When My Name Was Keoko

Written by Linda Sue Parks Presented by Iris Sherron

What the story is about

When My Name was Keoko is about a Korean family who is forced to change their way of life.

During World War II, Japan occupied Korea. All Koreans were forced to become “Japanese”. Even their names were changed.

The two main characters switch off narrating the story. Their uncle gets into trouble with the Japanese and is forced to go into hiding. While their uncle is hiding, the Tae-yul starts working for the Japanese military. He is stationed in Japan. After his training, the Japanese surrender to the U.S.

With the Japanese surrender, Sun-hee and her family return to their Korean lives.

Maps of Japan and Korea

Japan Korea

Main Characters

Sun-hee or Keoko is a very smart Korean girl, who switches back and forth narrating the story with her brother. She has excelled in learning kanji.

Tae-yul or Nobou, is Sun-hee’s brother. He is interested in air planes.

Aubji is their father and is the vice-principal of Sun-hee and Tae-yul’s Japanese school.

Omoni is their mother and does not know to much Japanese.

Uncle owns a print shop. He is responsible for printing the Japanese newspaper.

Settings

Their home

The print shop

Their school

Japanese training camp

Leaflets

American airplanes flew over Korea and dropped leaflets. The leaflets were written in Korean and said not to worry, the Americans were not going to bomb Korea.

Interesting scene from storyThe whole family was listening to the Olympics on the radio. The radio announcer said the athlete was from Japan.

Uncle gets very upset about it, but Sun-hee does not understand. Tae-yul explained that the radio announcer did not tell anyone that the athlete was actually Korean.

The athlete was wearing the Japanese flag and had a Japanese name, so the country of Korean did not have any publicity.

Citation

http://survivalfarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/rose-of-sharon.jpg Page 1, picture of rose of Sharon

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tokyotimes.com%2Fwhere-to-see-japans-2013-cherry-blossoms%2F&ei=hQlgVITABoqeyAS474G4BA&bvm=bv.79189006,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNGMg0fe3plyK1CMuQrY3HrI-osEGg&ust=141566643316 Page 1, picture of cherry blossom

http://bizlocallistings.com/junytd/map-of-east-asia-during-world-war-2 Page 3, map of Japan

http://www.ww2roundtable-rochester.org/gallery/escaping-an-ambush-in-korea_24.php Page 3, map of Korea

theguardin.com

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Baker-Haigh-Nimocks-House-Heritage-Square-Fayetteville-NC.JP Page 5, picture of home

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_leaflet_propagandaPage 6, leaflet

theguardin.com Page 7, pictures of flags