A Letter Written on the Han River /Lee Young-ha

The river carries within its currents
the sorrow of a divided land, the endless nights of war, and the dawn of peace.
As the South Han River longs for the North,
the North Han River inclines its body toward the South.
Though they flow as separate streams,
they are destined, in the end, to meet within a single river.
Whenever the lights of Seoul shimmer,
the river asks:
“Have you still not lost your dream?”
Today, once again, I stand by the river,
rewriting the ideals that were once lost.
A single word entrusted to the current—
that is my prayer.
The Han River flows in quiet dignity,
renewing the heart of this nation.
It is not water alone that flows,
but the everlasting tide of hope.





