How 2 Koreans found home in India’s heartbeat

For Yechan Lee, who hails from Bihar, and Luna Yogini, Koreans with roots in Kolkata, India is not just a place on the map, but a profound essence woven into their very being. Their heritage may be Korean but hearts beat to the rhythm of India.

In an interview with indianexpress.com, Luna and Yechan, embark on a journey of introspection, exploring the profound notion that home is not confined by geography but a sanctuary for the soul.

Luna’s Bengal connection stemmed from her family’s link to Indian spirituality. Raised in Kolkata by her mother, Luna discovered a profound sense of belonging in Bengal’s lively culture, diverse ambiance, and rich traditions.

“She selected Kolkata due to its significance as the birthplace of revered figures like Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, and Rabindranath Tagore—individuals she deeply admired and respected,” Luna says.Yechan emphasised his connection to Bihari culture and language was deeply ingrained through his upbringing in Patna, where he spent 20 years. “It was not a matter of becoming interested (in the culture), but rather a natural experience for me like all other Indians who grew up in India. It would be funny if you asked an Indian how they became interested in Indian culture,” he said.

India and Korea: Same same but different

Luna recognised similarities between Koreans and Bengalis, particularly in their reverence for elders. She said, “Both Bengali and Korean cultures hold deep reverence for elders.” Yechan noticed the same. “Respect for elders and taking care of parents and grandparents are important aspects of both cultures,” he said.Luna finds Korean and Bengali languages similar when it comes to how sentences are structured. “Both languages share a similar sentence structure, with subject preceding object and verb,” she said. Despite linguistic differences between Koreans and Biharis, Yechan said he navigated them smoothly, noting the similarities between Korean and Hindi, which made communication easier.Noting how culinary preferences also connected India and Korea, Luna said, “Bengalis and Koreans alike add a touch of sugar to enhance the flavour of their savoury dishes. Hence, I have noticed how much Koreans enjoy Bengali food!”

Yechan recounted his experiences visiting friends’ homes; how ‘aunty jee’ always warmly welcomes him with ‘meethai’ (sweets) or snacks, along with a heartfelt offer of chai. He sees it as a gesture of kindness and respect. He also observed their generosity during meals, consistently offering more food out of love, even when he insists he’s full.

Luna has experienced the same in Bengal. “I love the conversations over chai, basically, the ‘adda’ culture! I love how the people warmly invite you to feed you full, thus making me a ‘petuk’!”

The one difference Yechan noticed between Koreans and Biharis is on how they follow trends. “Many people in Korea are trend sensitive. If something is trending, such as fashion, everyone will start following the trend. In Bihar, I don’t see people caring too much about what the trend is or how others are wearing their clothes,” said Yechan.