Initial Reaction
So America and the rest of the world are freaking about Korea. Is South Korea freaking out? Not at all. In these dangerous times, North Korea held a nuclear test on February 12th. At this time, “Innisfree” and “Jessica” ranked as the top search words of Naver instead of the nuclear test or North Korea [source]. One, is a natural makeup company that was having sales that day, and the other is one of the members of Girls Generation, a K-Pop group. The article continues to talk about 20-year-old’s and their lack of awareness or concern for national security.
So as things built up, no one reacted. Not my teachers, students, or friends. This is their lives, my teacher recalled her childhood filled with threats and even events as recent as November 2010, when North Korea shelled a South Korean border island, Yeonpyeong, killing four South Koreans, including two civilians.
My Two Cents on It
Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten more and more concerned, mostly because friends and family from home are constantly messaging me and asking if I am okay, thus freaking me out more. Life here is as normal as ever, though I am sure the South Korean military and intelligence are doing all they can to help us. Personally, I don’t think war will break out. North Korea has too much to lose and not enough to fully make a dent either with South Korea or with America, because they are both invested in this. Needless to say, I have taken all the steps necessary to make sure I can be as prepared as possibly in case the situation changes.
I know, silly video, but I can’t let myself over worry about the situation. We are already seeing some foreign teachers leaving South Korea even though America is telling us, as of April 4th, not to:
The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that despite current political tensions with North Korea there is no specific information to suggest there are imminent threats to U.S. citizens or facilities in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Embassy has not changed its security posture and we have not recommended that U.S. citizens who reside in, or plan to visit, the Republic of Korea take special security precautions at this time. The U.S. Embassy takes as its highest priority the welfare of American citizens in Korea. Should the security situation change, the Embassy will issue updated information.
____________________________________________________
A History of Attacks from North Korea
History of North Korean Attacks on South Korea [source]