“At the mine in Hamborn where I worked, we went 1 kilometer down in a vertical shaft. There we got on a battery car and moved a few kilometers along the horizontal gallery, and then walked about another kilometer to reach the working face. The coal bed face, about 250 meters long, was inclined some 15 to 30 degrees. By this time, even before starting to work, we had already begun sweating in the high geothermal heat.”

This is how Kim Tae-woo describes his daily routine as a coal miner in the former West Germany some 60 years ago. In “Dreams Bloom in the Working Face -- The Lives of Miners,” an essay collection by former Korean miners in Germany, Kim compares the chaos and danger of the mine to a battleground. “Amid the roaring sounds of machines moving ceaselessly, coal breaking and rocks collapsing, we struggled in the pitch black of dust storms,” he notes.

“Gluck auf” was the daily greeting before descending into darkness. It expressed the wish for everyone to return safely.

Bilateral government agreements on economic and technical cooperation led to 7,936 young South Korean men going into German coal mines from 1963 to 1977. And, from 1966 to 1976, a total of 11,057 nurses and practical nurses, as well as 931 technicians, left to work at German hospitals under an agreement between the Korea Overseas Development Corporation and the German Hospitals Association.

These young men and women formed the first large groups of workers who were dispatched overseas to generate foreign currency. South Korea, still hobbled by decades of colonization and war, was one of the poorest countries in the world. Its per capita income was less than $80 and the unemployment rate approached 40 percent. The foreign exchange reserves were less than $20 million, a fraction of the nearly $426 billion today.

In contrast, West Germany faced a labor shortage amid its so-called “Miracle on the Rhine” postwar recovery. Bonn offered commercial loans amounting to 150 million marks (equivalent to some $37 million) to South Korea in 1961, becoming the first foreign country to do so. Invitations for guest workers, or “Gastarbeiter,” followed.

West Germany’s motive was not economic alone. It also wanted to demonstrate support for a nation also divided by Cold War alignment. For the Korean miners and nurses, it was a golden opportunity to escape poverty and hopefully explore chances for a new life in an advanced country. Competition was fierce, particularly for the mining jobs. Many applicants were high school or university graduates, no small feat at the time, although most lacked experience in mining.

Remittances from the miners and nurses, reportedly totaling some $101.53 million, arrived from 1965 through 1975. Their families’ lives improved and Korea accumulated capital for its modernization push. The nation would later benefit also from its participation in the Vietnam War, as well as a claims agreement with Japan on compensation for colonial rule, to accelerate industrialization.

Life was not easy in Germany. The miners and nurses struggled with language and cultural barriers and suffered from homesickness as well as workplace discrimination. A total of 117 miners and nurses allegedly died. Of these, 27 miners died in work accidents, and four miners and 19 nurses took their own lives.

Yet, the overwhelming majority persevered. Many of the miners and nurses either extended their three-year contracts or found another job. In recognition of their contribution to Germany’s industrial development and health care system, the host government actively helped the South Koreans stay longer. The nurses built a reputation as “Korean Angels” for their selfless service and kindness. Some continued their education at German universities and became doctors.

Eventually, about 40 percent of the miners and nurses remained in Germany, forming the backbone of the second-largest Korean diaspora in Western Europe, after the UK. Among the other 60 percent, about half moved to a third country, mainly to the US and Canada, and the other half returned to Korea. About 40 families built a “German village” together in Namhae County, South Gyeongsang Province, where they have settled.

Residents of the idyllic seaside community evidently belong to the relatively better-off group among the miners and nurses who have retired from their German stints. “While living in Germany as a marriage immigrant, I have met many former miners and nurses who can hardly afford a trip to Korea, let alone return permanently to resettle here,” says Lee Hyo-jung, president of the United World Korean Women (UWKW), a fraternity with international networks.

“Most of the retired miners and nurses are in their late 70s and 80s. Many live on pension with little savings, as they remitted home most of their salaries,” she explains. “They miss Korea very much and want to spend the rest of their lives in their homeland. But they don’t have the means to realize their dreams.”

An array of events is scheduled in both Korea and Germany around this year, marking the 60th anniversary since the first group of 123 miners left for Dusseldorf on Dec. 16, 1963. The Korean Gluckauf Association in Germany is also organizing a commemoration ceremony on May 6, at the Korean miners’ memorial hall in Essen. Earlier this month, the UWKW hosted a fund-raising bazaar and art exhibition at a restaurant in Insa-dong, downtown Seoul, to support the ceremony.

Currently reshaping its policy for overseas Koreans and upgrading the relevant offices, the government should enhance programs for those who relocated abroad in response to the country’s needs. During their visits to Germany, past presidents have pledged to improve the welfare of retired miners and nurses. But their words are mostly hollow. Little has been done.

With the nation’s economic strength dramatically improved, it’s time to remember and properly repay those who spent their young adulthood toiling in a faraway land to lift their family and nation out of poverty. They continued the “Miracle on the Rhine” so the “Miracle on the Han” could begin.

Lee Kyong-hee

Lee Kyong-hee is a former editor-in-chief of The Korea Herald. -- Ed.