure to meet you.
04:20I understand that you are a sort of champion of kimchi making.
04:35Fantastic.
04:36Now, tell me about some of the things we have here, please.
04:55Oh, lovely ingredients.
04:59Beautiful, aren't they beautiful?
05:30Sweet.
05:31How many people might be gathered together?
05:56Will you show me please how you make a kimchi?
06:11What's in this spicy sauce?
06:25Lovely smell.
06:28You seem to have wonderful vegetables.
06:32Are all these vegetables from close by?
06:34In this valley, I put the vegetables in this valley.
06:39I usually put the kimchi in this valley.
06:42This is a mountain mountain.
06:45It's called the mother mountain mountain.
06:48This mountain mountain mountain mountain mountain mountain.
06:51A mountain mountain mountain mountain,
06:55And live in Europe.
06:56This mountain mountain mountain mountain mountain and food.
06:57And here...
07:02Everything is so fresh and so beautiful...
07:05Everything is so fresh and beautiful.
07:18there. Leaf by leaf. How did you learn to make kimchi?
07:48Thank you. It's very good. It's got this very spicy sauce. It's really lovely. It's so good. Congratulations. Your family
08:15and your friends are very lucky.
08:19.
08:37Back in Gwangju, I've come to investigate a dark chapter in South Korea's history.
08:44Here in the centre of the city, May 18th Memorial Park was opened in 1998 to honour the people who
08:52fought for the nation's freedom.
09:02Since the division of the peninsula into south and north, the Republic of Korea has been a beacon of capitalism,
09:10but not always of democracy.
09:12During the 1960s and 70s, there were military coups, the imposition of martial law and the suspension of basic civil
09:24liberties.
09:25Here in Gwangju, in response in 1980, first students and then other citizens began to demonstrate demanding freedom.
09:34And that uprising was crushed with many people killed.
09:40But that violent reaction is now seen as a key moment in the recovery of democracy, because it was a
09:48national disgrace never to be repeated.
09:53Army General Chun Doo-hwan led a military coup and declared martial law in April 1980.
10:01People took to the streets, calling for democratic elections, and Gwangju became the centre of the protests.
10:08I'm meeting former chairman of the Bereave Families Association, Suman Chong.
10:14I'm Michael.
10:15Good to meet you.
10:16We meet in front of this very emotive monument to the victims of the uprising of 1980.
10:22Please tell me about your connection to those events.
10:29In May 1980, during the Gwangju Democratic Uprising, my younger brother was arrested by the martial law troops and killed.
10:38Arriving in downtown Gwangju with a group of people to hold a memorial service, I was also arrested and detained.
10:47On the 18th of May, around 600 students, demonstrating against the suppression of academic freedom, were met with tear gas,
10:55batons and live ammunition.
10:57Others joined them and an estimated quarter of a million people took to the streets demanding an end to military
11:04rule.
11:05How was your brother killed?
11:09After being arrested by the martial law troops, my younger brother was beaten and collapsed in front of the provincial.
11:15government building on May 20th.
11:18He was transported to a military base and he passed away.
11:23After nine days, army tanks moved in to crush the rebellion with brute force.
11:30Official government figures estimate that 165 civilians were killed, but those involved believe it was closer to 2,000.
11:40At that time, all roads from Gwangju to other cities were blocked.
11:45All means of communication were cut off, including newspapers, TV and radio.
11:51The government at the time concealed the atrocities committed by the martial law troops against the people.
11:57However, over time, people came to learn about Gwangju.
12:04Over the following decade, the pro-democracy movement continued to grow nationwide.
12:10And in 1993, South Koreans elected Kim Yong-sam, their first civilian president in more than three decades.
12:18As you look back on it now, what role do you think the uprising has played in the history of
12:26modern Korea?
12:28Korean democracy is rooted in the blood shed by the citizens of Gwangju during the May 18th democratic uprising.
12:37I believe the people have a much higher level of democratic awareness than the politicians.
12:46That democratic spirit was tested in 2024, when President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly declared martial law,
12:54a move that was dramatically thwarted by parliament a few hours later.
13:01As someone who experienced May 18th, I believe that this recent martial law would never succeed.
13:08You were right, it did not succeed.
13:13Today's Korean people would never accept a coup.
13:20More than 700 people, who lost their lives in the protests, are buried here in the Park Cemetery.
13:28May 18th is a national day of commemoration to honour those who took part in the uprising,
13:34and they're remembered inside this monument.
13:40Mr Junk, how many names do you think there are here?
13:44And will you please show me the ones that are of most importance to you?
13:49There are 4,000 names here in March of 80,
13:57In the past 10 years,
14:00I was killed by the military,
14:03or was killed by the people who were injured.
