About Holden Beck
Holden Beck is an American who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, ended up serving two years in the Korean Army. He is working on a book tentatively titled The Accidental Soldier, which is a collection of the sometimes humorous and often demoralizing yet laughable experiences during those two years.
He currently lives in Seoul and is seeking literary representation.
* He is also an asshole and very cynical. Many of the opinions reflected in this blog are tongue-in-cheek and insincere. If you are hurt by any posts, he’s sorry. He’s sorry you’re so sensitive.
He also feels weird referring to himself in the third-person.
When are you an asshole?
Diane
September 15, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I’m usually not an asshole in person. Usually. But the beauty of the internet is that I can get in touch with that side of my persona without any shred of guilt or remorse.
holdenbeck
September 15, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Hey. I am an Israeli journalist working on a story about the S. Korean army. Am in Seoul right now. How can I contact you? Thanks
Boaz
November 8, 2010 at 10:32 am
If the article is purely about the Korean Army, I’m sure you will be able to find people much more knowledgable than me. If, by chance, this is about my particular story, I’m holding off giving interviews until I get a book deal.
I’m not sure of how much help I may be to you, but I’ll send a reply to your e-mail account.
holdenbeck
November 8, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Hey man, first of all, good work on the blog. I find your writing style very enjoyable and the subjects you discuss are fascinating. I’m 1st generation Canadian, born in Seoul, moved when I was in grade school. I stumbled upon your blog when I was researching about English teaching gigs in Korea. I had joined the Canadian Navy when I turned 18 two years ago, and chose to remain as a member in the reserves when I began attending university. Coming from Korean background and having military experience under my belt, I just wanted to let you know that I really sympathize with your experience. However, you sure do bitch and moan a lot about your service, now that it is over, maybe it would be wise to turn a new leaf and regard your experience in more positive light? haha, Im just joshing ya, keep up the good work!
W
William w Lee
January 11, 2011 at 1:55 pm
William, thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.
So you’re thinking about teaching in Korea? How does that work out with your Reserves obligations? And Canada has a navy? (It’s a joke. My question, not your navy…)
Do I bitch and moan a lot about my service? I don’t remember doing that much in the last couple months so maybe it’s long overdue. It’s somewhat of a tradition for discharged Korean soldiers to do so. At least the ones I know.
In all seriousness, I didn’t enjoy my time in the Army, but I don’t have any resentment. I’m a very cynical person but I’m not really negative. At the same time, I don’t see any use in looking at the experience in a positive light. It was what it was. It’s just a part of my past and I don’t really think of it that often these days aside from when I’m writing.
Thanks for stopping by…
holdenbeck
January 11, 2011 at 5:19 pm
I’ve been scrolling around for an entry explaining how you got drafted, however, I’ve run out of patience and time (therefore I am writing to you directly). I’m going to Korea in a few months to teach English, and I am scared shitless that i’ll be drafted. I’ve received an F-4 visa from the Korean consulate in LA. Would that be enough to keep me out of the Korean military? Could you offer me any advice?
Besides that, you’re writing style is refreshing and full of descriptive details. I hope you get a book deal soon. Also, we both have a commonality in that we both have a deep fascination (a nicer way of saying addiction) to booze.
Any words of advice you could give me regarding avoiding getting drafted and teaching English in Korea will be greatly appreciated. Heck, I’ll even buy a nights worth of booze for the both of us if you can help me out!
Jay Yoo
October 7, 2011 at 3:31 pm
The good news is that if you were able to get a visa, you most likely don’t have Korean citizenship. The way that I found out I had Korean citizenship was when I went to Immigration to get a visa. The clerk looked at me and said, “Visa? You can’t get a visa. You’re a Korean citizen.” It was news to me.
If you want to be absolutely certain, you can double check to make sure your father (or relatives on his side) has never reported your birth in Korea and you can drop by the Korean consulate in LA and ask them if you can get a copy of your father’s hojeok. The odds are, you’re pretty safe, but I can understand if you want peace of mind.
Did you get a job offer yet? I’ve been out of the hakwon game for a while but I found my first job at Dave’s ESL Cafe. You have to be careful, though, because there are a lot of seedy employers out there. Also be careful if they say it’s close to Seoul. I spent the year before I went to the Army at a small hakwon in Bundang in Seongnam city and it was a pain going out to Seoul to party.
Anyway, thanks for the compliment about the writing. I hope to get a book deal sometime next year but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. And of course, an offer of night’s worth of booze is always welcome but just a warning that it can get a little pricey. I’d be a rich man if I didn’t drink. As it is, I’m poor as hell.
If you have any other questions, send me an e-mail: holdenbeck@gmail.com
holdenbeck
October 7, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Instead of waiting for a book deal you should check out her story
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/08/144804084/a-self-published-authors-2-million-cinderella-story
adann
April 28, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Thanks for the link. I haven’t discounted the possibility of self-publishing but I’m going to try the more conventional path first. There’s just something about seeing your work in print on the bookshelves. Regardless, I still have a way to go before finishing the manuscript and starting the process of finding an agent and publisher again.
holdenbeck
April 29, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Holden, I came across your blog by accident (when reminiscing about my own horrible Korean army experience via google search engine, lol), and I’m struck how similar our experiences were: I served around roughly the same time; spent most of my life before that overseas; and I could hardly speak a word of Korean – which, of course, didn’t stop them from assigning me work as a linguist (and chewing me out)! The main difference would be was that I was a KATUSA; that said, gochams are the same whatever uniform they wear – and some were very memorable – and I’ll never forget the squad leader who saw it as his mission to pick on me everyday in Nonsan. I think it’s great that someone is memorializing the horrible experience of being a non-Korean Korean in the Korean Army. Judging from your posts, you got talent; I wish you the best.
jimmy
May 13, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Jimmy, thanks for the encouragement. I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through a similar experience. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Were you born in Korea? If so, how old were you when you moved to the States?
When did you get your physical before the Army? When I was at the MMA for my physical, there was another guy–he couldn’t speak well, either, but he was born in Korea. I don’t know what happened to him.
holdenbeck
May 14, 2012 at 12:03 am
I was born in Korea but stayed only for the first couple years of my life. I lived in the States, also Singapore, until I came back in 2002. To be frank, I don’t quite remember when I took the physical but it must have been in 02, because I entered the Army about a while later in 03. (I used the intervening time to desperately learn Korean. Alas, it case a case of too little, too late). When exactly did you serve? I did my time from Jun 03 to Aug 05.
jimmy
May 15, 2012 at 4:44 am
I also came to Korea in 2002 but didn’t have my physical until after you started your service. I started in January 2004.
I wasn’t smart enough to use the intervening time to desperately learn Korean. It’s another complicated part of the story but I thought that I had a foolproof plan to avoid the service right up until the day before I was inducted.
holdenbeck
May 15, 2012 at 7:46 pm