Korean Job Discussion Forums

[marista99]

When I tell people I'm considering teaching in Korea, the first thing they often say is "but isn't North Korea gonna nuke them one of these days soon?"

How much do you worry about North Korean aggression?

[royjones]

I dont worry bout it.. i am sure things will work out.. lol..

[snufalufagus]

Because we know how many nuclear attacks there are each day

Let's not worry about being shot to death in about 60 different ways any day of the week back home

[jazblanc77]

Nobody here even blinks at the issue. The international media conglomerates have made a lot out of nothing because it fits into their political agenda.

[marista99]

I guess if any of you were really super worried about it you wouldn't be in Korea at all

[lepid gecko]

yeah, no worries at all. my boss said some people were concerned about it, and asked me if i was, but I come from one of the most crime-ridden countries in the world, so korea feels ultra-safe regardless of tension between north and south.

[royjones]

are you in/coming to korea marista99?

[posco's trumpet]

There's no sense in worrying about it. When it happens, you won't get any notice, and the initial assault will be so intense that if you live north of Taejon you'll probably fry.

When the US decides to ratchet up the tension a little more, you may have a bit of warning, but you may not. In any case, you'd do best not to worry about it: even if you're an American, you're on the bottom of the 'evacuate' list (after non-essential personnel, family members, diplomats of other countries, US business people, foreign business people, and influential Koreans).

There eventually will be a war, although I don't think it'll be anytime soon. If reunification takes place without violence, it'll be a miracle.

[marista99]

[royjones]

[just because]

Put into one word....NO

[VanIslander]

I thought about the risk before coming to Korea and during my first month. But now it doesn't seem any more likely to me than would be a rogue Russian missle bombing my hometown in an attempt to reach America.

BTW, both North and South Koreans envision a united peninsula. It'll probably be a slow transition. With the recent dismantling of the speaker phones and other ideological warfare, the two sides seem to see the lack of value in confrontation.

All things considered, my previous apprehensions seemed superficial and overly crude.

IMHO.

[marista99]

[VanIslander]

Psychopath he may be, but rational for sure, with Mr. Kim's strategic whining over American aggression and the fear that he'll be overthrown by clearly superior forces.

What the media outside the two Koreas don't cover much (probably) is the economic ties going on, with railroads, hotels and tours starting up, and factories designed, for Southern companies to get cheap labour and the Northern government to get the money it needs to continue to hold power.

Worry more about getting a reputable employer in South Korea than the machinations of Kim Jong Il.

[Real Reality]

Naturally, nuclear conflicts attract the international spotlight, so U.S. officials may be speaking strategically when they talk about the crisis. They say the U.S. military may surgically attack the North's nuclear facilities, which could trigger a retaliation by the North resulting in numerous casualties in Seoul. They even refer to Seoul as the "kill box." Of course, when Koreans hear talk like this they feel uneasy.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200303/200303190012.html
They even refer to Seoul as the "kill box."

Some things are worth repeating.
"Worry more about getting a reputable employer in South Korea than the machinations of Kim Jong Il."
A special copy and paste dedicated to VanIslander.