As I have said before, despite all the provocations and deadly aggressive behavior over the past few years by Kim Jong-un, some how South Koreans are more fearful of President Trump:
Citizens in Seoul Station watch news showing a North Korean newsreader announcing that Pyongyang successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test, Sunday. / Yonhap
“My firm belief is that war will not happen. The general consensus among my friends is that war won’t break out since the U.S. and China are involved,” Choi Yong-kwan, a 20-year-old college student, said as he read an article on his mobile phone.”But I definitely do feel a sense of growing tension and fear ― it’s their sixth nuclear test and they are on their way to refining their nukes.”
“I’ll leave Korea and head for Canada or something” was the initial response from Park, an elementary school teacher. But as she went on, she dismissed the idea of war. “To be honest I don’t put too much thought into this because it’s always been this way. War does not come easily,” she said. “And we shouldn’t be worried. Fear is what leads to war.”
For the public in the South, North Korea’s provocations are not treated as something new. Although most stuck to this instinct, some added U.S. President Donald Trump as a new, unpredictable and perhaps even more frightening variable.
“This is nothing new. Just another provocation by the North as I see it and it’s been worse before but still did not lead to war. I don’t think any South Korean male who has been in the military is scared,” 29-year-old Yoon Tae-jun from Busan said, adding “But then again I’m not sure this time because of Trump.
“I’m not keeping an eye on this ― maybe this is the problem. But this time, maybe Trump will take some sort of action,” Kwon Suk-in, 27, said. “There must be no war.” [Korea Times]
NK has been threatening war for decades. SK has become desensitized to them. On the other hand, Trump became president in the past year, so he’s still new to them.
MTB Rider
7 years ago
Can’t argue with that logic.
OTOH, I’m not seeing a mass exodus out of South Korea. All my local friends are still doing the same things, posting the same selfies, talking about their students or bicycles or families.
There was a pic on Facebook last year, divided into what the media is showing, and what South Koreans are really doing. Top pic was tanks and missile launchers rolling through Kim Il-Sung Square, bottom pic was a bunch of casually dressed people outside of a Dunkin Donuts.
If the US really wanted to attack North Korea, we could certainly do worse than dropping a missile or two on KIS Square during one of their big parades…
Smokes at Work
7 years ago
The media certainly seems to want that to be the case.
In any case it’s really looking like the world’s going to have to just deal with a nuclear DPRK and every time someone asks “How did this happen?” when the DPRK demands something or they’ll shoot nukes remember 2017, the year when the globe pussed the fuck out.
Time is up, it’s been up. Even with the ridiculous pace the DPRK is on right this fucking second people are still clinging to the belief that there’s a non-military solution to this. There isn’t, no one’s stepping up so guess what, deal with the reality of a nuclear NK.
[Extra three profanity-laced paragraphs deleted. You’re welcome. 😛 ]
NK has been threatening war for decades. SK has become desensitized to them. On the other hand, Trump became president in the past year, so he’s still new to them.
Can’t argue with that logic.
OTOH, I’m not seeing a mass exodus out of South Korea. All my local friends are still doing the same things, posting the same selfies, talking about their students or bicycles or families.
There was a pic on Facebook last year, divided into what the media is showing, and what South Koreans are really doing. Top pic was tanks and missile launchers rolling through Kim Il-Sung Square, bottom pic was a bunch of casually dressed people outside of a Dunkin Donuts.
If the US really wanted to attack North Korea, we could certainly do worse than dropping a missile or two on KIS Square during one of their big parades…
The media certainly seems to want that to be the case.
In any case it’s really looking like the world’s going to have to just deal with a nuclear DPRK and every time someone asks “How did this happen?” when the DPRK demands something or they’ll shoot nukes remember 2017, the year when the globe pussed the fuck out.
Time is up, it’s been up. Even with the ridiculous pace the DPRK is on right this fucking second people are still clinging to the belief that there’s a non-military solution to this. There isn’t, no one’s stepping up so guess what, deal with the reality of a nuclear NK.
[Extra three profanity-laced paragraphs deleted. You’re welcome. 😛 ]