Ahn Byung Chan, a former reporter for the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Hankook Ilbo newspaper. — VNA/VNS Photo Trường Giang

SEOUL — As Việt Nam approaches April 30, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, Ahn Byung Chan, a former reporter for the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Hankook Ilbo newspaper, well known for his reports from Southern Việt Nam before 1975, recalled memories of those days.

Ahn was the last Korean journalist to leave Sài Gòn (now HCM City) on the early morning of April 30, 1975 on the flight that he believed the last one from the US Embassy's building rooftop on April 30.

As a correspondent for one of the RoK’s largest newspapers, he was both the first to arrive in the South and the last to leave. Ahn said he spent about three years in Southern Việt Nam, so he could remember all streets in the city's downtown.

He said reporting at that time was challenging. While some major newspapers provided teletypes, he had to go to the central telex office near Bến Thành Market to send news. Despite orders to leave Sài Gòn, his passion for journalism kept him there until the end. As April 30 approached, reports of the South Vietnamese military's defeat grew more frequent, and the city was placed under a strict curfew. Occasionally, there were a few gunshots and the sound of helicopters whirring, Ahn recalled.

During this tense period, he wrote an article entitled, "Empty Room from Sài Gòn," expressing his feelings of isolation in his quiet office as the city faced its dramatic end. On April 28, he visited the Korean Embassy and captured images of the flag being lowered, marking the impending liberation.

Ahn described the suffocating atmosphere in Sài Gòn amidst the oppressive April heat. The earlier wave of evacuations had diminished, leaving only the US Embassy as the last refuge. Helicopters landed on the embassy's building rooftop, and they added a landing zone on the lawn, prioritising American citizens and allied officials. As a reporter from the RoK, Ahn was among the third or fourth priority groups. On the chaotic morning of April 30, he managed to line up for evacuation. He recalled being among the last to board a helicopter, taking a final glimpse of Sài Gòn.

When asked how he felt upon hearing of Sài Gòn's liberation just hours later, Ahn expressed gratitude for being present at such a historic moment.

As he sailed to the Philippines after leaving Sài Gòn by air, he wished the Vietnamese people joy for their hard-won independence and reunification - a sentiment deeply cherished by him as a Korean.

Ahn expressed his deep love for Sài Gòn, stating that even while sitting in the helicopter to leave the city, he was thinking about returning again soon. In 1989, after 14 years, he had a business trip to Việt Nam, during which he visited Hà Nội. The unforgettable memories of Sài Gòn compelled him to return to the city almost every year on April 30. This year, at the age of 88, he still wishes to visit HCM City on this date, marking half a century of a pivotal moment in Việt Nam's history.

Each year, whenever he returns to Việt Nam, Ahn typically revisits the Continental Hotel, Bến Thành Market, Nguyễn Huệ Street, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Independence Palace.

Ahn said that he took the reunification train across Việt Nam to experience what it means to be a united country. This made him reflect on the current situation of the RoK and further admire President Hồ Chí Minh. The Vietnamese people achieved something that no other nation in the world has done: ending a war and then re-establishing diplomatic relations with the US, a former adversary.

Ahn noted that Việt Nam's spirit of goodwill and practicality has led to its increasing development, prosperity, and strength. The RoK has also been one of the countries with a close relationship with Việt Nam for over three decades. He pointed out that the RoK and Việt Nam shared a history and culture with many similarities, which might explain why the two countries had achieved impressive results over the past 30 years. As a former journalist and a person who loves Việt Nam, he always hopes for the continued development of the bilateral relations and for people-to-people exchanges to expand so that Koreans can better understand Việt Nam and appreciate the significance and value of unity and peace. — VNS