Hyung Ju Lim and Tae Young Lim
Their Stories, told by son, grandson and friend, Chanu Lim
Organized and presented by Matty Pouliot
Their Story
Hyung Ju Lim was born in the countryside of North Korea in the early 1950s. He was a businessman who worked very hard to make a life for his family wherever and whenever he could. Tae Young was his son, who worked just as hard to set up a life for his future family, moving from Korea, to Philadelphia, to Boston. He had to create opportunities for himself and his family in this new world they found themselves in.
Korea at the Time
At the time of Hyung Ju's birth, Korea was just recovering from a war that split the country into North and South sections. With each side being funded by a Cold War superpower, it made for very different cultures in the north and south sections due to the differences in the sponsors. South Korea was supported by America and grew to be its own country with thriving culture and people. Its capital, Seoul, even hosted an Olympics in the summer of 1988. The North, however, wasn't so peaceful. With its sponsor being the USSR, the post-war environnment was harsh and communist, leading to a very difficult place to live and set up a family. Luckily, many immigrants including Hyung Ju were able to get their families out before the reign of the Soviets became too aggressive. Despite once being united by an overarching culture, the nations of North Korea and South Korea today are only connected by a language and a border.