14:09I was born here in the past 10 years.
14:12I was here.
14:18I was here.
14:19I was here.
14:20I was here.
14:24How long were you in prison?
14:29It must be a very moving experience for you to come to this beautiful monument.
14:33Yes.
14:35I was here.
14:36All of the people who were involved in that time,
14:40and all of the people who were here were here,
14:43and when I came here,
14:46I would not have to do such a tragic incident,
14:49I would not have to do such a tragic incident.
14:51I would not have to do such a tragic incident.
14:54Mr. Zhang, it's been a great honour to meet you.
14:58You fought for freedom and to honour the memory of your brother.
15:18My tour has taken me the length and breadth of South Korea by rail.
15:23This morning, on the final leg of my journey,
15:25at the far south of the peninsula,
15:28I'll set sail from Wondo to Jeju,
15:31one of more than 3,000 islands scattered around the coast.
15:40From the ferry terminal,
15:41it's a two and a half hour trip across the East China Sea.
16:00I'm very excited to be on my way to Jeju,
16:04which is the largest island in Korea.
16:07It was formed two million years ago by an eruption,
16:10and that has left a volcano nearly 2,000 metres high,
16:15making it the tallest mountain in the country.
16:19The island's a bit more than 70 kilometres long,
16:23about 30 kilometres wide,
16:25home to more than 600,000 people,
16:28and very popular with Korean holiday makers
16:32who find it both relaxing and romantic.
16:36On my part, I find volcanoes scary and fascinating.
16:5360 miles from the mainland,
16:55Jeju is dominated by Mount Hala,
16:58Korea's largest volcano in the centre of the island.
17:08To the west of Jeju City Port, on the northern coast,
17:13Hyopje Beach is considered the best on the island.
17:26Although Jeju is very close to the Korea mainland,
17:29there is a subtle change in climate to subtropical,
17:32and that has led to extensive forestation of the slopes of the volcano,
17:37and now there's a lovely network of hiking paths that run through.
17:43Jeju attracts around 15 million tourists every year,
17:47mostly from within Korea, but also from China, Taiwan and Japan.
17:52Along its coastline, perfect white sands contrast dramatically
17:57with projections of black volcanic rock.
18:07I'm standing on solidified lava,
18:11and that island is one of the so-called parasite cones
18:14that can be found across and around Jeju.
18:18These are lesser extinct volcanoes, known here as Aurum.
18:24The power of the volcano is terrifying.
18:28Lava pours forth at more than 1,000 degrees centigrade,
18:31and it can form underground passageways as it melts the rock on its way.
18:37And when that cataclysm is over, it can leave beautiful caves.
18:45Just behind the beach, Halim Park, covering 25 acres,
18:49is one of the island's most popular sites for visitors.
18:57Beneath its glorious botanical gardens are Hyopje caves,
19:01a South Korean national monument.
19:03I'm going to explore them with Yongmun Jeon,
19:06Professor of Volcanology at Gwangju's Joseon University.
19:12Professor Jeon, my privilege to meet you.
19:14I'm Michael.
19:16Welcome to Korea, welcome to Jeju,
19:18welcome to the very famous cave.
19:21That's fantastic.
19:22I'm really looking forward to this.
19:24This sort of geological wonder is known as a lava tube.
19:29Here is one of the largest on the island,
19:31extending for over 200 metres.
19:34Professor Jeon, I am so amazed, so surprised,
19:37at how big this lava tube is.
19:42200,000 years ago, the hot lava moved this way,
19:45and several days, it slowly, slowly melts
19:48and makes us some very huge lava tube.
19:51Two million years ago, the volcano activity starts.
19:55This island is still an active volcano.
19:57Wow.
19:58We seem to have these stalagotites.
20:01These cannot be made of volcanic rock.
20:04This rock is not volcanic rock.
20:06No.
20:06It's a yellowish colour.
20:07It is carbonate.
20:08Yes.
20:09Very special, very strange features.
20:12Normally, lava tube is black colour.
20:14Yeah.
20:15Where did this limestone come from?
20:16Yeah.
20:17This is very interesting.
20:18So, near the coast, there are many...
20:21They developed the white beach,
20:23composed of the shell fragments.
20:26Shell fragments moved by the wind,
20:28and then the rainwater dissolves the mineral.
20:32And then they seep into the cave,
20:35make us some new crystals.
20:36Right, and we can see the water still coming through.
20:38Yeah, still crystals, still making.
20:40How unusual is this?
20:42It is unique.
20:43Unique?
20:43Yes.
20:44Wow.
20:44The caves are divided in two types,
20:46the limestone cave and the lava tube, simultaneously.
