Extra-Curricula Activities
- During my high-school years (1948-54), I was good in mathematics. I was known
among my teachers and friends to have a special talent along this direction. However,
what purpose did it serve in my later years? Click here.
- As in the case for all people, my extra curricula activities during this period
played important roles in shaping up my personal goals. I can brag about my own
activities.
- My high-school years cover the war years of the Korean war (1950-53). Thus, we
had to go through a thorough military training, using Japanese Arisaka rifles (known as
99shik to Koreans) for basic training, and American M-1 rifles for mechanical training.
We also had to learn how to throw hand grenades.
- In my case, I had a special interest in electronics. I knew how to make radio
receivers using vacuum tubes. Semiconductors did not exist at that time. It requires
400 Volts DC to operate those vacuum tube devices.
- While fiddling around with those electronic gadgets, I developed my interest in
short-wave radios, and started receiving radio signals from far-away places.
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When I left Korea in 1954, I did not come with my radio, but I bought
the same model in the United States. This machine was so dear to me.
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- During the Korean war, my father was a high-ranking officer in the Korean Navy.
He had contacts with American navy officers. Those American navy people needed short-wave
radios to receive programs from their home country while on their ships far-away their
homes. They thus needed short-wave radios, inexpensive sets especially made for them.
The Model in question was the Hallicrafters S-38 as shown here.
My father got one of those sets from his American friend, and it was for me. Thus, in
Korea, I was able to listen to radio programs from Japan, China, and BBC programs
from Australia, as well as the Voice of America news from Clifornia.
I enjoyed Japanese programs given in the language of Japan. Their
government-supported radio, called NHK, had two channels. One primarily for news
and education, and the other primarily for music and entertainments. I learned
lessons from both. These days, in USA, I enjoy the NHK TV international programs
available through the cable network in the United States.
These TV programs are given in English.
American and British BBC programs are given in English. China and Taiwan (called Free
China) had their part-time English programs. While listening to those programs
in English, I was preparing myself for college education in the United States.
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This is the church I attended during my
childhood years, until May 1946. This church was in the area now
controlled by the North Korean Kingdom.
Click here for the history of
this church.
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- I also enjoyed North Korean radio programs from Pyongyang. I never liked
their communist messages, but I was interested in how Koreans were doing there.
I was born and raised at a village now controlled by North Korean authorities.
I am proud to say that Koreans set up their first Presbyterian church in 1884
at this village, and that my Christian background is much stronger than those
of my professional colleagues (mostly non-religious scientists) in the Western
world. Click here for the history of this
church.
My family moved to the South in May of 1946 before the Stalin-backed communist
regime was formally set up there in 1948.
The Pyongyang Radio sent out their powerful signals with three different
short-wave frequencies: 4.4 mhz, 5.7 mhz, and 6.25 mhz (megacycles/second).
- While listening to the world, I developed my strong desire to talk to the world.
In order to talk to the world, I had to build a strong broadcasting station, but
it was not possible for me at that time. It is still impossible.
However, the communication revolution took place during the late years of the
20th Century. The internet technology became available to everybody. Indeed,
this was God's best gift to me. I can talk to the world by constructing webpages.
- Click here for more about my interest in
short waves to internet.
- Thanks to my webpages, I am getting awards and recognitions from respectable
institutions in the world. Click here for a degree
of progress I have made so far. I am telling
- Einstein left a spot when he was formulating his theory of relativity.
- I filled in this blank spot with the mathematics I learned during my
war-time high-school years (1951-53) in Korea.
These assertions are very difficult for my physics colleagues to accept with their
Herod complexes. However, the ordinary people
understand what Einstein means, even though they do not know what the physics is
about. Thanks to the internet system and my early interest in long-distance
communication, I am making a progress in getting the recognitions I deserve.
- Click here for my autobio.
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