These are some further thoughts and observations concerning the ongoing Korean tensions, updated today.
Dec. 5
A correction to my recent guest editorial: Although some reports say there are 1000 soldiers on Yeonpyeong, I’ve seen another report of 400 soldiers -I’m unsure of the actual number. Also, although it was initially reported that 200 shells fell on the island, they’re now saying about 80 actually hit.
So, a few Korean adults I’ve talked to are somewhat concerned, but certainly not alarmed or panicked. Just out of curiosity, I’ve been polling my teenage students for their opinions. Everyone of course said it was a bad thing, and most believed that the North fired first. But many of my classes were split on whether or not S. Korea should go to war against the North. I asked how many wanted to fight, and would be fun to go to war, like in video games and movies – several boys in each class raised their hands with smiles. Fortunately, a majority said it wouldn’t be fun, and didn’t want to go. Those who wanted to fight seemed fairly typical of teens who have no experience with war.
But some context is in order: all Korean boys have mandatory national service for 21 months, which almost always means army. I could write quite a bit about that issue, but suffice it to say for now that boys are much closer to being on front lines, whether they want to be or not. I’m not clear how that may affect people’s thinking and responses to the latest incident.
But now, most thoughts are going towards what will happen in the next week or two. As readers may have heard, both sides have promised apocalyptic responses. And President Lee here in SK, along with the U.S. are promising stepped up war exercises in the very same disputed waters. So, our response seems to stir the hornet’s nest. In talking with one 60 something man, he made the point that SK’s navy must practice to be prepared. That seems certainly true – but there is no necessity to practice where it is most likely to ignite more incidents. SK/US politicians choose to place their training in the most provocative places possible, since they are heavily disputed waters – and then blame NK when they respond.
I want to again emphasize that even though there was a significant military presence on Yeonpyeong, it was immoral to intentionally shell civilian targets (BTW, military targets were also targeted, which is why there were more military casualties.)
But if SK were truly interested in protecting it’s vulnerable civilian populations in disputed waters (and there are four other islands in that category), the last thing they would do is practice war games there.
Dec. 20
So, it’s a few weeks later, and we’re playing the same game. I just heard on the news that the first day of live fire drills in the disputed waters ended without incident, and NK uncharacteristically said that the provocations were not worth responding to. So interestingly, NK comes out of this first day looking like the mature party.
While it’s true that some S.Koreans are telling their government to “get tougher” (without saying what that means), there are many here who don’t want to see added provocation. One Yeongpyong resident said, as she was leaving her island home, that LMB (President Lee Myung- Bak, as he’s known here) should stop trying to pick a fight, with navy drills in such tense waters. Others seem to agree. I’ll just reiterate that SK can practice anywhere else on it’s coastal area, but it chooses to rub it’s territorial claims in NK’s face, by firing so close to the NK coast.
Locally here in Goheung, about as far south as one can be, things are quite normal, but when asked, people tell me consistently that they don’t want Korea to go to war again. Although most are not old enough, many remember the stories their parents or grandparents told of the suffering, starvation and complete destruction from the Korean War (they call it the June 26th War – named for when it started).
Just last week, our school – along with all schools and public entities, had an “invasion drill.” At 2 PM, the sirens sounded, and all students and some teachers went into the gym, and sat on the floor for 20 minutes, bored. No one spoke to them – a few teachers just babysat them for the duration. Many teachers didn’t bother to participate, because they’re busy preparing for finals, but I found that outside the school, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I’m told that they’re suppose to have these drills almost every month, but this is the first one I’ve seen in the year and a half that I’ve been here. Apparently the schools – and almost everyone in the country – have ignored them until this now.
Ironically, almost two months ago, my school (and most others, I’m told) had a
Reunification presentation. I watched for a bit, but of course, since it was in Korean, I didn’t understand much of anything. But I’m fairly sure it was to help Korean students understand what it may take to reunify the country (interestingly, LMB had recently proposed a “reunification tax” which would help fund making the country whole again.)
Well, we’ll see what the next few days bring our peninsula. Hopefully NK’s gesture will “provoke” SK to a similar gesture towards ratcheting down on chest beating.
Note: If you’d like to be notified of new entries, please send me your email and I’ll put it on my notification list (it won’t be used for any other purpose). surmonk@gmail.com










While it was Cinco de Mayo in the greater Boulder metropolitan area yesterday, here in South Korea (and Japan*) it is Children’s Day, which is seen through a child’s eye as their Christmas. Traditionally, children receive gifts (often cash), although unlike Christmas, go special places with their parents, such as zoos or museums.