Interview with the military flower, Sergeant Park Hyoshin, 3 days before his discharge
Working at DEMA, I do interviews with the soldiers whenever they get promoted or get discharged, and I feel sad whenever the team members whom I have worked with get discharged one by one.
I know, of course, that they should return to the society where their fans are waiting for them, but I can’t help feeling sad.
And that goes especially for Sergeant Park Hyoshin!! He has spent every moment of his military duty, since he finished the training at the boot camp, with the DEMA Club, from when he was a private first class, a private, a corporal and now a sergeant who is about to be discharged. It almost feels like I am the father of the bride, which I mentioned to Sergeant Park. I feel so sad to see him go. He was a model soldier, and a very popular member in DEMA, and he was a superstar who turned everyone into his fan!!
The military flower, Sergeant Park!!
I shouldn’t let my feelings get involved when writing this article, but I can’t help it. *^0^*
I think I feel especially sad because he was such a model soldier.
Would you like to hear about Sergeant Park Hyoshin’s “Military Days?”
Salute!! Sergeant Park Hyoshin of DEMA, reporting the discharge on September 24!
Q. There’s only a few days left until your discharge. What have you been doing?
I am on my final vacation. I am doing the discharge interview during my final vacation, and I’m getting ready to go back to real life after spending almost 2 years in the military. I actually feel a little bit lost.
Q. You’ve done so much for the Military Broadcasting. Do you have any special memories?
I have lots. The first thing I did when I was transferred to DEMA was the TV show “I Like Culture (or Good Culture)” instead of singing, so it was a new experience and fun to do.
My main duty was Consolation Train, and I remember many soldiers’ faces. And normally, you don’t get to visit many different military bases, but doing the Consolation Train, I was able to do that. And I also played a role in the military drama “March,” but I wasn’t trying to be a great actor. I like watching them on TV or watching movies, and it was interesting for me to take part in something I like. If anyone wants to hire me as an actor, without considering the marketability or the product value, I would appreciate the opportunity. I will gladly do my best. ^^
Q. The military concert, Consolation Train!! Which performance do you remember the most?
I performed at so many Consolation Train concerts. Of all of them, I remember the Baeknyeongdo and Yeonpyeongdo concerts most of all. I saw the remains of the attack before the concert, and it broke my heart. I felt that even though we are supposed to be one country, we are so far apart. And it gave me a chance to look back at my military life because I thought the soldiers serving there probably have a more difficult job. And because of the location of Baeknyeongdo and Yeonpyeongdo, we couldn’t do the concert in the evening. Because the North can see us, we had the concert during the day. But the soldiers still loved it, and I felt really happy about that, and I still remember them.
Q. You received many awards (The Minister of National Defense Award, the Army Chief of Staff Award, etc.) during your military service. We named you as the soldier who accomplished the Grand Slam. What do you think about that?
It’s an honor. I had no idea I would receive so many awards. I received some really big awards, many appreciation plaques from various places, and commendations whenever I did a great job at the Consolation Train. I counted them while I was on vacation, and there were a little over twenty of them. I think they are the records of my military life. The awards and commendations have lines about the duties I fulfilled, and I feel very grateful because they are the records of my military life. It wasn’t because I was especially great at anything. I believe it was all in the timing. Everyone did a great job, but I was the one who received them as their representative. I feel a bit embarrassed about that, and I feel grateful for everyone who worked so hard with me. I did my best in the military, and I plan on doing my best and then some when I return to being a civilian after my discharge.
Q. This is the end, but there was the beginning. Do you remember how you felt on the first day at the boot camp?
It just felt unreal. I think I couldn’t accept the reality. I was something I could only imagine about because there was nowhere else I could experience it, so I just imagined it from listening to other people’s stories, but when I got there, it was didn’t feel real. I was in the 102 Replacement Depot, but I don’t think I was able to sleep at all when I was there. I didn’t know how the first week passed by, and I was afraid. I was confident at first. Others were all much younger than me, so I thought, as a man who is older than them, I thought I should do a better job. But I’m sure everyone felt the same because it was their first time, too. I remember being really scared.
Q. Is there a particular food item that you never used to eat before that you grew to love after becoming a soldier?
I’m not a picky eater. But if I have to pick, I would say fruits you peel the skin to eat. I used to always peel the skin off pears, tangerines and persimmons. But during training, I was given persimmons and pears. I wanted to eat them, but I didn’t have a knife to peel them. So I put them in my pocket for later, but I got so hungry later that I took them out and ate them, the skin and all. I think that was the last trace of me as a civilian that I lost after joining the military. I no longer felt that I had to peel the skin off fruit since then. At that time, though, I thought it was more delicious, and I remember it the most.
Q. Boot camp is special for everyone. Is there any special training you remember most?
I remember every one of them. CBR training was done in groups, and everyone in your group must succeed in order to escape from the room. I did a good job. ^^ If the teamwork isn’t good, you have to keep doing it, and one of my team member didn’t do so well, so we had to go back in. And we had to do it again and again. So I remember the CBR training. Another one is the individual combat training. The time I had it was the coldest day in 80 years, so the sea was frozen. I had to put up a tent and sleep outdoors. I was sleeping in my sleeping bag with only my face sticking out, which was extremely difficult, but I had to go to the bathroom. It was so cold that I thought about it for 2 hours before dragging myself out of the sleeping bag to go. I got chilblains, but the others were doing such a great job that I couldn’t even bring it up. I felt I had to do a good job because I was older than them, and I ended up getting chilblains. I remember things like that.
