What the Wednesday: The Neighborly Edition

If you're like me, then when you hear the words neighbor, neighborly, neighborhood, you might think Mr. Rogers. God, I loved that man. So sweet with his cardigans, terribly decorated living room, and indoor shoes. Everyone wanted him as a grandpa. His world was full of sunshine and butterflies and cupcakes. His world consisted of book reading, children's songs, the all too wise life lessons, and the heart warming smile. Obviously he was a much better neighbor than our neighbors here in Korea.

This week provided a fresh batch of threats from our northern neighbors. We hear them all the time. Every week in fact, and I'll be damned if those northerners aren't poetical saying things like, "We will turn Seoul into a sea of fire." and "Seoul will be reduced to ashes," and calling South Koreans things like "traitors, arch criminals, and puppets".  Their threats are always so lyrical and melodic. However, using phrases such as "sea of fire" makes me feel like I'm living in Mordor. It also causes the rest of the world to laugh at them. I mean, if I was to threaten someone I wouldn't use pretty words. That doesn't sound very...um...threatening.

However, the fact of the matter is, I live in a country that's still at war with the North, and while most expats don't talk about it, we think about it. It's always there in the back of our minds, brought up whenever the North makes a particularly flowery threat. With such an unpredictable country right next to us, we can't help but not wonder sometimes, "what if?" So without freaking out my parents too much (too late right?) I'll tell you how you deal with living with constant threats: You ignore it. The South Koreans have been living with this their entire lives. It's why every man must enter into military service and why there are US military bases throughout the country. It's life. It's normal. For them. For us it's a bit unnerving at times. I've had a few conversations with separate people about what we would do if war actually did break out, what we would pack (passport, phone, clean underwear), where we'd go (to Busan, to Japan, to home), etc. Living in Jeollanamdo, we feel safer because we are much farther south. But still "what if" right?

My advice to anyone living abroad is to register with your embassy. They need to know you're here and they need your families contact information in case something did happen. I registered with my embassy the first month I was here and listed emergency contact info (yay Dad!). I get monthly newsletters from them. Also, if an emergency were to happen (natural or northernly) I'd be immediately notified about what I need to do and where I need to go. I don't plan on heading into the mountains to live off of berries and rabbit.

However, if worse comes to worse my Naju friends and I have a plan if the refugee life is indeed ours to be had. It's called "Operation Flee Naju" or in the heat of the moment we'll call it "GTFON". Use your imagination kids.

So while Sauron broods in the north, we all continue to thrive in the south. We listen to kpop, make travel plans, and plan to live here for years to come. We also really really hope we don't have to use the "GTFO-wherever you live" plan.

Now go here and take a look at this to brighten your day now that I've depressed you. Also, because I really do want to be his neighbor.

What the Wednesday: DMZ edition

While the sister was in town we took a day trip to the DMZ. It was a pretty incredible experience and while I'm excited I did it, I wouldn't really say it was worth all the hype. Kind of like that year I went to Times Square for New Years...a bit overrated. Call me what you will, but don't go expecting amazingness.


That is UNTIL YOU GET TO THE JOINT SECURITY AREA.
That is where the awesomeness comes into play. Bypass the tunnel that goes into the ground (boring, backbreaking, claustrophobia-inducing, and exhausting); it's not worth it. The other stuff paled to the JSA. Words don't break the surface of how you feel in that place.
So here's a bunch of photos instead.

view NK from here

No Photo line

totally lame train station they've built that reaches Pyongyang for some ridiculous useless purpose

JSA

view of Propaganda village

Bridge of No Return

Of course the completely awkward, but necessary, picture with the soldier.

Small explanation about Propaganda Village and Bridge of No Return. Propaganda Village is a small and pretty much deserted village that used to have speakers that blasted North Korea Propaganda across to the South. Nobody lives there and it's purely for show. Awesome convincing skills there...

The Bridge of No Return was used at the cease fire of the Korean War when soldiers were given the choice to return to the south or stay in the north. Once they crossed the bridge they could never return.

We went with the USO on a day tour and I would highly suggest going with this company. Here's the website to make your reservation. The directions they give you are ridiculous. But once you leave Samgakji station, take exit 10 like it says and then walk...for a bit longer than the map tells you. It was a source of panic on the morning of our tour. 

Happy Reunification WTW!

