Blog - nedforney.com

The Power of the PEN

We’ve all heard the old adage, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Today, however, it seems a bit outdated. With instantaneous news feeds and social media tweets, posts, and shares bombarding us 24/7, the…

A Korean War Veteran, Bluegrass & Barbeque, and the Dillard House

It was a picture perfect day. The weather, music, food, and new friends we made all came together for one of those memorable events that, as we say in the South (the South of the…

Armistice Day – 64 Years Later

After three years and one month, the guns stopped firing, the bombs stopped dropping, and the people stopped dying. The fighting was over. But the war wasn’t. On July 27, 1953, now remembered as Armistice…

How Could We Ever Forget You?

“How Could We Ever Forget You?” For those who fought in the “Forgotten War,” it’s a rhetorical question they rarely hear. But this past June in Houston, hundreds of Korean War veterans, their relatives, and…

Podcast – Col. Edward Forney and the Hungnam Evacuation

Walking from Farragut West station towards the offices of Korea Economic Institute of America, I was excited. I was also tired. I had just arrived from Seoul, and the 17 hours of flying and restless…

The Underestimation Game

As US soldiers and Marines moved closer to China in November of 1950, General Douglas MacArthur – and many top American military and government officials – refused to believe Mao. The Chinese leader had repeatedly…

The Only Time and Place

It’s only happened once. And the chances of it happening again are slim to none. When North Korea attacked across the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950, and captured Seoul three days later, the UN…

May the Circle Be Unbroken

They boarded a ship on December 19, 1950, and never returned. None of them could have imagined on that fateful day 67 years ago that they were saying goodbye to family and friends – forever.…

Who Would Have Guessed?

When my cousin Alice told us she’d be coming to Seoul for her first trip to Korea, we were thrilled. After somewhat randomly agreeing that she’d arrive on June 23rd and stay until the 3rd…

Home Again, Home Again

My whirlwind trip is over. I’m back in Seoul. After traveling nearly 13,000 miles in a 3-day period, it’s good to be home! It’ll take a while for everything to sink in, but for now…

In the States – for 36 hours!

Last week I received one of those calls that instinct tells you will unleash an avalanche of meetings, ceremonies, dinners, speeches, and interviews. Not to mention international flights, rental cars, and hotel stays. After talking with a…

“They Take Nothing in Life for Granted”

As I was making my way through downtown Seoul today, preoccupied with meetings, this weekend’s June 25th Korean War ceremonies, and an upcoming trip to the States, I saw a huge, outdoor video screen (there…

A Day of Books

International publishing and education companies, book outlets, printing houses, 200 exhibitors from around the world, and – most importantly – books. What is it about browsing through shelves, counters, and stacks of books that makes…

Enter at Your Own Risk

It’s not adventuresome, cool, or cute. But that’s the way many people who travel to North Korea view their irresponsible and selfish decisions to defy the US State Department’s travel warnings for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea…

Living in the Land of Maneul

It’s all about garlic. Koreans love their garlic, or maneul (마늘). Whether minced, pickled, roasted, added to soups, stews, or kimchi, cooked on a grill with meat, or served raw – they love it raw –…

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

For Bill Shaw, a 29-year-old husband, father of two, and first-year doctoral student at Harvard, the answer was clear. He told his wife, two young boys, parents, and professors he’d be back soon. His studies…

Dying at Church and On the Way There

Egypt. The iconic land of pharaohs, pyramids, the Nile – and more recently, violence. During my two years living in Cairo (2010-2012), chaos ruled. People were shot, run over, and beaten in Tahrir Square and…

June 6 – A Day to Remember

D-Day. The Invasion of Normandy. Operation Overlord. It has many names, but regardless of what you call it, the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy was the largest amphibious military operation in history. It…

Sometimes You Just Want One – Even in South Korea

Having lived for a decade in High Point, North Carolina, a short drive from the corporate headquarters of one of the state’s most internationally recognized companies, I became an admirer of an all-American creation that’s…

Bring Them Home

Over 100,000 South Korean soldiers disappeared – or in military terminology went MIA (Missing In Action) – during the Korean War. They said good-bye to family and friends, went off to fight, and never returned. No…

Memorial Day Around the World

This weekend as Americans relax and usher in another summer vacation season with cookouts, beach reading, shopping sprees, blockbuster movie openings, and good times with families and friends, we also remember America’s military men and…

A Beautiful Day, a Bus Full of Friends, and a Tragedy

It was Friday. The sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the air was clean. And I was headed for Geoje Island . . . with a busload of men and women who 67 years…

A Barn on Jeju Island….and the Universal Power of Music

A few days ago I attended a piano recital. In a barn. Twelve pianists, all members of a professional company of musicians based in Seoul, played pieces ranging from Chopin and Gershwin to Rachmaninov and…

Celebrating 55 Years of Diplomatic Relations

The Republic of Korea and the State of Israel, although worlds apart geographically, have a lot in common. Both countries were founded in 1948; both have a rich, ancient heritage; and both have at least…

Cover of Time Magazine

The cover of Time Magazine may say it all. Showing a close-up of Moon Jae-in, the new president of South Korea, in a serious, weathered stare, with “The Negotiator” in bold letters below him, the editors at Time seem…