The Death of Kim Jung-Il and the Current State of Seoul
When it was reported on Tuesday that Kim Jung-Il had died, Koreans all over Seoul stopped what they were doing and ran out of their offices in joyous celebration that this terrible dictator had finally died. There was rejoicing in the streets, confetti falling from the sky and fireworks going off from the roof tops and unicorns jumping of the. . .
Just Kidding. . .
Nothing happened. You would have thought the top news story of the day in Seoul was that Kimchi is considered a popular food in Korea. People went about the day the same as ever, all plugged into their smart phones and watching Korean talk shows and K-pop videos. The Ajummas (old Korean women) still pushed their way through the crowded streets, the plasma screen TV's all over the city didn't even show the news, no high alert warning, no heightened police troops on the streets, nothing. Had I not seen the BBC news that morning at work, I would have never known Jung-Il was dead.
For the rest of the week though, it was the only thing my students and I wanted to talk about in class. (Teaching one-on-one has the benefits of free talking sessions!) and I got so much incite on how Koreans feel about North Korea, its dictators, and most interestingly, how Koreans feel about the two Koreas reuniting.
The Two Korea's Becoming One?
Nearly all my Korean students believe that North and South Korea will one day unite. It's not even a question of if they will reunite, but when. To get an idea of where my students are coming from, most of them are middle to late-age business men and women. They are college students, bankers, accountants, doctors, dentists, attorneys, at-home Moms, tour guides, Catholic pastors/priests and fashion designers to name a few. Some of them think the two Koreas will unite within the next two decades, some think it will be much later. It seemed to me that most of them wanted the Korean peninsula to all be one country, that North Koreans are their "brothers and sisters," and that "Koreans won't fight Koreans anymore."
One student told me how he fears reunification because he says that it instantly plunge South Korea into in economic crisis, costing the South Trillions of Won (Billions of US Dollars) in helping the North recover. The rebuilding of a poor and starving nation will place a strain on the rich South that will be so great it will take the South down with it. South Koreans know that it is only up to them to pull North Korea out of its current backwards state, and many don't expect other rich nations, especially the United States, to help them if and when reunification happens. In fact, North Korea already owes the South Billions in loans. (see article in the Chosunilbo; S.Korea Risks Losing 3.5 Trillion Won in Loans to N.Korea)
Fear of Attack from Kim Jong-Un?
My most pressing question to my students was if we should be ready for an attack organized by the new leader, Kim Jong-Un. A young and inexperienced boy who is pretty much the same age as I am, what would stop him from wanting to make a huge entrance with his recent installment of being the "new leader" and planning an attack against the South in order to give himself glory? This has happened in the past; when Kim Jong-Il had come to power he organized an attack against a commercial jet in 1987, Korean Air Flight 585 bound for Baghdad, Iraq, was shot down over the Andaman Sea next to Thailand. Every few years he organized attacks against the South, with submarine bombings, firings at the DMZ and other small reminders as if to say "don't forget about me, I am still here and I am a threat."
What will keep this "new leader" from wanting to do the same thing as Daddy and start his reign off with a bang and flex his dictator muscles? My students remarked that this was highly unlikely, because they believe that the there is too much pressure from both the US and the EU that an attack from the North would mean an instant retaliation by the US and the EU. Koreans believe that the North knows this and will therefore not plan an attack anytime soon. I hope this is true, or else this English teacher is out of a job and coming home.
Support from China keeps the North Going
In fact, the only reason the North can continue to support if because of China. For decades, black market trade between China and the North has been the single reason that the North hasn't collapsed on itself. I think China gives aid to the North for many reasons; One, a harsh Dictatorship such as North Korea's make's China's oppressive regime look better among the International Community, two, China likes the control in can enact within another country, and three, the North acts a buffer between them and South Korea, two countries that have had tensions against the other for centuries. To quote from an article from the Council of Foreign Relations: "China is North Korea's most important ally; biggest trading partner; and main source of food, arms, and fuel. China has helped sustain Kim Jong-Il's regime and opposed harsh international economic sanctions in the hope of avoiding regime collapse and an uncontrolled influx of refugees across its eight-hundred-mile border with North Korea."
Jong-Il and his Ladies
Among other talk about the North and Kim Jong-Il, the most entertaining was about Jong-Il's love life. A student brought up this article for me about his past mistresses; most of them models or North Korean movie stars, and all of them killed after their forced affair with Jong-Il. (see Chosunilbo article: The Torrid Romantic Life of Kim Jong-il)
In the meantime I am always watching out for news about what might happen next between the Two Koreas. I love South Korea, its people and places, and this country has given so much too me. I only hope for the best. . .
