Türkiye and South Korea are forging deeper cultural and social connections, adding to the foundation laid after the Korean War.
According to information compiled by the Anadolu Agency (AA), the long-standing relationship between the two countries was further strengthened when Türkiye sent troops during the Korean War of 1950-1953.
Türkiye became one of the countries that sent the most troops to the Korean War in response to the call of the U.N.
The remains of 462 out of the 721 Turkish soldiers lost in the war are located in the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in the South Korean city of Busan. Koreans frequently visit the monumental cemetery, which includes Turkish martyrs.
While Türkiye is referred to as a “brother country” to South Korea due to its support during the war, the relations between the two countries have been strengthened in recent years through cultural and social ties.
Korean music and dramas have become quite popular in Türkiye in recent years, increasing Korean language learning with the recognition of this culture.
Türkiye, meanwhile, is also garnering interest among young South Koreans due to its cuisine and tourist areas. Especially Turkish clotted and ice cream have become quite popular in this country.
Turkish ice cream recognized
Jamie Jeong told the AA that she had learned that Türkiye is a very beautiful country, and her close friend had gone on vacation there.
Jeong mentioned that her friend had a wonderful vacation, expressed a desire to go and stated that she loves eating kebabs. She also reported that Türkiye is one of the countries that contributed during the Korean War, and they commemorate those soldiers every year.
Juyin Lee indicated that he is aware that the name “Turkey” has started to be used as “Türkiye” recently and said, “I am curious about Turkish cuisine, especially kebabs and clotted cream.”
Lee similarly expressed that he knew Türkiye had helped his country during the war.
Sumin Oh pointed out that she knows Türkiye more for its food products, saying, “I know Turkish ice cream is famous. In recent years, Turkish clotted cream has become very famous in South Korea.”
Another South Korean, Jooyong Kang, said he wants to visit Istanbul and the famed Sultan Ahmet Mosque.
Hongrye Jo stated that the things he knows most about Türkiye are Cappadocia, the hot air balloons there, Pamukkale and Turkish delight.
“If I have the opportunity in the future, I would like to visit Türkiye and try a hot air balloon tour in Cappadocia,” said Jo.
“Due to the company I work for, I had the opportunity to visit Istanbul, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Ankara and Antalya. Therefore, I have very beautiful memories of Türkiye. Türkiye is often discussed in South Korea on entertainment programs on television. Tourist spots like Cappadocia and Pamukkale are visited by Koreans,” noted Hyunyeong Lee.
The story of “Ayla”
Eunhye Yoon, an instructor in the Tourism Department at Tongmyong University, pointed out that the ancient Turkish and Korean states had established good relations in history. He said, “The two countries understand each other as ‘brother countries.’ Since there is Islam in Türkiye, Koreans are trying to understand this religion a little more and are approaching it warmly.”
Yoon emphasized that as Koreans, they watched the movie Ayla, which tells the story of the Turkish soldier Süleyman Dilbirliği and the South Korean orphan girl during the Korean War, with emotions, and expressed that the meeting of Ayla and the Turkish soldier after years deeply affected her.
While humming the song “Üsküdar’a gider iken” (“While going to Üsküdar”), Yoon explained the importance of this song to herself as follows: “I used to hear the song ‘Üsküdar’an’ when I was little, as I grew up, I learned that it was a Turkish song.”
“Koreans learned this song from the Turks during the war and sang it again in their own language. Although I don’t understand the Turkish lyrics of the song very well, I know this song as a melody.”
“It was a song sung by Turkish soldiers during the war. Hearing this song makes me feel that the two countries have been very close to each other for a long time,” Yoon concluded.
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