Israel Matzav

It could be Jerusalem or Tel Aviv or Haifa

It could be Jerusalem or Tel Aviv or Haifa, all of which have lived under similar conditions for decades with the exception of the nuclear threat. And soon, unless something is done to stop it, all of those cities are likely to live under a nuclear threat from an apocalyptic regime. But this story is not about any of those Israeli cities. It's about Seoul, the capital of South Korea, a country that came under fire from its northern neighbor earlier this week.

Seoul is just 40 miles from the border - about the distance of each of Israel's major cities from at least one of its countries borders. Like Israel, South Korea fought a war that neded in neither military victory or defeat, but in a truce. Were the problems just put off to a later date? That's how it seems. And like Israel, South Korea has become an economic powerhouse despite constantly contending with the possibility of war.

When South Korea came under attack earlier this week, Israelis could only think, there, but for the grace of God, go I.

On the surface, Seoul, the capital of economic powerhouse South Korea, is one of the most impressive cities in East Asia: Sprawling and prosperous, hi-tech and self confident.

But eight times a year, the traffic comes to a halt and crowds disappear from the streets as an eerie wail resounds across the city: The sound is a siren, and this is the minbangui, or civil defense exercise, designed to drill the population against a possible strike.

Seoul is a metropolis that lives in the gun sights of North Korea, one of the most dangerous states on the planet and just 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of downtown, yet Seoul residents have learned to live with the threat.

In recent years, North Korean provocations -- nuclear tests, missile firings, naval clashes -- have been more a subject for conversation in barbeque restaurants and late night pubs than lifestyle changers. Financial markets are barely moved by the latest threats; nobody is digging bunkers among their backyard kimchi pots. A blasé attitude has infiltrated the public consciousness after six decades of living with the North.

On Tuesday that attitude was rudely shaken after North Korean shells slammed into the South Korean island of Yeonpyong in the Yellow Sea.

The sight of columns of smoke rising from an artillery strike sent a frisson of real fear through this city of 12 million. It was the first such attack since the Korean War ended at midnight, July 27, 1953, and Seoul itself lies in range of massed, long-range North Korean artillery dug into the Demilitarized Zone.

...

The Korean War, which ended with a truce rather than a peace treaty, is a distant memory for most Seoulites: few know the details of the savage street combat that racked their city, or the fact that the capital changed hands four times. The only remaining signs of combat are the bullet and shrapnel damage in the masonry of ancient palaces, for most of the city has been built and rebuilt.

It is easy for the younger generation to overlook these scars, and the prominent U.S. military garrison -- headquarters of the 27,500 U.S. troops still stationed here as insurance against another invasion -- at Yongsan in the very heart of Seoul, is now an established part of the cityscape.

And whether the Cheonan and Yeonpyongdo incidents will permanently change attitudes is uncertain.

"Normally when the North Koreans misbehave, people don't care, but yesterday, people got nervous," said Robert Koehler, a 13-year expatriate and author of a Seoul guidebook. "People tend to get very angry, but then they settle down -- it is easy to get jaded."

But with the memories of one of the century's most devastating wars seared into their memories, the old generation cannot forget.

Read the whole thing.

In case you're wondering, Korean Air flies nonstop from Seoul to Tel Aviv. El Al does not fly the route.

One of the pictures on my dresser is a photo of my Dad dressed in his US army uniform in what looks like a forest. It was taken in Korea during the Korean War. Dad was in the signal corps and he gave me the picture after Mom passed away.

Labels: Israel, North Korea, Seoul, South Korea

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:07 PM