The North Korea Situation...

I'm sorry I haven't addressed this until now and I hope you weren't too worried about me.  I guess I'm still forming my opinions and trying to decide how I feel about everything.

First, please know that I am fine.  As I am still single and the master of my own destiny, my first priority in Korea is ME.  Please know that I will always act in such a way as to ensure my personal safety and well being.  For the time being, I feel like it is of no personal risk to stay here and go on with life as normal.

With that being said, I know there is a lot about the tension on the Korean peninsula in the news at home.  While it is true that this is the first actual fire exchange since the armistice happened, it is not the first time North Korea has acted in a threatening manner toward South Korea.  Maybe living in a country that has technically been at war for over 50 years with North Korea has jaded South Koreans, but everyone I have interacted with in the days following the attack has assured me that there is nothing to worry about.  Both countries have so much to lose if they were to enter a war with each other, so it really isn't in their best interests to start anything. 

Today at the Thanksgiving gathering I attended (which was SO great...more on that in the next post!), I overheard a conversation about the current situation between two of the older men in the group.  One of them said he has a friend in the Army here that told him that if North Korea tried anything in the way of waging war, the U.S. Army has missiles pointed at North Korea that they would not hesitate to use.  So, if something were to happen, it would be short and sweet, according to Todd's Army pal.

Friday was the last day of school for one of the exchange students from the Philippines because her parents were so nervous about what is going on here that they decided to send her home much earlier than originally planned.  As she was saying goodbye to all of the teachers, Hyunjoo was trying to convince her to stay.  The teachers all found it a bit foolish that her parents were making her leave so suddenly because they think a bigger deal is being made out of this than is necessary. 

Last night, I registered myself with the U.S. State Department so if anything goes awry here, I will be contacted via e-mail and cell phone that I need to evacuate the country.  I also listed my parents as emergency contacts, so they will be notified if something should happen to me.  Until any such warning happens, I am staying put.  I really believe that my school has my best interest at heart.  They will not keep me here if it becomes too dangerous. 

So, to make a long story longer, you shouldn't be worried about me.  I know you're seeing a lot on the news, but, from what I can tell based on some of the stories I've read and videos I've watched, things are being a bit exaggerated and the situation here, while perhaps tense among people holding different political beliefs, is truly business as usual for most people.

I appreciate your thoughts, concern and correspondence and I apologize if my failure to post anything about this situation had you worried in the least.  I'm continuing to do well and enjoy my time here and I don't foresee that changing in the near future. 

Love from Korea!