Missiles & Media

For Canadians, July 4th has nothing to do with the patriotism of our American neighbours. It doesn't involve fireworks or recitations of old speeches from hundreds of years ago. It's just another day. Another day to head to the nearest theatre and pour your hard earned money into the greedy hands of our American neighbours. Many Canadians celebrate Independence Day without even realizing that they've been suckered in. Each and every fourth of July, Hollywood releases yet another propaganda film about how America saves the world and for some reason, people go. Independence Day, Armageddon, Day After Tomorrow- all July 4th releases, along with countless others that my mind refuses to acknowledge. All these thoughts and more were swirling through my head as I made my way to Itaewon (Little America) on the 4th of July. As I walked the streets, I found it strange to find them empty on such a big American holiday. The streets had been packed only three days before for Canada Day... although it did coincide with two World Cup games, but I'm sure Canada Day was drawing the crowds. In light of the events of this week, I suspect they were probably on high alert- confined to the base and waiting.

Being here- in the thick of it, the distinction between America's view of the truth and the world's view of the truth has never been more skewed, or more clear. As I sat down at my computer on Thursday morning and signed into my email, the MSN homepage informed me of the launch of seven missiles by our friend, Kim Jong Il. Craving a Korean viewpoint, I ran off to the store to pick up a newspaper. I scanned the cover page- no mention of the missiles, or the North. I scanned each page of the paper and finally found an editorial at the back that referred to the potential threat by the launch of either a missile, or a satellite. The writer seemed to feel that it was nothing more than a satellite and the world was overreacting. It was written as though nothing had happened yet, and the threat level was still being analyzed. Apparently Koreans feel that way in general about the whole situation. I asked my Korean co-workers if they'd heard about the missiles, and they scoffed and said "They just wanted some attention, now they got it. What's the big deal?"

The Americans, I suspect are taking the whole situation a lot more seriously. South Korea maintains that they will continue to send food and other aid to the North, because it would be inhumane not to. The government is coming under scrutiny by the Americans for responding slowly and tentatively to the issue. Neither the President Roh (South Korea), nor his head Security Advisor attended the emergency meeting after the launch of the missiles. Stating that, ``We've decided it was not necessary for the president to hold an emergency meeting immediately after the launches in order not to stir any unnecessary tension and unrest on the Korean Peninsula,'' said Seo Joo-seok, senior presidential secretary for national security, in a briefing Thursday night. ``Hard-line approaches against the North would have exacerbated the situation.'' I think President Roh was probably too lazy to get out of bed. The meeting was held at 7am- I know I would never have made it.

Koreans do not distinguish between North and South Korea. I've been questioned as to why incoming mail for me specifies South Korea, and people look confused when I refer to the North. There may legally be a divide in the country, but not in the minds or hearts of Koreans. They mostly choose not to deal with the issue. And what else can you do when the most heavily guarded border in the world lies a mere 40 km north of your home? While South Korea has become known for its cutting edge technology, the North maintains laws that keep cameras out of the country. Even though they speak the same language and have the same cultural background- there could not be a greater contrast between these two countries in reality. Koreans have an innate faith in their country and their people. The entire social structure is based on family. Instead of using words like friend to establish your relationships with others, Koreans use older sister, younger brother, aunt, uncle for all their peers. This concept of society as a family bleeds into every aspect of the culture. My gym provides bar soap, brushes, tooth brushes and communal loofahs for its patrons. In Canada, we would think it disgusting to share these things but in the Korean family it's totally normal. When you buy any type of food, you're always given two forks or spoons- it's assumed you'll be sharing it. Bikes are left unlocked in the streets and strangers will talk to you with such respectful familiarity that you feel like you've known them years. It's beautiful. It's taboo to talk about crime in Korea, because they like to pretend it doesn't exist and isn't a problem here. They are quick to point to the US military as trouble makers, proven by the abundance of NO GI's signs that hang outside of bars- it's easier than accepting that one of their own could do such a thing. My older students showed up late for class the other day, apparently because they had biked to school. I asked them if they had locked their bikes downstairs. They looked at me, slightly surprised and slightly embarrassed and said that no, they hadn't. Aren't you afraid it'll be stolen, I asked. Of course, it's happened before, Min Su told me. But when I asked him why he didn't lock it, he shrugged his shoulders and said it would be okay. His innate trust in his huge family does not allow him to accept the idea that someone could steal from him.

All this taken into consideration, the reaction of the South to the brewing crisis makes a lot of sense. Not only from a cultural view point, but it's also common sense. Despite the US assertions that the North has outright threatened to use force if a test missile is shot down, it just doesn't make sense. Further, these direct threats have yet to be reported in the media here. It makes me wonder how much is American propaganda. The population of North Korea is malnourished, they're dropping in the streets from starvation. As ridiculous as any dictator may be, he cannot possibly believe that such a country could take on the US in a war. