Korean Job Discussion Forums

[decolyon]

SK plans sizable military exercises Monday. This time the U.S. wont be involved like a few weeks ago. It makes me think that will actually encourage the North to retaliate some how since knowing the U.S. wont have the heavy guns near by. Generally I'd just shrug this off as usual, but I have some people coming in to ICN Monday night. Now would not be a good time for everything to go crazy.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/north-korea-south-korea-w_n_798116.html

[chris_J2]

I have read that there will still be about 20 US observers, & the DPRK complained that the ROK was using them as a human shield. Also read that they postponed the exercises by a week, which would suit me fine, as I leave Korea for 2 weeks on Saturday. I still hope nothing happens, but my gut feeling is that something serious is about to transpire. Hope I'm wrong.

[TL]

[AsiaESLbound]

The US won't be involved? This is getting silly. It's no different, because the US can and will come anytime. If they keep playing this game, there will be war, but hopefully no sooner than March 1st so I can leave and let Korea takes it's path into the uncharted territory it's setting itself up to enter. If postponed a week, that's because it's Christmas and the government doesn't want the economy to slow down or halt. They want people to be in the comfortable shopping spirit right now which they still are as if nothing is wrong with their situation other than it being too crowded out there. My only real concern (other than getting out soon enough) is this situation is ultimately pitting the US and China up against each other.

[bobbybigfoot]

It appears SK is caving to international pressure and/or to the concern that NK is serious about its threats.

I suspect in a week's time, SK will delay it again, either blame it on the weather, or simply say they will do it after the holidays.

This is a good thing.

[chris_J2]

[NSMatt]

[chris_J2]

Here's a link that mentions the US observers as human shields:

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/12/18/25/0301000000AEN20101218002500315F.HTML

My summation is that neither China, Russia, South Korea, Japan or the US (or any of its allies) want a war. The only country that seems hellbent on starting a war is North Korea.

[Suwon4AGT]

*CHICKEN LITTLE ALERT*

I have packed my things and have contacted some military people I know here for evacuation assistance if I need it. I have it on good authority that there might be some kind of preemptive maneuver taking place very soon. I interpret that to mean that it may not be the Norks to strike first. Who knows?

In any event, expats should be on high alert and take all necessary precautions. Don't wait to hear for an attack on the news. It might be too late.

I know some of you live for helping kids fill out their workbooks and circling the pages with your everlasting Korean red-pen. But it wouldn't hurt for you to put down the soju sauce and run down to the GS25 and pick a couple of energy bars for your bug-out bag.

*END CHICKEN LITTLE ALERT*

[bbud656]

Whats the plan again? I think the embassy is going to leave non essential personnel high and dry. I would just stay put, have lots of water and not be in Seoul or North of it. Millions of people panicking sounds more dangerous than anything the North could lob over.

[chris_J2]

This is what I received in my email after the November 23 bombing of Yeonpyeong Island:

To members of the Australian community in Korea

You would all no doubt be aware of the recent heightened tensions on the
Korean Peninsula following the North Korean artillery attack against
Yeonpyeong Island on 23 November, informed in part by sometimes alarmist media reports.

The Australian Government takes very seriously its consular
responsibilities and has reviewed and updated its Travel Advice for the
Republic of Korea. This revised Travel Advice, reissued on the
smartraveller.gov.au website, recommended that Australian citizens in the
Republic of Korea keep abreast of the situation by monitoring local media
and the Travel Advice for further updates that might be issued by the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The summary of the current Travel Advice states:

We advise you to be alert to your own security in the Republic of Korea
(ROK).
Relations between the ROK and the Democratic People�s Republic of Korea
(DPRK) are at present very tense following an exchange of artillery fire on
23 November 2010 across the Northern Limit Line, a disputed border, in the
West Sea (Yellow Sea) off the coast of North Korea. We advise against
travel to the Northern Limit Line Islands in the ROK. Australians in the
ROK should continue to monitor developments closely and follow the
instructions of local authorities.
Australians in the ROK should continue to monitor developments closely
because of the risk that tensions on the Korean Peninsula could escalate
with little warning.
register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an
emergency
subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time
it's reissued.

While the content of the Travel Advice was revised and updated, its overall
level remained at "Be alert to your own safety" (level 1 out of 5). The
overall level of the Advice was not changed. We do not currently see any
significantly enhanced risk for Australian citizens resident in or
travelling to the rest of the Republic of Korea. The Australian Government
will continuously review and update the Travel Advice as developments might
require. It is important to note that the Travel Advice takes into account
all source information available to the Australian Government and
importantly, reflects our understanding of the actual situation, despite
the North Koreans' often bellicose rhetoric.

Tensions on the Peninsula currently appear to be subsiding. But as stated
in the Travel Advice, Australians in the ROK should continue to monitor
developments closely because of the risk that tensions could escalate with
little warning.

I do encourage Australians to register on the smartraveller.gov.au website,
so that we can contact you in case of any emergency. It is also probably
an opportune time to remind Australians that there is some information
available on the Australian Embassy website on what they might do
themselves to prepare for possible future emergencies. This information is
available at www.southkorea.embassy.gov.au/seol/emergency2_09.html, under
the section on 'Services for Australians - Emergency Information'.

Sam Gerovich
Ambassador of Australia

[blackjack]

[Suwon4AGT]

[bbud656]

We would be out of jobs or we would wish we were out of them when the Won crashed as hard as it would. 20 million unskilled workers would *beep* this economy up + any damage the country incurred during the conflict. On one they don't want to wait until they have more nukes or the capacity to launch them accurately. On the other, war would be a major blow to the economy in a worldwide recession.

[northway]