A letter from ex-colleague of Hyundai Motor Holland

This is a letter from my old Dutch colleague who was PR manager at HMH in 1978 and 1980. The stories below would be good to recall my forgotten memories of the days in Leidschendam to be included in my book.
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Re: HMH pictures‏
보낸 사람:	W. van der Veer(wvdveprg@wxs.nl)
보낸 날짜:	2008년 4월 26일 토요일 오후 11:13:36
받는 사람:	전명헌 (mjuhn@hotmail.com)
참조:	B. Kreber (b.kreber@orange.nl); Jonet Sabee (jsabee@autodata.nl)

Dear Mr. Juhn (Juhn-si?)

I hope you are not in a hurry with collecting memories from the Leidschendam period. I moved house last year and have started to sort out the pictures referring to Hyundai. As said, there are hundreds of them. The scanned pictures do not give a good impression of the quality. They are perfect b/w negatives and prints.

It would be nice to have my Hyundai story 1978-1991 ready this year as Hyundai is now 30 years in the Netherlands. First introduction of Hyundai to the European market was in Belgian during the Brussels Motor Show of January 1979, followed the next month by the introduction to the Dutch market during the Amsterdam RAI Show of 1979. This was a great event with plenty of TV coverage, thanks to a Miss Lee, top model flown in from Korea, and Suky who would become Peter Komijn's wife. So Hyundai could celebrate 30 years on the Dutch market next year.

Apart from Jan Mol, Peter Komijn is somebody I meet from time tot time as we are both long-standing M.G. Car Club members (I since 1957 and Peter since 1979). He is a prominent man in the automotive trade - technical director of the Mazda distributor, part of the Autobinck Holding who also owns Greenib Car since 2000. He is married to a Korean wife Suky (Soo-kjong?).

Jonet I met a few years ago at Autodata, also quite prominent in the Dutch automotive trade with CEO Wil Brouwers who was responsible for the computerisation of Greenib Car in the Eighties. He introduced me to computers in my small operation as well, with the first Hyundai PC imported in the Netherlands, in 1987.

The rest of the names you mention, Hartog, Seegers, Ed van Daalen and Jongejan have disappeared out of my sight. One important man I have not been able to contact yet - he has been seriously ill - is Wim Harmsen who arranged the European homologation of new Hyundai models. As far as I know the European homologation is still arranged from Holland as a continuation of Wim Harmsen's pioneering activity.

Please excuse me for being able to spare little time on research in my own material and from those I could interview. It would be interesting to learn your views on the development of Hyundai's European market from the Leidschendam days. Lee, Soo-Chun told me on Saturday mornings about what he had done to get the Pony project off the ground. Most impressive. I heard he died of a heart attach in the Eighties. He taught me almost everything I know about the teamwork between Europeans and Koreans. On the same Saturday mornings I was taught the fundamentals of Han-gul. I kept all the documents of those lessons. They were indispensable in my PR work explaining the Korean background. At the time South-Korea was only known for the Korean War (in which also a Dutch contingent fought the North-Koreans), Ginseng and orphans adopted by Dutch couples. The literacy, rebuilding the cultural heritage after the Japanese occupation and the determination to become an industrial power, were elements which figured in my texts and articles written in the period of my functioning for HMH and later Greenib Car.

Summarising: My work for Hyundai has been an important stage both in my business career and my personal life.

Let's keep in touch.

Best regards,

Pim van der Veer

P.S,

Are you the third person from the left on the picture with the first parts shipment on 1 December 1978?

눈 덮힌 핫코다산 트레킹

하늘에서 내려다본 아오모리에있는 설산들...
Aerial view of the Odake mountains..

펼쳐두기..

당초 출발 예정지였던 로프웨이 터미널. 그러나 강풍으로 운행 중지상채로 우리는 다른 길을 택해야 했고..
Our original plan was to take the Ropeway (Cable Car) to the Park where we were supposed to star trekking. However, due to strong wind we had to change our route starting from the other side of the mountain.

