Anyong Haseyo

Anyong Haseyo, just a greeting that I remembered from a dear friend who passed away about two years ago. He was my pastor for several years and before that, he was a missionary to South Korea. He was invited back to speak at an anniversary to a church he helped to found there. My son Andrew and several other church teens were able to accompany him on the trip.

Initially I learned the greeting from reading a book and Pastor Norman Johnston helped me to get the pronunciation correct. Oddly enough, I have had the chance to use it several times in my life. I was working at Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania when I met two young Korean men who were involved in an automobile accident. I was helping in the emergency department helping where I could. I was returning one young man on a cart from the x-ray department and as I settled him with his friend in his cubicle, I said, “Anyong Haseyo.” The surprised looks on both young men’s faces were something for me to behold. I just hoped it made their traumatic experience just a bit more bearable.

Another time, my friend and travelling partner were visiting Pastor Norm and his wife Joy in North Carolina. They took us to Charleston Carolina to show us around. While we were on board the USS Yorktown, I noticed an Oriental couple and inquired where they were from. When they said they were visiting from South Korea, I greeted them. They were excited and began to speak in Korean. I couldn’t understand, but held my finger up to pause them and called Norm over. He spent time conversing with them. Joy was there and she was able to join in as well.

I attended a Pittsburgh Pirate game at PNC Park with a friend. It was a time when Jung-ho Kang was a player for the team. I made a sign with his name and the Korean greeting, hoping I could get his autograph on it. I didn’t accomplish that, but there were several Orientals that sat near us and thought it was a great sign, smiling and pointing to it.

I’m not a linguistic expert by any means and have just enough knowledge in several foreign languages to get me into trouble.