Winter and Remembrance

Today officially marks the beginning of winter in Korea: it snowed! We have been teased with near freezing temperatures and chilling winds, but today there was a glimpse of snow among the rain. Last year we didn't witness snow until December, so this was a bit of a surprise.

Today also marked a significant anniversary here in Korea. A year ago today Yeongpyeong Island was attacked by North Korea. For those who may not have read my post about the attack, I will give a brief recap:

The waters surrounding Yeongpyeong are contested by both sides on ownership. It is a island with the coast of the North 7 miles away. This area has been a prominent argument between the two Koreas over fishing and trade rights. These waters between the South, North, and China was also where the Cheonan ship sunk in the spring of 2010. The water borders aren't as defined as the land borders, thus there are many skirmishes annually. In addition, most defectors from the North cross to the South by this waterway. This area has been one of the main indicators that the Cold War emotions are still very raw.

The week of the attack, South Korea and the US army conducted joint drills, an action that the North loathes. The North threatened retribution for this action, yet the drill continued.

Yeongpyeong is the largest military post on this sea region of the border. Before the attack, it was considered one of the most dangerous areas of the border because of all the sea disputes and defectors. Yeongpyeong is also home to around 1,600 civilians that use the island as a base for their fishing businesses.

The afternoon of November 23 brought about the most deadly and violent attack on a civilian region since the end of the Korean War. According to the South, the North fired on Yeongpyeong first. Their side of the story states that the North began to shell the island with their Cold War artillery, leaving the South's troops completely shocked. The North claims that the South fired first and their attack was a response.
50 shells from the North hit Yeongpyeong, killing four marines and seriously injuring five. The South responded with 80 rounds of artillery to its Northern neighbor.

A year later, the South has a clear belief and in my opinion accurate belief of the motive for the attack. The North hates the joint drills the US and South Korea annually hold, and this specific drill was directed towards that Northern coast past Yeongpyeong. It seems that the North decided to return this practice attack on its coast with a literal bombardment. In addition, this attack took place three months after Kim Jung Un was introduced to the world. According to Western journalists who were invited to the Mass Game that introduced this future dictator, the people were not too enthusiastic about this new leader and had to be coaxed to cheer. A few months ago, the North released a statement that basically said:
"The noble attack of Yeongpyeong by our mighty army was led by our courageous Comrade Kim Jung Un. Under his bravery, we were able to face our enemy with force."
In a nutshell, they contribute the attack to Kim Jung Un, which is a huge plus for this emerging leader. The new Kim must get his people behind him or his regime could collapse before it begins its governing. Whether the main motive was to intimidate the US/S Korea alliance or to build propaganda for Jung Un, there was a reason for this attack.

President Lee held a memorial in Seoul for the fallen today. A year after these attacks with a major presidential election early next year, I am curious to see how the relations between the Koreas will change. Alright, I'm going to get very political here, these are my opinions from what I have observed:

President Lee has held a very black and white stance when dealing with the North. Unlike the past few presidents, he has made it clear that he will not tolerate the North's policies and displays that by pulling aid to the North. This is a stark contrast to the past two presidents, who initiated and promoted the "Sunshine Policy" which basically was the premise that if the South helps the North through aid and encourages joint economic ventures, the North will ease tensions and call for unification. While I think unification should be a priority for the Koreas, the South must be careful in not allowing that desire to inhibit their ability to view the North Korean dictatorship as dangerous to the South. Tensions between President Lee's administration and the North has been very tense, especially with the depletion of aid. With an election next year, both Koreas will be watching as the South chooses a new leader. The leading candidate for president here in the South is the daughter of the late President Park, who is considered the greatest president in the South's history. She is a member of President Lee's party, so her beliefs are very similar to both Lee's and her fathers. If elected, she will be the first woman president in the South's history. With a change in power for both Koreas in the next few years, it will be very interesting to see how the dynamics change.

I guess the only other thing I would like to say in this post is my personal feelings about this memorial as a foreigner that has lived and grown to love Korea. When this happened a year ago, I was on my way back to school from a conference in Seoul. We were watching the North shelling the island live, helplessly watching the black smoke rise from the fires. To know that this was happening 60 miles from where we were offshore was an experience that I have never had. To be that close to a conflict between two armies that have been technically at war for over fifty years was quite terrifying. Our teachers seemed concerned, but reassured us that conflicts between the two have been ensuing for years and its something you have to learn to deal with living here. Looking back a year later, I am reminded that this is the reality for South Korea: As long as their neighbor continues Cold War hostility, there will be a constant threat right next door. Living here for almost 15 months has taught me to see life like Koreans: we have dangers and threats all around us, we do not know when our time to leave this earth will be, but in the meantime, we must keep living. The resiliency and determination of the Korean people to not let this dark cloud that looms in the North define them has inspired me to see each day as a gift and to not be afraid of my "North Koreas" so to speak.