왼쪽 사진은 로프웨이 옆에 있는 산장.               오른쪽 사진은 스키장 부대시설

핫코다산 설상 트레킹이 막 시작..  맨앞의 오렌지색 오버트라져를 입은 이가 일본 현지인 가이드. 평생을 산이 좋아 이곳서 살아왔다고 우리 가이드 방원식씨가 전한다. 맨뒤에서 두번째가 늙다리 트레커. 알아 볼 수 있는지?
We started walking on the snow field. The guy at the foremost front in overtrousers in orange color is our guide who had left his hometown and moved to this town and lived for several decades as he loved mountains so much.

혜초의 방원식 대장. 이번이 두번째로 그의 가이드를 받는다.
This is WS Bang who guided me last year for trekking to Mt. Okuhodakadake, the north Alps of Japan.
갈수록 안개가 짙어간다. 사진을 더이상 찍을 수가 없다.
Our team is disappearing in the fog. As the fog gets deeper, photographing was impossible.

첫번째 대피소. 개스(구름안개)몰려와 앞이 잘 안보인다.  오렌지 색 현지 일본인 가이드와..
In front of the shelter with the guide and Johny. It was so foggy that I could not tell the direction. The guide told us we could not go to the top of the mountain due to strong wind in the mountain.
오다케(大岳) 피난소이다. 정상까지는 20여분 거리이지만 더가도 아무 것도 안보일 것이다. 강풍이라고 올라가지 말라고 한다. 이곳에서 도시락으로 점심을.. 등산 또는 스키도중 악천후를 만났을 경우 피하는 곳으로 내부는 상주하는 사람없이 관리되지만 깨끗하게 유지되고 있었다. 날씨가 협조해주지 않아 시계 불량으로 우리는 정산 등정을 포기하고 오다케 대피소에서 점심식사후 하산키로.....
This is Odake shelter where we took a break and lunch. It is just twenty minutes away from the summit of the Hakoda Odake. Though there was no fulll-timer here but the shelter was clean and tidy as all users care of this facility.

하산길에 단체사진을 한장 찍기로하고. 폼을 잡는다.
On the way down, we took a pose for a picture.

스키 슬로우프였을 비탈 길을 걸어 내려가고 있는 우리 일행. 이슬비가 내리고 있어 발밑의 눈은 미끄럽지는 않았지만  나무 밑의 빈공간을 지날때 무릅위까지 빠지는 일이 많았다.
Looks like a ski slope. As it was drizzling all the way the snow was not slippery but when passing by between trees there were hidden holes where some of us fell down in the hole.

산행시간은 딱 다섯 시간 걸렸다. 눈에서 시작해 눈으로 끝났다. 출발점과 가까운 곳에 설치되어있는 안내판.
It took us five hours to trek all the way which was, I'd say, modest course.

예정된 코스

4월 23일 산행은 핫코다 로프웨이를 타고 田無泡岳(1,324m)를 시작점으로 赤倉岳(1,548m) - 井戶岳(1,550m) - 大岳避難所 - 八甲田大岳1,584m) - 上毛無岱 - 下毛無岱 - 酸ㅋ湯溫泉의 순으로 행정을 잡았으나 강풍으로 로프웨 운행이 불가하여 반대방향에서 출발 위의 빨간 점선을 시계 반대 방향의 번호순서대로 한바퀴 돌기로 했다.
Our original planed course was starting from the Ropeway to get to a park on the hill(1,326m) and start trekking to Damochidake(1,324m) and then all along the red-dot-lined course of the above map to circuit the peaks. However, due to strong wind the operation of the ropeway was temporarily prohibited and we had to change the whole course.

출발 산행시점인 로프웨이로 향해가는 도중 고도가 1,000m 쯤 되자 산에는 잔설이 많이 싸여있다. 도로 양쪽으로는 제설차로 부린 눈이 버스 지붕보다 더 높게 싸여있다.  지난 겨울 얼마나 강설량이 많았는지 짐작하게 한다.
On the way to the ropeway, when our bus was reaching 1,000 meters high in elevation
there were piles of snow, as high as bus roof, along on the both sides of the way.

버스 옆 창밖에 보이는 눈이 버스보다 더 높게 쌓여있는 것 같다. 운전기사 앞 리어 뷰 미러 안에 보이는 얼굴은 누굴까?
Who is the man in the rear view mirror..

