Guus Hiddink has been a hero since he reached the semifinals with the national team during the World Cup in 2002 as national coach of South Korea. Yet the football coach is not the first famous Dutchman in the country. Riper Jan Janszn. Weltevree preceded him 400 years ago. The historic bond between De Rijp and South Korea was commemorated yesterday, guest of honor was Guus Hiddink: “It is nice that this is still commemorated after so many years.”
We all know Guus Hiddink, of course, but who was Jan Janszn. Good luck actually? That story begins when he sailed from Batavia to Japan in 1627 as a gunner aboard the VOC ship Ouwerkerck. Because the journey takes longer than expected, they run out of drinking water.
He goes with two mates in a boat to an island of South Korea to stock up on drinking water. The men are eventually captured. And whoever was captured in the land did not get away so easily. Knowing about weapons and gunpowder, Weltevree eventually became an advisor to the king’s court.
western knowledge
“He married a Korean, had children, took the name ‘Pak Yon’ and became a real Korean,” says Fré Harmsen of the Jan Janszn foundation. good luck. In addition, Weltevree also introduced other western knowledge to the country. “He is one of the best-known Dutchmen in our country,” the ambassador of South Korea tells NH Nieuws. “Besides Guus Hiddink, of course!”
Every year, In de Rijp commemorates the historical link with South Korea. Guus Hiddink had already been invited several times to attend. “I actually had an excuse every year because I was not in the Netherlands. Since I am now in the country, I couldn’t avoid it anymore.”
Hiddink also had to make the cut when he had to pay toll during a boat trip in De Rijp (text continues below the video):
And it ended up being a busy schedule for the ex-football coach. There were speeches, De Schermer Dansers danced, South Korean pianist Tae Young played the national anthems of both countries and there was a boat trip through the Eilandspolder.
Sushi and herring
Flowers were also placed at the statue of Jan Janszn. good luck. “Honestly, I had to be brought up to date, since it was a few centuries ago. Yet it is very nice that this is still commemorated after so much time,” said Hiddink.
In the Grote Kerk of De Rijp, while enjoying sushi and herring, Hiddink opened the exhibition ‘Equal in diversity’, a series of paintings that
diptychs show the remarkable similarities between the Dutch and
Korean costume and culture. This one exhibition can be viewed all weekend.