Korean Job Discussion Forums

[peppermint]

For the total newbies out there, don't panic. In Seoul they have air raid drills on the fifteenth of the month, around 2 pm. I don't think it's as scheduled in other parts of the country, but if you see flags with yellow, green and blue triangles, it's a sign to expect a drill.

( right now we're having one)

I repeat, this is only a drill

[Koreabound2004]

Yup, I just experienced my first one. Thanks for the heads up.

[peppermint]

Remembered diving under the bed during my first one, and wanted to save people the experience.

[nrvs]

Yeah, my first one too.

I was a little nervous until I looked down to the street and everyone was going about their business as usual. (Admittedly, I also reloaded eslcafe to see if anyone else was panicking...hehe)

It brought back memories of my youth in Michigan -- tornado warning sirens!

[Zed]

I've been here 3.5 years and that's the first one I've noticed.

[Koreabound2004]

Had to share....Just asked my coteacher where the students went to hide out for the drill. He didn't want to say at first, then said they were outside, in the shade where they can't be found. If the North attacks, they would hit the school he said, so that's why they go outside!

Meanwhile, when I asked what I should do, he told me to stay at my desk....hmmm.......

[peppermint]

My kids stayed in the classroom singing the Korean national anthem at the top of their lungs.

[Koreabound2004]

Another thing....lately I have noticed little things which signal that they are taking the terrorist threats against SK a bit more seriously.

Don't know if anyone else noticed, but last week in the Korea Times, there were two fairly large ads, inviting Canadians to register with the embassy here.

There have been other things recently, I forget exactly what things, but I have been feeling more nervous about a possible attack on SK.

Then this drill comes, which I was told is routine, but the fact that they still do it alarms me.

Maybe I am just being paranoid...?

[fidel]

Our school had a radio program broadcast on the school system talking about what to do in case of an attack, be it be by North Korea or others. I've heard the sirens go off, it seems every 2nd or 3rd month for the last 4 years so it's nothing unusual.


There was also a major anti-terrorist exercise about a month ago in a large office-tel opposite the school a short itme ago, complete with black garbed armed special forces securing the subway, solidiers in chemical weapon suits abseiling down buildings, 2 dozen fire appliances, ambulances etc. You name it and they were there. Kind of cool to watch but highly chereographed.

Most embassies are required to advertise on occasion to encourage people to register with them, they would be negligent for not doing so. If something bad does happen, governments have their asses covered and can point out that they had asked for their citizens to register and if they didn't it was their choice not to do so.

[I_Am_Wrong]

had it today in Suwon as well. I was so confused when I heard the craziness over the school intercom right as I was leaving. And even way more confused when I went to the super busy intersection and every car was stopped and people weren't crossing the streets. Then a police jeep and a black fbi looking car hauled ass through the intersection.

[peemil]

Ulsan too.

[gajackson1]

those in general Seoul (esp. south o the river) - anyone else noticed a LOT of extra activity out of Osan AFB? Like, a LOT of sorties, ever since Ch'u-sok.

Boomers almost every day, and surveillance planes, and choppers.

Anyone else picked up on that?

G.

[Zed]

[captain kirk]

Yeah, Ulsan too.
Didn't like it one bit, though I knew it was just a drill. I don't know about you but I NEVER think about N.K. and war anymore. Did for the first few years. If there was an attack it would be at night.
So I went in to my safe-zone shack and turned up Pink Floyd's Echoes.
Which reminds me. My first room-mate in my first job in Korea loved Pink Floyd. He had a rough time in high school and listening to The Wall, he said, kept him sane.
It's the same for me in Korea. You've got Leonard Cohen songwriting is like poetry, etc. But personally no band talks about BIG issues and 'why we are here', IMO, as much as P.F. It cuts the superficiality of everything here, the sense of being used by 'English vampires' in a society that is not mine. Where I am a 'nobody'. Yup, it's like a philosophical, rocking, teddy bear which repels even air raid warnings with ease.

[oneiros]

Just remember - duck and cover and everything will be just fine.