On the night of October 26, 1979, the military doctor in the emergency room did not realize that the bleeding patient was the President.

It was because of his ordinary Seiko watch, his peeling tie pin, and his worn belt.

The final attire of President Park Chung-hee, who led the nation for 18 years.

And by his side, the Korean miners who descended 1,000 meters into the mines of West Germany, and the Korean nurses working in unfamiliar wards.

⛏️ $100 million sent by 7,936 miners and 11,057 nurses

🇩🇪 The Hamborn Coal Mine auditorium in 1964, the day the national anthem turned into tears

🛣️ How that sweat led to the Gyeongbu Expressway and Pohang Steel

🍶 A glass of Makgeolli hidden behind the story of Chivas Regal

We follow this journey not through cinematic imagination, but through the decisions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the National Archives, and records preserved in the Korean Newsreel. Some scenes were created using AI to aid understanding.

As you drive on the highway this evening, please take a moment to think about whose sweat and tears lie beneath that road.

Please make sure to show this to your parents as well. Your subscriptions and likes create the next story.

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