War Memorial Seoul Korea

I decided to take my vacation in Seoul instead of some other country this time around for a couple of reasons. I have been in Korea for almost six months and haven't seen a lot of the country, and reason two is that it needed to be a somewhat budget trip as I had paid for my sister's ticket over here as a graduation gift. But Seoul didn't disappoint. As you'll see in the next few posts, we had a grand time. But I'm starting with the War Memorial mostly because it was one of my favorite spots we visited and my Dad will go nuts over the pictures and hopefully share with his veteran friends. Here you go VA peeps!

My sister and I went to the DMZ (another post) and got back into Seoul around 7pm. I had seen the memorial from a distance and knew it was in the area so instead of getting on the subway to go back home we decided to check out the memorial under the light of the full moon. We were not disappointed. You can blame it on our upbringing as veteran's children or the lull of the moon or what have you, but our small glimpse that night made us decide to skip a palace that we planned on seeing the next day and visit the memorial and attached museum instead. As my sister and I walked around this massive memorial we kept saying, "Dad would love this! I wish he was here!"

Also, while I was there, I was struck with several thoughts. The most prominent thought was that I was ashamed that I didn't know more about the Korean War. In the States, we refer to the Korean War as the Forgotten War and those that served are also forgotten. I don't really remember studying about it in school and all that I knew was NK was cra-cra. It is ironic because the NK's hold onto this war so tightly, blaming anyone but themselves for it's cause, and they raise their children with the "history" of how the south are traitors and Americans are imperialists because we tried to invade them once. Of course this means will do it again...? Ask an American child or even teenager and they probably have no idea about the Korean War. The importance placed on this event in these countries is drastically different. 

WARNING!!! PICTURE OVERLOAD AHEAD!

If you have the opportunity, go. Seriously. It's massive. It's free. It's a really cool way to spend a couple of hours diving into Korea's history and story of it's people. 

Directions: Take subway line 4 or 6. Samgakji Station Exit 12. Walk straight out of the exit for literally 30 seconds and it's on your right. When you enter the museum it looks as if you have to pay. You don't. Just walk in and tour. Also, bypass the gift shop. It sucks.

To all the veterans of the Korean War in the States, you are not forgotten here. 

"What the...Kim Jong Il is Dead!" Wednesday

It's everywhere. I can't go anywhere and not hear about it. Kim Jong Il "The Great Leader" died. We know. We get it.

As an American, this was big news to me. I became really interested in North Korea (NK) in college after watching a National Geographic special. How an entire country could worship and follow one man, cut itself off from the rest of the world, and be a blank slate on google maps was beyond me. It fascinated me. Here in the Republic of Korea (the south) NK is just a crazy crazy country that causes problems every once and a while. Now a days, there are few who can distinctly recall the Korean War and there are precious few who have family still alive in the North. When the news reached Koreans there was a mix of emotions: mothers were nervous that their sons would be sent to war, families stocked up on ramyun, some celebrated with soju, while business men worried about their stocks plunging. There is no war, people stock up ramyun anyway, stocks did plunge, and there is still some soju left over. Korea moves on, all the while watching their northern neighbor with a weathered eye. They have, after all, been at war with the North since the 1950's.

When I watched that National Geographic special, they showed a clip of a mother and daughter walking hand in hand headed towards school. They were happy. They were an idyllic mother daughter couple. They were singing a lullaby about the blood of Americans flowing down the streets. Horrified? I was. After more research, it turns out that NK teaches it's citizens that the Americans invaded Korea, started the war, and are imperialist. Fantastic. Perhaps this is why Americans are so interested in the North. We are the enemy. We persuaded the south to follow our imperialistic ways and kill/torture/throw nukes at anyone and everyone who opposed. Muahaha

I have always looked at NK from a humanitarian point of view. Kim Jong Il has allowed his people to starve while he enjoys fine wines. He has opened labor camps and forced people who "break the law" (aka don't do worship him with every fiber in their Korean bodies) to live in a "Korean concentration camp" while his son, "The Great Successor" is fat and chunky and attended school in Switzerland. If people are caught defecting to China or the ROK they are killed, tortured, or put into labor camps until they die of exhaustion and starvation. Oh wait! Didn't Kim Jong Il die of exhaustion working for the good of the people? That's what the NK state television said. That's what none of us believe.

Many of us here in Korea, expats and Koreans alike, hope for a better future economically, politically, and nuclear (ly) between the two countries that share the same peninsula. We hope that the NK's are secretly excited that the Dear Leader is gone and that now their country and their people might have a chance at peace, growth, and a life without monthly food and fuel rations. It is my prayer and thought that truth and hope would enter into the country and that the people around NK (ROK, Japan, China, Russia) would want the same. One can dream right?

And for your viewing pleasure, this website which is freaking hilarious and always good for a laugh: Kim Jong Il looking at things.