Tank Man

(Photo of two U.S. tanks at Korean War memorial in Seoul by Constantin B.)

This comes from Adrian Hong’s Facebook post published on January 10, 2010.

Tonight, I had a phone call with a young North Korean refugee whom I have known since his days straight out of North Korea and in China. As usual, I ended the conversation reminding him to take his studies seriously, to study hard now so he can be better equipped later. I added, "In America, you can do anything and be anything, as long as you work hard. You can’t be President here, but you can be President of the new North Korea!"

He laughed, then told me that when he was in 2nd grade (of grade school in Pyongyang), his class assignment was to write what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wrote that he wanted to become President. Immediately his parents were called in and sternly rebuked, and his teacher told him, very seriously, "There can only be one President."

He was told to change his answer, so he decided on becoming a "Tank Man." (not translated, he literally said "Tank Man.").

Somehow amusing and tragic at the same time.