Korean Job Discussion Forums

[schwa]

I was approached to write a short article about feelings on the ground here living under the shadow of North Korea. Its for a small publication that serves the southern half of Vancouver Island. Heres what I came up with. I've got a couple days to tinker with it before I send it off. Any suggestions to correct or improve it?


Free of Fear in South Korea:
an expat Victorian�s first-hand view

North Korea is in the news a lot these days � missile tests, a nuclear arsenal, the intransigence of �dear leader� Kim Jong-il. You could be excused for thinking that living a mere 40-minute drive � 2 minutes by scud � from the world�s most heavily fortified border might be unsettling.

But you�d be wrong.

Another summer settles over Sokcho, a city of 100,000 people tucked away in the northeast corner of South Korea. There have been some damaging monsoons this year but the beach vendors go about setting up their stalls in anticipation of sultry summer days and an influx of Korean vacationers.

It�s also business as usual in Seorak National Park, Korea�s smaller-scale equivalent to Banff, a mountain park that serves as Sokcho�s western backdrop. Tourists will soon start showing up in droves as they do every year.

So life goes on in Sokcho, whose citizens seldom spend a thought on North Korea. It�s not ignorance of the news � it�s perspective. There�s nothing new in the news that hasn�t been heard a hundred times before.

People go about their daily lives with a ready smile, children play happily in the playgrounds, crime is rare, and the few foreigners who call Sokcho home are made to feel welcome.

Meanwhile, the city appears to be prospering. An astonishing number of new high-end apartment buildings have gone up in the last couple of years. The streets are jammed with late-model cars. Shops are busy selling state-of-the-art electronic goods. High-speed internet everywhere is a given. Municipal flowerbeds and boulevard trees are well-maintained.

These are hardly the signs of a city cowering in fear.

Not that ordinary South Koreans live free of anxiety, but their worries are long-term and practical -- caring for aging parents, concerns about their own health and retirement, affording their kids the best opportunity for a good future.

Koreans invest heavily in their children�s education, and learning English has become a national priority. This in turn has led to an almost insatiable demand for native speakers of English to teach in public schools, private academies, and universities.
It�s estimated that there are now 10,000 foreign English teachers spread throughout the country, and a high proportion of them are from Canada. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well-represented among the 50 or so teachers in Sokcho.

A number of us have lived here several years. Regarding North Korea, we take our cue from the local attitude and just enjoy the good things life here has to offer. With rewarding jobs and a good standard of living, some are starting families here. It�s simply a nice place to live.

I surveyed a group of Korean teachers recently about what they would do in case of a North Korean attack, what contingency plans they might have for their families. None had ever given it a thought. They were surprised I asked.

If you have a friend or family member living now in South Korea, don�t worry about them. We�re doing fine. We�re not glued to the 24-hour news channel announcing �crisis� over and over to keep its viewers on edge and tuned in. We sleep well.

On the other hand, who knows? We could be nuclear toast by breakfast time tomorrow. But I sincerely doubt it.

[laogaiguk]

za

[schwa]

I didnt like it either. Sounds like a promotional slogan. Consider it axed.

Thanks for responding.

[laogaiguk]

[Homer]

Good work man...here is my two cents...

Free of Fear in South Korea:
an expat Victorian�s first-hand view

North Korea is in the news a lot these days � missile tests, a nuclear program, the saber rattling of �dear leader� Kim Jong-il. You could be excused for thinking that living a mere 40-minute drive � 2 minutes by scud � from the world�s most heavily fortified border might be unsettling.

But you�d be wrong.

Another summer settles over Sokcho, a city of 100,000 people tucked away in the northeast corner of South Korea. There have been some damaging monsoons this year but the beach vendors go about setting up their stalls in anticipation of sultry summer days and an influx of Korean vacationers.

It�s also business as usual in Seorak National Park, Korea�s smaller-scale equivalent to Banff, a mountain park that serves as Sokcho�s western backdrop. Tourists will soon start showing up in droves as they do every year.

So life goes on in Sokcho, whose citizens seldom spend a thought on North Korea. It�s not ignorance of the news � it�s perspective. There�s nothing new in the news that hasn�t been heard a hundred times before.

People go about their daily lives with a ready smile, children play happily in the playgrounds, crime is rare, and the few foreigners who call Sokcho home are made to feel welcome.

Meanwhile, the city appears to be prospering. An astonishing number of new high-end apartment buildings have gone up in the last couple of years. The streets are jammed with late-model cars. Shops are busy selling state-of-the-art electronic goods. High-speed internet everywhere is a given. Municipal flowerbeds and boulevard trees are well-maintained.

These are hardly the signs of a city cowering in fear.

Not that ordinary South Koreans live free of anxiety, but their worries are long-term and practical -- caring for aging parents, concerns about their own health and retirement, affording their kids the best opportunity for a good future.

Koreans invest heavily in their children�s education, and learning English has become a national priority. This in turn has led to an almost insatiable demand for native speakers of English to teach in public schools, private academies, and universities.

It�s estimated that there are now 10,000 foreign English teachers spread throughout the country, and a high proportion of them are from Canada. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well-represented among the 50 or so teachers in Sokcho.

A number of us have lived here several years. Regarding North Korea, we take our cue from the local attitude and just enjoy the good things life here has to offer. With rewarding jobs and a good standard of living, some are starting families here. It�s simply a nice place to live.

