Simon Maude
KIWI KOREAN: Able Seaman Seung-Yong Song with Rear Admiral Jungsoo Chun and his officers.
Simon Maude
HAERE MAI: Chief Petty Officer Rangi Ehu welcomes Korean Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Nam.
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“Don’t flinch, you’ll be all right” was Chief Petty Officer Kelly Kahukiwa’s final advice to a visiting admiral and his sailors.
Moments later Korean Navy Rear Admiral Jungsoo Chun faced a fearsome challenge on to the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Te Taua Moana Marae.
The admiral and several dozen mostly new officers are from Republic of Korea navy ships visiting Auckland.
The destroyer ROKS Choi Young and supply ship ROKS Cheonji carrying hundreds of junior officers are in port on a lengthy training cruise.
During the powhiri, Captain Mark Warsford explained the importance of the marae experience.
“All our sailors visit Te Taua Moana Marae in their first week. It’s the place they begin learning to become warriors of the sea,” Warsford said.
The visit would also “help us see our own navy through your eyes”, he told the gathered Koreans.
Chun remarked on Auckland’s beautiful scenery, and reiterated historic bonds forged.
“New Zealand is one of our blood-tie alliances, you sent troops to Korea when we needed them, it’s a good reminder for our sailors on history,” Chun said.
New Zealand’s links with Korea were forged just days after the outbreak of its devastating 1950-53 war.
Within days our navy sent two frigates to help pull South Korea back from the brink of complete defeat against invaders North Korea.
Soon after New Zealand ground troops were fighting and dying on Korean soil.
And a handful of Koreans now serve in our navy – on hand to welcome the visitors was Able Seaman Seung-Yong Song.
Song’s entire family moved from South Korea to Dunedin.
He got to use his infrequently spoken Korean, chatting with a pleasantly surprised Admiral Chun.
– North Shore Times
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