(the title of this pic says it all: North Korea is Dark.)
One of the strangest parts of living in South Korea is having to share a border the world's most belligerent and mysterious state: North Korea. I am reminded of this fact almost weekly, though not by anything I see or experience here. Most of my North Korea thoughts emerge because of my American friends and their curiosities/concerns, most of which sound something like this: 'Are you worried?' 'Are Koreans worried?' 'Do you feel safe?' I'm not surprised by these questions. More than anything else, they serve as valid reminders of how irrepressibly doom and gloom American newscasts are. The truth is, it could be really bad. North Korea is without a doubt one of the most unstable and downright scary places on the planet. That they have been in a 50-year cold war with my current home-country should be much more frightening than it is. But here's the deal: the concerns of my American friends remind me of these things, and without them, I probably wouldn't give the north much thought. Surprising?
Most Koreans are not worried about North Korea in the slightest. My co-teacher once told me that many Koreans - herself included - see Kim Jong Il's rocket play as nothing more than malevolent chest thumping - actually, the word she used was "hobby." In practice, North Korea only effects the south in a few very basic ways, none of which are particularly scary. First, all Korean men must begin a term of military service between the ages of 18-25. But these terms are usually just pesky recesses from life, in which the young men perform mindless work (one friend of mine told me he cut down trees for most of his tour) in rural parts of the country, and apparently all have an awkward experience with a hooker. Second, Korea* is essentially made into an island since there are no available land routes connecting to the rest of the Asian continent. Though all that means is Koreans have to fly more, and they do so easily out of Incheon airport, which I can resolutely say is the best airport I've ever been in. Save for the monthly "Invasion Preparedness Drill" - which actually are pretty surreal - the presence of North Korea does very little to effect the daily goings on in the south.
My feelings on this casual attitude are mixed. On one hand, I'm glad to be part of a society that's not living in a state of fear and constantly prepping itself for a war. In fact, and I see the absurd irony in this, I was much more afraid while living in the United States. I know that Koreans see America as a much more dangerous place, and they're exactly right - despite who their northern neighbor is. But I digress. Ok, on the other hand, IF - and this is a big if - but if North Korea becomes violent with the south, I can easily scamper on back to the USA. Koreans can't leave. They are 'in the fight' so to speak whether they like it or not. As a result, I feel it's perhaps a little foolhardy to be as relaxed as they collectively are. Then again, how do you go about creating a viable, thriving country when all you can do is prepare yourself for imminent doom? I think the answer is that you can't have it both ways. You either move on with the business of self-improvement or you muster the troops. Korea has clearly chosen the former, and I think the country is better off for it in the long run.
Like my American friends, Koreans also inquire about my feelings towards North Korea. They often want to know if I feel scared, and I quickly tell them that I don't. So then I ask them how they feel about the north, and while their answers are mixed in many ways, one thing is constant: South Koreans are deeply troubled by the divide, but not afraid of it. They want to be united. The idea of family connection between all Koreans is very real to people here. Essentially, the fact that so many Koreans share family names - Lee, Park, Kim, Cho - is indicative of a general feeling of connectedness. North Koreans and South Koreans are all part of the same ethnic group, and people here are tragically aware of that. I think that it genuinely pains a lot of people here that they cannot share Korea's newly-found wealth and stability with their northern brethren. There is not a hatred of North Koreans by any means - more a frustration with, and anger towards their leader and his cadre. Hearing Koreans talk about their desire for unification is something that I find tremendously touching, and it reminds me of just how momentous it will be when the border patrolmen do finally holster their arms. I can't tell you how proud I will be if I can take my children to a united Korean peninsula. The kimchi will never have tasted better.
*I've started using South Korean and Korean interchangeably. I mean, how many North Koreans do you know?
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