I surveyed a group of Korean teachers recently about what they would do in case of a North Korean attack, what contingency plans they might have for their families. None had ever given it a thought. They were surprised I asked.

If you have a friend or family member living now in South Korea, don�t worry about them. We�re doing fine. We�re not glued to the 24-hour news channel announcing �crisis� over and over to keep its viewers on edge and tuned in. We sleep well.

The gap in perception is wide. North Korean actions make the headlines and front page back home. CNN goes wild over the threat of North Korea. In South Korea they have seen this saber rattling many times and hardly bat an eyelash.

On the other hand, who knows? We could be nuclear toast by breakfast time tomorrow. But I sincerely doubt it. (I would take this out)

[schwa]

Thanks Homer.

"A nuclear program" is a better choice of words. I reject "saber rattling" as a cliche & believe "intransigence" is the perfect word. My dictionary has it as "refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude."

You're right, I can lose the final disclaimer. But I think your suggested final paragraph is redundant. (Believe me, I wanted to go off on CNN & Bush but I didnt see it as necessary in the context.) So maybe I'll just let it end softly.


Free of Fear in South Korea:
an expat Victorian�s first-hand view

North Korea is in the news a lot these days � missile tests, a nuclear program, the intransigence of �dear leader� Kim Jong-il. You could be excused for thinking that living a mere 40-minute drive � 2 minutes by scud � from the world�s most heavily fortified border might be unsettling.

But you�d be wrong.

Another summer settles over Sokcho, a city of 100,000 people tucked away in the northeast corner of South Korea. There have been some damaging monsoons this year but the beach vendors go about setting up their stalls in anticipation of sultry summer days and an influx of Korean vacationers.

It�s also business as usual in Seorak National Park, Korea�s smaller-scale equivalent to Banff, a mountain park that serves as Sokcho�s western backdrop. Tourists will soon start showing up in droves as they do every year.

So life goes on in Sokcho, whose citizens seldom spend a thought on North Korea. It�s not ignorance of the news � it�s perspective. There�s nothing new in the news that hasn�t been heard a hundred times before.

People go about their daily lives with a ready smile, children play happily in the playgrounds, crime is rare, and the few foreigners who call Sokcho home are made to feel welcome.

Meanwhile, the city appears to be prospering. An astonishing number of new high-end apartment buildings have gone up in the last couple of years. The streets are jammed with late-model cars. Shops are busy selling state-of-the-art electronic goods. High-speed internet everywhere is a given. Municipal flowerbeds and boulevard trees are well-maintained.

These are hardly the signs of a city cowering in fear.

Not that ordinary South Koreans live free of anxiety, but their worries are long-term and practical -- caring for aging parents, concerns about their own health and retirement, affording their kids the best opportunity for a good future.

Koreans invest heavily in their children�s education, and learning English has become a national priority. This in turn has led to an almost insatiable demand for native speakers of English to teach in public schools, private academies, and universities.

It�s estimated that there are now 10,000 foreign English teachers spread throughout the country, and a high proportion of them are from Canada. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well-represented among the 50 or so teachers in Sokcho.

A number of us have lived here several years. Regarding North Korea, we take our cue from the local attitude and just enjoy the good things life here has to offer. With rewarding jobs and a good standard of living, some are starting families here. It�s simply a nice place to live.

I surveyed a group of Korean teachers recently about what they would do in case of a North Korean attack, what contingency plans they might have for their families. None had ever given it a thought. They were surprised I asked.

If you have a friend or family member living now in South Korea, don�t worry about them. We�re doing fine. We�re not glued to the 24-hour news channel announcing �crisis� over and over to keep its viewers on edge and tuned in. We sleep well.

[laogaiguk]

Totally agree with keeping CNN and Bush out of it. Unfortunately, now with the last line "We sleep well". I really love the idea, but it seems short for a final sentence (though I think a long one would suck just as much). Any good synonyms for "well". I am tired and can't think

[schwa]

We sleep soundly at the end of the day. ..?

[Homer]

Good ending Schwa.

Also I see your point about my paragraph being redundant!

Sounds like a decent article anyway...well done.

[Guri Guy]

Yes, very well done I think. Though the politicans may rant and rave, most ordinary citizens don't really care that much. North Korea really is a paper tiger.

[fandeath]

I think you painted a too rosy picture of what it is really like....If you want to compare the two cities or countries on opposite sides of the Pacific...maybe mention that a military presence is always visible along the coast.

Most days, you can see jet fighters flying through the air, coast guard choppers and police boats patrolling the coast (a little more vigorously than back home), not to mention the soldiers stationed there...and I'm pretty sure their guns are real. The average person has shows little or no fear, but the fear is obvious.

I don't remember that in Victoria, Banff or other parts of Canada.

[Homer]

That is a good point fandeath...but I think Schwa is trying to show the difference in perception of NK between here (Korea) and back home....

[Ya-ta Boy]

Maybe work in a mention that South Koreans are busy living and think that since the missiles are not meant (in the short term) for them then the missiles don't matter. Something along the lines of: "Since unification is all that really matters, then if the North is manufacturing missiles that they can sell to Al-Quaeda or whoever who will nuke New York City, well who cares, really? It doesn't affect us. Did you see the new movie 'Hanbando'? Cool movie. Whachya doin' this weekend?"

[JZer]

[JZer]

or rather we have been sleeping softly at night.