North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong: what it means to Korea and the World

Shim Soo Bin



Yeonpyeong Island Information

  

North Korea's sudden artillery attack on "Yeonpyeong Island", an island in the South Korean territory of the yellow sea is becoming a hot issue, raising awareness on the possibility of a war in the Korean peninsula. The attack has killed 2 civilians and numerous soldiers. The aim of this provocation carried out amid continued international pressure on nuclear disarmament is thought as a response to the military training in South Korea. The real effect, however, seems to lie somewhere else.







 Ever since the truce talks of 1950, and the resulting 50 years of 'peace', many people around the world have been forgetful of the fact that the Korean peninsula is in danger of breaking into a war any day, if only North Korea were to start it. The miraculously developed economy of South Korea (and the resulting prosperity) also added on to this phenomenon, as more and more South Koreans begun to question the threat of war. Just a few decades back, even the smallest military action carried out by North Korea would be considered a signal of war. People would run to the grocery store to buy food and water for survival. Currently, on the other hand, many were in the mistaken belief that the threat of war was either falsified or exaggerated.







Bombed area of Yeonpyeong

  The Yeonpyeong Island attack has renewed the view of many pro-North Korean forces, and the country's younger generation, who haven't directly experienced the Korean War. If the Cheonan ship incident (in which 46 sailors were killed) gave a sense of shock, the Yeonpyeong Island is giving us a sense of reality. Awaiting the further actions that the South Korean government is planning to take, I sincerely wish that North Korean government would stop taking provocative measures to catch the attention of other countries. If that was the goal, they have 'succeeded', to be sure, in doing so- but with severe consequences. Such actions will bring about a huge rift between the South and the North, and may even lead to another war, and the dream of peaceful reunification will be broken. For the North, further action means further alienation from the rest of the world and the slow severing of ties with its allies (e.g. China); for the South, it means confusion and fear among the citizens.

P.S. I am welcome to any sharing of thoughts on this issue. I'd love to discuss!! :)