Interesting Editorial on Anti-Americanism in Korea

Here is a well written editorial in the Korea Times that makes many good points. Here is a sample:

The past years have seen surges in anti-Americanism, which was initially sparked by an accidental death of schoolgirls being struck by a U.S. military vehicle. Even though the USFK readily expressed “heartfelt condolences’’ and then formally apologized, Koreans flooded downtown to denounce America which has saved a lot more innocent Koreans than they have accidentally killed. Surprisingly, the Korean press has glossed over the accidental death of an Iraqi after being struck by a bullet from a Korean military rifle. The Korean public dismisses this as being “an accident,’’ but was it not also “an accident,’’ which occurred on the Korean road a few years ago?

Interesting comparison of incidents. I’m still waiting to see what the truth of that incident really is. Here is the point I like best:

In addition, U.S. soldiers stationed here have paid a human emotional cost by being away from their loved ones. If people feel Americans do not pay enough for their bases or other costs, these same people should take a sobering stroll around the War Memorial and as they see the names of the multitude of dead U.S. and U.N. soldiers they should remember that freedom is not free. All of this is to protect Korea from a crazed regime in North Korea.

Many Koreans don’t realize how hard it is for US soldiers to come here for a year and leave their wife and kids back in the US. It is a big emotional sacrifice for soldiers to leave their families especially in this day and age when you may have just come off of an Iraq deployment, just to come to Korea for another year away from your family. This causes untold amounts of marrital problems and divorce. Then having people protest you even though you left your family to come here to help protect the peninsula is really frustrating for many soldiers. Read the rest of the article on your own. Interesting reading.