The Beatles in Korea

I came across not just one but two places of homage to The Beatles on my recent trip to Korea, and also got to sing one of their songs that has particular memories from previous times in the country.

 The reason for this latest journey was that my wife, Yim Soon’s mum had died on January 10th. She’d flown out a few days afterwards, and we decided that I would come out later for two and a half weeks. That meant I could be with her and her family for the special ‘49th Day’ ceremony, which would be on February 28th. This Buddhist tradition marks the soul’s transition to the next life, so too the end of the mourning period.  

Yim Soon had arranged quite a packed programme for me and this included four nights in Seoraksan, the mountainous area in the east where we’ve had some special moments over the years. She’d managed to get a special winter deal at the ‘Hotel Kensington,’ which was not only conveniently located right by the start of the hiking trails but was also English-themed! Amongst various curiosities was a London double-decker bus in the car-park, a red post box next to the reception desk, and a breakfast room whose walls were covered with pictures of Charles and Di. And then, up on the 9th floor there was the Beatles Lounge, where we found some serious Beatles memorabilia. There was a suit that had been worn on stage by John Lennon, the handwritten lyrics of a George Harrison song, and a guitar signed (allegedly!) by all four of the band. I was suitable impressed.

After the 49th Day ceremony and a couple more days with Yim Soon’s family, we travelled south to a therapy centre called Arirang Free, which is run by Sook Young, who spent about five years with us at L’Arche in the 2000s. It’s in an idyllic location: in the foothills of the mountains, close to the rugged west coast, and with a waterfall in the garden. The groups who stay there receive an eclectic range of therapy, with walking (or even running) in the mountains and trips to the seaside; alongside meditation, yoga, counselling and good food. We sampled almost all of that on what was our third visit. 

Something remarkable had happened there on our second stay, in the summer of 2022. Sook Young had asked me to give a concert to the Arirang Free team, which I gladly agreed to. I performed a little set and then invited those present to sing something. One woman sang ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ in Korean and I told her how beautiful her voice was. Sook Young explained to me later that this woman, who is in her fifties, had been told by her church choir director when she was a young girl that she couldn’t sing and that she had never again sung in public: until that night. It was great to meet her again and she immediately told me that whenever she hears ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ or simply thinks about that evening, she has a special feeling inside. I told her it was a precious memory for me too.

We were all treated to lunch at a seaside restaurant, whose fish dishes included live octopus! And this was followed by coffee a bit further along the coast at a café called ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ Yes, it was a Beatles café! There were no suits or signed guitars on display, but lots of pictures of the Fab Four, plus a solid soundtrack of Beatles classics.

On our final night at Arirang Free I picked up the guitar and we had a good sing again, with a variety of stuff in English and Korean. And for the final song there was only one thing it could be. When I taught English in Seoul in 2000, one of my classes had the wonderful title of ‘Advanced Housewives Conversation.’ I had such fun with that lovely bunch of women and for my final class I brought in my guitar and sang ‘Let it Be.’ Then, during our 2022 visit, we’d been at the west coast one night and there was a really good busker who played for about two hours to a large crowd who were seated on a tiered area. I was excited when he began to play ‘Let it Be,’ although when he got to the third verse he had clearly forgotten the words, so I seized the moment and ran down the steps and asked if I could sing that last verse. He gave me the mic. and I sang and then we did the chorus together. And when I returned to my seat everyone was cheering and wanting to shake my hand! What made it even more special was that I had recently read the story of how the song came into being. The Beatles were on the verge of breaking up and Paul McCartney was going through a tough time. One night, his late mother (who was called Mary) came to him in a dream. He woke up feeling at peace and wrote that song that I’d said goodbye to my Advanced Housewives with in 2000, that I’d sung the third verse to on a Korean beach in 2022, and which I sang at the end of our visit to Arirang Free in 2026:

 I wake up to the sound of music

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom

Let it be.