Yesterday there was a message from a friend who worked in the same company until recently about how
North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island. I didn't get to read more about it until this morning. I was suddenly worried about my student Jin who is a professional soldier. He said that they were digging up bones or something near a mountain. But the most offensive part of the news was that the shelling turned villages from peaceful fishing communities to bombshell terror site. People who would have to work everyday to get enough food on their table are now hunkered down in shelters. This is just after their "kimchi making weekend" in Korea. So I can only imagine that within their humble homes, there are kimchi tucked in for the rest of winter. I doubt anyone reached for those stuff when the shelling happened.
And the reason behind it that sounds the most reasonable yet still disgusting is that they want to increase the fear of the people towards foreign countries so that their loyalty would strengthen and benefit the heir-apparent who doesn't have a "rap sheet" so to speak listing something akin to that of his father.
My students told me that they had hoped that this future North Korean leader would be less of what his father was and be more open to turning his country around. But the news of late shows that he might just continue the reign of idiotic terror his father and those before him had made and protected. Kim Jung-on is not the light but just another part of the darkness. The aging Kim Jong-il is no longer a threat to most but the youth and the mindset of the heir-apparent is relatively dangerous to South Korea, and in my opinion, to the world. Most of us have hoped that North Korea's new leader would be a globally aware person. But I guess nurture and nature are a big deal when they are twisted to become beneficial to only a few people.
Because if I was a North Korean who toils day after day and hopes that the new leader would pay more attention to his needs than the soldiers who march for the government, and I found myself being told to give what little food or crops that I have to the army to feed those soldiers, then perhaps I would not be so loyal as to raise my hand and salute him. But not all respect is gained by causing terror.
I think no one respects North Korea, not even South Koreans. They believe that they are ungrateful and backwards.
I can't blame them. I feel the same towards rebels and terrorist. Even those who are in the Philippines.
North bombards island base with shells
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/nov/23/north-korea-fires-south-korea
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For the first time since the end of the Korean War, two civilians were found dead in one of the ruined houses due to the shelling.
My students are super pissed. I can literally hear them shake in anger when they talk about it. I had to do a lot of freetalking today since most of them are aggravated by the situation. The women are more scared than mad. Those who still have some years to do military service and were officers before are scared of being called back. I learned today that military training is for two years. Then for seven years after that, you can be called back to active service if the need arrises.
Seriously NK, you suck.
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| soldiers who died in yeonpyeong | | |
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| people who evacuated from Yeonpyeong |
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| South Koreans take this anger to the streets |
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| scope of the attack |
*sumala pa pala sa lagay na un*
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928905
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928855
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928854
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928853
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928852
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928851
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928850
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928849