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| Coverage of Jong-Il's Death in an office building |
Just Kidding. . .
Nothing happened. You would have thought the top news story of the day in Seoul was that Kimchi is considered a popular food in Korea. People went about the day the same as ever, all plugged into their smart phones and watching Korean talk shows and K-pop videos. The Ajummas (old Korean women) still pushed their way through the crowded streets, the plasma screen TV's all over the city didn't even show the news, no high alert warning, no heightened police troops on the streets, nothing. Had I not seen the BBC news that morning at work, I would have never known Jung-Il was dead.
 |
| The Jong-Il Funeral procession in the North Korean Capital of Pyongyang. My students tell me that all the footage released from the North has been all been computer edited, adding fake masses of people in the streets and enlarging and restoring buildings to make the city look more populated and wealthy than it actually is. |
The Two Korea's Becoming One?
Nearly all my Korean students believe that North and South Korea will one day unite. It's not even a question of if they will reunite, but when. To get an idea of where my students are coming from, most of them are middle to late-age business men and women. They are college students, bankers, accountants, doctors, dentists, attorneys, at-home Moms, tour guides, Catholic pastors/priests and fashion designers to name a few. Some of them think the two Koreas will unite within the next two decades, some think it will be much later. It seemed to me that most of them wanted the Korean peninsula to all be one country, that North Koreans are their "brothers and sisters," and that "Koreans won't fight Koreans anymore."
One student told me how he fears reunification because he says that it instantly plunge South Korea into in economic crisis, costing the South Trillions of Won (Billions of US Dollars) in helping the North recover. The rebuilding of a poor and starving nation will place a strain on the rich South that will be so great it will take the South down with it. South Koreans know that it is only up to them to pull North Korea out of its current backwards state, and many don't expect other rich nations, especially the United States, to help them if and when reunification happens. In fact, North Korea already owes the South Billions in loans. (see article in the Chosunilbo; S.Korea Risks Losing 3.5 Trillion Won in Loans to N.Korea)
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| Trucks loaded with food crossing the boarder into the North. |
Fear of Attack from Kim Jong-Un?
My most pressing question to my students was if we should be ready for an attack organized by the new leader, Kim Jong-Un. A young and inexperienced boy who is pretty much the same age as I am, what would stop him from wanting to make a huge entrance with his recent installment of being the "new leader" and planning an attack against the South in order to give himself glory? This has happened in the past; when Kim Jong-Il had come to power he organized an attack against a commercial jet in 1987, Korean Air Flight 585 bound for Baghdad, Iraq, was shot down over the Andaman Sea next to Thailand. Every few years he organized attacks against the South, with submarine bombings, firings at the DMZ and other small reminders as if to say "don't forget about me, I am still here and I am a threat."
What will keep this "new leader" from wanting to do the same thing as Daddy and start his reign off with a bang and flex his dictator muscles? My students remarked that this was highly unlikely, because they believe that the there is too much pressure from both the US and the EU that an attack from the North would mean an instant retaliation by the US and the EU. Koreans believe that the North knows this and will therefore not plan an attack anytime soon. I hope this is true, or else this English teacher is out of a job and coming home.
Support from China keeps the North Going
In fact, the only reason the North can continue to support if because of China. For decades, black market trade between China and the North has been the single reason that the North hasn't collapsed on itself. I think China gives aid to the North for many reasons; One, a harsh Dictatorship such as North Korea's make's China's oppressive regime look better among the International Community, two, China likes the control in can enact within another country, and three, the North acts a buffer between them and South Korea, two countries that have had tensions against the other for centuries. To quote from an article from the Council of Foreign Relations: "China is North Korea's most important ally; biggest trading partner; and main source of food, arms, and fuel. China has helped sustain Kim Jong-Il's regime and opposed harsh international economic sanctions in the hope of avoiding regime collapse and an uncontrolled influx of refugees across its eight-hundred-mile border with North Korea."
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| A few photo's of Jong-Il's many mistresses. |
Among other talk about the North and Kim Jong-Il, the most entertaining was about Jong-Il's love life. A student brought up this article for me about his past mistresses; most of them models or North Korean movie stars, and all of them killed after their forced affair with Jong-Il. (see Chosunilbo article: The Torrid Romantic Life of Kim Jong-il)
In the meantime I am always watching out for news about what might happen next between the Two Koreas. I love South Korea, its people and places, and this country has given so much too me. I only hope for the best. . .
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