Dear Andrzej , how are you doing ? There are a thousand possible reasons why people break their long - held silences . For me , it was the scarlet petals of Kaffir lilies . I can ' t tell you why , but your name just popped into my head as I was gazing upon the flowers in my small garden of pots the other day and I became compelled to write for the first time in 15 years . Some flowers were in full bloom and others were wilting on the brink of demise . As I peered at the withering petals , the word death crept into my mind and led me to think about two tragedies ― one involving your president and his staff , and the other , the late President Roh Moo - hyun of Korea . When in bloom , Kaffir lilies brighten their surroundings even at night . After their blossoming , the flower of six petals is reduced to a modest triangle and falls in a dignified manner that few can mimic . That may be the reason why Kaffir lilies are called `` gunja - ran " in Korean . `` Gunja " means a virtuous gentleman of great intelligence and `` ran " means orchid . I have yet to figure out how `` lily " in English has become `` orchid " in Korean or vice versa . Dear Andrzej , now that the state funeral of President Lech Kaczynski and his wife is over , you may be trying hard to return to so - called normalcy . However , don ' t hurry , my friend , because a broken heart needs more time to mend than a broken window . Your latest tragedy reminds me of a great loss we Koreans suffered back in October 1983 . It was the bombing at Martyr ' s Mausoleum in the capital of what is now Myanmar , which killed 21 high - profile Koreans and wounded 46 others . The incident was reported to have been an assassination attempt of the then Korean President Chun Doo - hwan . It was foiled and he wasn ' t harmed as his arrival was delayed due to traffic . A military general - turned dictator , Chun was not popular at all and the people wouldn ' t have lamented much if he had been sacrificed . However , the sorrow for the others was deep and lasted for years , because the victims , including foreign minister Lee Bum - suk , were thought to be the `` cream of the crop '' among their contemporaries . Since your people loved Kaczynski , I am afraid the sorrow will persist and the feeling of loss will linger on after the cause of the fatal air crash is found . When Roh committed suicide on May 23 last year , probably unable to endure the humiliation his successor ' s government imposed on him , we Koreans were numb with anguish for quite some time . With the first anniversary of his death a month away , people have already begun to prepare memorial events . I am sorry that most Western leaders were prevented from attending President Kaczynski ' s funeral . The volcanic ash from Iceland clouded more than the atmosphere . It is relieving , though , to hear that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was there . Since Kaczynski and 95 others died on their way to Russia to commemorate the Katyn massacre , the Russian leader ' s presence at the funeral was important . I understand your country lost about 22 , 000 people at the hands of the Russian secret police in the Katyn Forest in April and May of 1940 . Even if the mass killing and the latest crash cost your country a great number of brilliant minds , you still have many outstanding people who are eager to devote themselves to the future of your country . When the people of Poland and Korea go to the polls in June , I hope we will see the best candidates elected and carry on the righteous pursuit that was interrupted by the untimely deaths . When we first met as a visitor and a guide in Warsaw , I was impressed by you , not by your handsome features but by the love you had for your country . Your patriotism was ardent yet sensible unlike that of Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara , who seems to believe he can rewrite history for Japan ' s sake . His latest nonsense declares that Korea chose to be colonized by Japan to avoid becoming part of either China or Russia . Dear Andrzej , our two countries have suffered more than our fair share of misfortunes in our respective histories largely at the hands of aggressive neighbors . I sincerely hope Russia will do whatever is necessary to appease the decades - old rancor among Poles . I also hope to see our neighbor acknowledge what it did to us and people like Ishihara ousted from public service . If and when we see each other again , I would like to share my Kaffir lilies with you and talk about memorable lives and deaths . We can ' t determine one ' s lifespan or how to die , but we can at least choose who to remember . Take care , my friend , until then . - - - - - - ------------------------- 4 월 10 일 " 카 틴 숲 학살 " 70 주년 기념식 에 참석 하 기 위해 러시아 로 가 던 레흐 카친스키 폴란드 대통령 과 공식 대표단 등 을 태운 비행기 가 러시아 스몰렌스크 공항 부근 에서 추락 , 탑승객 전원 이 사망 했 습니다 . 이 소식 을 접하 니 1983 년 버마 의 랑군 에서 일어난 폭발 사건 으로 사망 한 우리나라 정부 요인 들 이 생각납니다 . 사건 은 전두환 대통령 을 암살 하 기 위해 북한 요원 이 저지른 것 이 라고 했 지만 현장 에 늦 게 도착 한 전 대통령 은 무사 했 습니다 . 전 대통령 을 지지 하 는 사람 들 의 생각 은 다르 겠 지만 , 제 생각 엔 당시 에 사망 한 사람 이 전 대통령 이 고 우리 사회 에 필요 한 인재 들 이 아니 었 다면 국민 의 슬픔 이 그렇게 깊 고 크 지 않 았 을 것 같 습니다 . 폴란드 와 우리 는 호전 적 인 이웃 을 만나 고초 를 겪 었 다는 공통점 이 있 습니다 . 요즘 도 일본 으로부터 는 식민지 배 를 정당 화 하 려는 극우 주의자 들 의 발언 이 끊임없이 들려옵니다 . 최근 엔 이시하라 신타로 도쿄 도 지사 가 조선 은 청나라 나 러시아 에 속하 는 걸 피하 기 위해 일본 의 식민지 가 되 는 길 을 택했 다고 했 습니다 . 러시아 든 일본 이 든 , 잘못 을 저지른 나라 들 이 진정 으로 반성 하 고 다시 는 그런 일 을 하 지 않 겠 다고 다짐 하 는 날 이 오 긴 올지 . .. 여러모로 비감 한 봄 입니다 . 폴란드 도 한국 도 6 월 에 선거 를 치 릅니다 . 폴란드 는 새 대통령 을 선출 하 고 한국 은 지방 자치 단체장 들 과 의원 들 과 교육감 들 을 뽑 습니다 . 나라 를 위해 , 세계 를 위해 누구 를 뽑 을지 결정 하 고 투표 에 참여 해야 합니다 .