Korean journalist's memories of the days before Saigon's liberation

In a few days, it will be the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Memories of April 30, 1975 come flooding back, not only to the Vietnamese people who lived through those heroic days, but also to foreign friends who witnessed the historic moments of the Vietnamese and world revolutions.

One day in mid-April, a VNA reporter in Seoul received a call from Mr. Ahn Byung Chan, a former reporter for the Hankuk Ilbo newspaper, who was famous for his reports from South Vietnam before 1975 and was the last Korean war journalist to leave Saigon in the early morning of April 30 on what he said was the last flight to take off from the roof of the US Embassy building.

VNA reporters in Seoul met this former journalist in 2009. Although many years have passed, the impressions of him have not changed. That is the working attitude, the carefulness, the enthusiasm of a journalist and especially the affection for Vietnam that is always full in the eyes and smile of this elderly man.

This time, our story revolves around Mr. Ahn's memories of the last days of Saigon before the historic moment of April 30.

Mr. Ahn Byung Chan used a telex to send the article to the editorial office of Habkuk Ilbo newspaper in Korea. (Photo: VNA)

As a resident reporter for the Hankuk Daily, one of the largest newspapers in South Korea at the time, he was the first reporter sent to the South and also the last to leave before the historic moment of April 30.

The former journalist of Hankuk Ilbo newspaper said that he spent a total of about 3 years working in South Vietnam, so he is very attached to and remembers every street in the center of Saigon.

Working at that time was very difficult. Except for a few major newspapers that equipped their reporters with telex machines, reporters like him had to go to the telex center right next to the Saigon Central Post Office to transmit information to the editorial office.

According to him, although the editorial office ordered him to leave Saigon, because he loved his job, he kept delaying leaving.

Journalist Ahn Byung Chan next to a large ship picking up evacuees on the Saigon River. (Photo: VNA)

As April 30, 1975 approached, each night there was more news of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam, and the siege around Saigon tightened. By the final week, Saigon was under 24/7 curfew, the streets were quiet, with occasional gunshots and helicopters hovering overhead.

During this time, he wrote the article “Empty Room from Saigon” about the feeling of loneliness, facing the silence and emptiness in his office during the last days of historic April. Every day, he still went to the Korean Embassy in Saigon and on the afternoon of April 28, he took a photo of the flag lowering scene there before the South was completely liberated.

Mr. Ahn recalled the tense and suffocating silence in Saigon during the hot weather of April. The cloudy rains that used to bring a refreshing, cool feeling before now seemed insufficient.

The previous wave of mass evacuations with large ships picking up people right on the Saigon River, but these days, the only remaining air bridge is inside the US Embassy.

Initially, the helicopter landed on the rooftop of the US Embassy building, then the US Embassy opened another landing spot for helicopters on the lawn in the building's grounds.

Korean Embassy staff in Saigon evacuated on a large ship picking up people right on the Saigon River. (Photo: VNA)

The evacuation was carried out in order of priority: US citizens first, then officials and employees of allied countries.

South Korea was ranked third or fourth in priority, so he tried to contact the US Embassy to get into the yard in the early morning of April 30.

That day, the situation in front of the US Embassy was extremely chaotic. American soldiers closed the gate and divided people waiting to board the plane into two streams. He was led to the boarding stream on the roof.

In order, he boarded the third plane, but he deliberately hid to board the last plane. With a seat outside the helicopter door, he took the last pictures of Saigon before the moment of reunification.

Responding to the question of what he thought when he received the news that Saigon was liberated just a few hours later, journalist Ahn said he always thanked fate for allowing him to be present in a historic place at a historic moment.

His wife, relatives and friends happily welcomed Mr. Ahn Byung Chan back to Korea after leaving Saigon in the early morning of April 30. (Photo: VNA)

Recalling the past, when sitting on the deck of the ship to move to the Philippines after leaving Saigon by helicopter, Mr. Ahn sent his heartfelt congratulations to the Vietnamese people for unifying the country. A unified, independent country has an extremely great meaning, something that a Korean like him has always longed for.

The story of our two Korean-Vietnamese journalists continues with the journey and wishes of former journalist Ahn Byung Chan. Mr. Ahn said he loved this land very much and even when he was sitting on the helicopter leaving, he still thought he would return soon.

In 1989, after 14 years, he had a business trip to Vietnam and this time, he went to Hanoi . After that, the unforgettable memories of Saigon urged him to return to visit this city almost every year on the occasion of April 30.

This year, even though he is 88 years old, he still wants to go to Ho Chi Minh City on April 30, the moment when half a century of Vietnamese history turns a new page.

Every year, when returning to Vietnam, journalist Ahn often returns to the Continental Hotel, Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Street, Notre Dame Cathedral, Independence Palace...

Mr. Ahn Byung Chan, former reporter of Habkuk Ilbo newspaper, shared with VNA reporter in Korea. (Photo: Truong Giang/VNA)

Mr. Ahn said he took the reunification train across Vietnam to feel what a unified country is like. This made him think of the current situation in Korea and admire President Ho Chi Minh even more.

The Vietnamese people have done what no other nation in the world has been able to do. Ending the war and then re-establishing diplomatic relations with the United States, their past rival.

Journalist Ahn said that Vietnam's goodwill and practical spirit have made the country increasingly developed, prosperous and strong. South Korea is also one of the countries that has had close relations with Vietnam for over 3 decades.

Mr. Ahn said that Korea and Vietnam have many similarities in history and culture. That could explain why the two countries have achieved impressive achievements over the past three decades.

As a former journalist and a lover of Vietnam, he always hopes that the bilateral relationship will continue to develop and people-to-people exchanges will continue to expand so that Koreans can better understand Vietnam and feel the meaning and value of unification and peace./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-uc-cua-nha-bao-han-quoc-ve-nhung-ngay-truoc-khi-sai-gon-giai-phong-post1034281.vnp