20:49It's very beautiful.
20:51It's fantastic.
20:52Now, how unusual are these lava tubes in the world?
20:57Lava tubes only discovered in the volcanic area,
21:01like Hawaii, Canary Island, and then Iceland only.
21:06Not too many.
21:06How many do you have here in Jeju?
21:10Over 200.
21:12Wow.
21:17Professor, here we have what looks like a pillar.
21:22Yes.
21:22When the lava moves inside the cave,
21:25the lava is very hot, extremely hot,
21:27and the ceiling and the bottom part is melting down.
21:30But this part remains.
21:32A tough bit of rock that has survived.
21:35I wanted to ask you about another feature of Jeju,
21:39this thing called Aurum.
21:41Aurum, yeah.
21:42Aurum is the small volcano,
21:44is the eruption by just one time.
21:47The Hala mountain is the central volcano.
21:49There are 420 Aurum that scatter all of the Jeju island.
21:54It is the evidence of the active volcano eruption again and again.
21:59Are volcanologists like you able to predict
22:01when there could be another eruption?
22:04Yeah, 1,000 years ago,
22:06volcanic activity happened in this island.
22:08But nowadays we check in the monitoring,
22:10and then lava fluctuation,
22:12maybe several hundred years will be exploded again.
22:15But now it's safe.
22:16We've no need to worry.
22:17Not today.
22:18Not today.
22:19It's been the most wonderful visit.
22:33Jeju's dramatic landscape and natural beauty
22:36have made it a popular place to visit.
22:39But away from the crowds,
22:41rural life has changed little over the years.
22:43A few miles along the coast,
22:46in the village of Gwidiok,
22:47I've come to discover a traditional community
22:50that's unique to the island.
22:53The henyu, the word means women of the sea,
22:58dive without breathing equipment
23:01to recover seafood from the depths.
23:03They are descended from countless generations of women
23:07who have similarly risked their lives.
23:10As I near the end of my Korean adventure,
23:13I am privileged to meet these fearless women
23:16who are also a precious Korean cultural phenomenon.
23:37Morning, ladies!
23:39Morning.
23:41Happy birthday, a couple of months.
23:45Good morning.
23:47Welcome.
23:50Thank you, ma'am.
23:53Mom, thank you.
23:54HE LAUGHS
24:08Henyeo have made a living and supported their communities,
24:12diving off Jeju's shores for hundreds of years.
24:15How long have you all been doing this?
24:1950 years.
24:2150 years, 50 years.
24:2310 years.
24:2510 years.
24:2610 years, 10 years.
24:29You're the babies.
24:31They're newcomers.
24:33And what is it you catch?
24:40Is it dangerous?
24:45No, really?
24:47Huge octopus?
24:48My goodness.
25:12Yes.
25:19OK.
25:20Oh, look at that vicious weapon.
25:22How long could you hold your breath?
25:25One minute, two minutes.
25:26I admire you.
25:27I admire you so much.
25:29You are so brave.
25:31Today, just a few thousand Henyeo are keeping the tradition alive.
25:35But at its peak around 60 years ago,
25:38over 20,000 women made their living diving here for up to seven hours a day.
25:45No, no, no, no, no.
25:49Why only women?
25:51It's hard for them.
25:53It's hard for them.
25:54It's hard for them.
25:55It's hard for them.
26:00Before their dives and on their return,
26:03the Henyeo gather around the campfire of their stone bull talk,
26:07or meeting place, to cook some of their catch and to sing traditional songs.
26:12A quick journey from the sea to the stomach.
26:21Ladies, I will soon leave Korea.
26:24And when I'm at home 9,000 kilometers away,
26:29I shall think back to my lovely meeting with the Henyeo women.
26:33Will you sing a song for me, please?
26:35Is it easy?
26:36Today is easy and easy to
26:38learning well.
26:41Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
26:47Oh
27:32Bye-bye.
27:33Come back safe.
27:35Bye-bye.
27:59Koreans have suffered terribly from colonisation and from war.
28:05And even today, the people in the north are some of the poorest and most repressed in the world.
28:11But the progress in the south has to be seen to be believed.
28:17Skyscraper-crammed cities are squeezed between mountains and efficiently connected by high-speed trains that rush through tunnels and over
28:27viaduct.
28:28Things work here.
28:30Koreans are buzzy and competitive, and yet they have a culture of working together.
28:36Whilst enjoying the welcome here, I've also felt admiration and even envy.
29:04For more information, visit www.fema.org.
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29:06For more information, visit www.fema.org.
29:06For more information, visit www.fema.org.
29:06For more information, visit www.fema.org.
29:07For more information, visit www.fema.org.
29:08For more information, visit www.fema.org.
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