NKorea

A few words on Kim Jong il- I wonder what the American media is making of the bomb testing. I remember when I came home I was surprised to hear people asking me about our "war with N. Korea." Actually, many don't know the difference between North and South Korea, but I can't blame them; I probably wouldn't either had I not moved here. The feeling here is much more casual. An hour after the nuke testing, the foreigners were discussing it, obviously a bit rattled. As the day went on, I noticed the Koreans were just going about their normal business and, if asked what they thought, they'd laugh it off and change the subject. I wondered if this was their way of handling something that may be too painful to talk about. I kept prying as to why Koreans don't seem the least bit concerned about the news. A doctor student of mine finally explained it to me. He said the rational is this; S. Korea and N.Korea have technically been at war for so long with no real violence between them. Reports of possible turmoil are constantly in the news, but nothing ever really happens. Most people believe there won't be any more fighting but unification is impossible until Kim Jong il's regime is gone. I think he knows this too, and unfortunately he's more concerned with honoring his father and protecting his power than he is feeding his people. The surrounding countries are rightfully pissed about his actions but they can't do anything other than implement economic sanctions on the North. And they know this only means more people will starve while Kim Jong il, his aids and his army remain rich. I guess we're all just waiting for him to die, hoping an inevitable change will come about when the time is right.