Q. Snow Flower is one of your most famous songs. Did you feel differently about the song after clearing snow from the roads?
I really love the snow. When I was in the boot camp, the officer said I would soon learn about the terror of the thing called snow, and I laughed. I thought it would be nice to train in the snow. But that wasn’t true. I had to clear the snow with my two hands, and it was so hard. I have a feeling I’ll remember that when I sing Snow Flower in the future.
Q. What changed in you as your rank changed?
I was really happy when I was able to relax. As my rank got higher, I didn’t have to keep worrying about my military life. I was able to plan things, and I was able to think about my future, and it became fun. The biggest thing is that I was no longer the lowest in rank. Before me, reserve sergeant Lee Sunho, Andy, was another one who didn’t have a lower ranking soldier under him for a very long time. So I was the lowest ranking soldier for a very long time, and I had to do a lot of cleaning, and I had to get up earlier than the higher ranking soldiers, and I kept feeling the pressure of having to do things like that on top of all my personal duties, but when I was finally able to pass that onto a lower ranking soldier, things changed a lot.
Q. Who gave you strength to go on during the difficult times?
Being in the military was something that I had never experienced before. I have family, friends, the people that I consider special, and the people I like, but the feelings I have for the DEMA team are different. I feel so grateful for that that it is difficult to pick just one person, but reserve sergeant Lee Donggun who slept next to me the longest and gave me words of encouragement and check on me and held my hand whenever I was having difficulties. That helped me a lot. And reserve sergeant Jung Jaeil. Jaeil looked after me when I got really sick a little after I was transferred. I was in the hospital with a fever of 40 degrees Celsius, and he was by my side, taking care of me. I could never forget that. I still thank him when I see him.
Q. Do you have any regrets?
I have many. Before starting my military service, I had some plans. I thought of doing things that I didn’t do before, but I had to keep singing as a member of the DEMA team, so I didn’t get to do most of the things I had planned. But that’s okay. It was worthwhile, and I was proud of being able to provide comfort for soldiers, and oftentimes it was comforting for me, too. Being able to feel united under the word ‘comrades’ and all the emotions I felt with them are very special for me, so, despite the many regrets, I’m happy.
Q. Everyone who got discharged before you said they felt bad for you. What do you think about that?
I think it was because I was the lowest ranking soldier for the longest time. They helped me a lot, and because I had a lot of outside jobs, I wasn’t able to do things around the barrack, but they were very understanding and took very good care of me. I’m grateful.
Q. How do you feel when you look at the four newly transferred soldiers?
I feel a little bad because I felt what they felt. But there’s nothing they can do about that. They must feel lost. They probably can’t help feeling depressed, but they have to find something they can focus on and find consolation in. So I want to be nice to them, and I’m going to bring something delicious for them when I return from my vacation.
Q. Which person do you worry about the most?
There are so many, but I’m worried about Private First Class Kang Changmo. He is so innocent at heart that I’m worried the military life might hurt him. Corporal Jung Jihoon. He is always so full of energy that I’m not very worried about him. Corporal Lee Jinho. Jinho was very expressive, so we talked a lot. So I’ll think about him even more.
Q. What changed in you during the two years of military service?
First of all, my hairstyle. I thought about why I wore my hair long before joining the military. Now that my hair is short, it’s so much easier to take care of that I’m thinking of not letting it grow long. And people around me told me that I’ve become a lot more easy-going. I’m normally very careful and meticulous. But now I can control that. I know what to let pass. I think that’s a good thing.
Q. After your discharge, do you think you can say “Every man should go to the army” with confidence?
Of course. I’m sure everyone is worried and wants to avoid it and feel scared. But I said the same thing at every Consolation Train. “If you think it’s difficult, it will become very difficult. But if you take this as an opportunity to learn something, you military life will help you in your life as a civilian.” Everyone is in a different situation, but if you find something that is worthwhile and fun to do, despite how physically difficult your life is, the military life will be very helpful for most people. I believe this will be a foundation for the life outside.
Q. If you were to return to the military, is there something else you would like to try outside DEMA?
I remember the recovery and identification operation. I was able to experience that for a short time during a Military TV show shoot, and I felt so much respect for the soldiers there. They were doing something so amazing that I felt so embarrassed and grateful about at the same time. Every solider is working for this country and they are all equal, of course, but I felt that the achievements of those who sacrificed themselves are, I don’t even have words to describe them, but they are being forgotten. And those soldiers were going to some unbelievable places to find the remains of one more fallen soldier despite all the danger. I was so grateful. I thought about serving there for a short time.
Q. Last words…
I reported my transfer when I was a private first class here, said hello when I became a private and a corporal, and now, I’m finishing up my discharge interview. Thank you very much for your warm welcome, and more than anything, your health is important. I hope you take care of yourselves during your military service, and I hope the time you spend as soldiers help you in the future.
And for those who are waiting for me, I think I was able finish my military service with such success because of your support. Thank you very much, and I will see you when I return to being a singer after my discharge. Thank you for everything, and I wish you health.
I am Sergeant Park Hyoshin of DEMA. Salute!!
Sergeant Park Hyoshin is returning to the hearts of many more people!
English translation: sandbox
Park Hyo Shin's planet 