또 한가지 신기한 것은 쌓인 눈이 나무 밑둥 주위에는 원형으로 녹아 있다. 이유가 뭘까? 햇볕을 받은 나무 밑둥이 열을 복사하면서 주변이 눈이 녹은 게 아닐까하는.. 상상을

A round hole around the bottom of trunk. I wonder why...?

깨끗한 호텔 주변 산책

오후 시간이 여유가 있어 호텔 주변을 산책했다. 어디를 가나 자연환경이 잘 보존되고 있는 모습이 부럽다. 기념품 가게도 잡상인도 없다. 아래 왼쪽사진은 관광센터와 휴게소. 오른쪽은 호텔 정문
After arrival at the Oirasekeryu hotel, we had some time to kill before dinner time.
We decided to take a walk around the hotel and found that it was well evironmentaly conserved. The photo below left, Tourist center. right, the hotel front view.

그림 같은 내 방.. 다다미 방이다.  그림같이 깨끗하다. 밤에는 탁자를 한쪽으로 밀어 놓고 그자리에 이부자리를 깔아 놓는다.
As usual the hotel house keeper did not disappoint me with the Datami, Japanese typical room floor which was clean and perfectly prepared for guest. See below.

호텔 주변 산책로를 걸어보았다. 오이라세케이류를 따라 있는 산책로는 계곡을 흐르는 깨끗한 물소리가 연인들의 산책로인 것 같은데 ... 이번에 동행한 깁종남 사장 부부
The walkway along the stream Oirasekeryu near the hotel. Johny and his wife.

공항에서 오이라센케이류 호텔로

공항을 출발하여 호텔로 가는 길에 아오모리(靑森)시내를 들러 거리구경을 했다, 작은 도시답게 교통도 원활하여  다운타운인데도 번잡한 것을 볼 수가 없다.
On the way to the hotel our bus dropped by at the Aomori city. It was a small city but all seemed to be well maintained, and even in the downtown there was no traffic at all..

공항에서 오이라센케류호텔을 가기 위해서는 핫코다산(八甲田山)을 지나가게 된다. 산길을 건널때에는 길옆에 쌓여있는 잔설을 볼 수 있었다. 고도가 높아질수록 쌓인 눈 높이는 버스 키만큼 높았다.
In order to go to the hotel, our bus had to take a hilly road passing by  the Hakoda mountain. On both sides of the mountain road there were snow piled up like a wall by snow removers.

한적한 계곡을 끼고 자리 잡은 오이라세케이류 호텔에 도착.  참 깨끗하다.
This is the hotel in typical Japanese style where we wre to stay for two nights.
Inside and outside of the hotel was clean and the nearby was well preserved.

아오모리현(靑森縣) 핫코다산(八甲田山) 트레킹

4월 23일 수요일 우리 일행 10명을 태운 대한항공 KE767편이 예정시간보다 반시간 정도 늦게 이륙했다. 동해를 건너 일본 본슈의 북단에 있는 아오모리(靑森) 공항을 향해 두시간여 날아 아오모리 공항에 도착한다. 공항에서 호텔까지는 1시간 40여분..
쬐그만 아오모리공항 청사는 국내선과 국제선이 공존한다.
Our flight KE 767 departed at 10:30 am 30 minutes late than schedule for Aomori airport.
It took a little over two hours to get to the Aomoni airport which was s small one with only two boaring gates.

공항에서 우리 일행이 투숙할 오이라세케이류 호텔까지 가는 길에 점심식사를 하러 어느식당에 들어 갔다. 역시 우리를 실망시키지 안는 청결함과 친절함은 어딜 가나 틀림 없어 보인다.
On the way to Aomori city we stopped by at a Japanese restaurant which was cozy and kindly receiving us. the food was good and eveybody seemed to be enjoying.

깨끗하게 준비를 끝낸 식탁                             잘 정돈된 신발들
Ready to receive guests                               Well organized sustomers' shoes

식당 정면. 주차장에 있는 자동차들은 주로 미니카들... 절약을 싱활화하는 일본인들의 모습
The front view of the restaurant tand the parking lot.

식당 정면의 주차장에는 주로 미니카들이다. 환경문제와 기름값때문에 현명하게 대처하는 일본인들의 근검 절약 생활.
More than half of the vehicles on the streets are small and minicars in Japan while Koreans prefers bigger ones. We shall seriously think if it is neccessary to drive big cars at this gas price hike.