Meet the Zulu from South Korea

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A South Korean expat’s admiration for Zulu people and their rich culture has earned him the moniker, Nkosana, a Zulu name given to first-born sons. James Kim, who lives in South Beach, owns and operates a photography studio near the Workshop Shopping Centre in central Durban. He says he has an electrical engineering degree, and served in the South Korean armed forces and as a presidential bodyguard in the mid-1980s. The 47-year-old developed a fascination for black people after seeing a movie with a lot of black characters while growing up in the Korean port city of Busan.

Kim was nicknamed Nkosana by a regular customer who admired his keenness for learning all things Zulu.

He arrived in South Africa about 23 years ago on holiday, which he described as his best ever, and opted to stay in the country when his encounter with local Zulu people evoked childhood memories of the film he had watched.

He has not returned to his homeland since.

He said it was important for people to learn about different cultures so they could understand the importance of respecting each other’s heritage and avoid incidents such as last year’s xenophobic attacks.

“I have been to countries like Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Kenya, all countries with citizens who boast pride in their roots and cultures, but the pride of the Zulu in their identity as a people and culture is stronger than I have seen elsewhere.

“They have got a profound respect for their monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini, and their faith in the Shembe Church,” said Kim, who describes uphuthu as his favourite dish.

Kim said his willingness to learn more about different aspects of the Zulu culture had even led him to Nhlangakazi Mountain, the holy mountain of the Shembe Church, where he had hoped to meet the leader of the church, but that did not materialise.

“I met the Zulu king through a compatriot of mine with close ties to him, at uMhlanga’s Beverly Hills Hotel, and I was very impressed by him as he struck me as a very smart and respectful man, despite his status.

“Customers who came into my shop did not believe me when I told them I had met the king,” added Kim, the seventh of 10 children.

He said his parents died while he was in South Africa, but he did not attend their burials in Korea because of logistical difficulties.

Kim said that because of the number of years he had spent in Durban, he often served as something of a tour guide for South Korean delegations on their trips to South Africa.

He said he performed this task a few years ago when the South Korean city of PyeongChang was handed the hosting rights for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, at the 123rd International Olympic Committee session in Durban.

He said he would visit Korea in 2018, after the Korean delegation at the 123rd IOC session promised him tickets to make a trip to his country of birth, 25 years after leaving.

“I want to go to the next uMkhosi Womhlanga (Zulu Reed Dance), and hopefully I can find a beautiful Zulu wife with whom I can start a family,” said Kim.

Daily News