vitalvisionary

It's the new "radiation" as a plot device or handwaving explanation I feel like. 60 years ago it was: Why'd they get superpowers? Radiation!

Wow, your background is so similar to mine. I interviewed my grandparents for my high school graduation project almost 20 years ago. My 할머니 lost her home and saw some her family killed by communist soldiers/sympathizers. My 할아버지 was trained by UN/US forces on Jeju but never saw action as some government official was bribed by his family to keep him away from the frontlines.

To add a little to your answer, while many Koreans fled south from North Korea, some also went north. There was a fear that US forces would bring Japanese troops back to Korea and return the country to a colonial-like period.

Highly recommend recording your grandmother. I had a list of leading questions based off previous interview answers I got beforehand. I would try to get my grandfather to repeat my question in his answers so it could be edited together without my prompting. It will be in an invaluable record for your family especially since so much was lost in the occupation, war, and reconstruction.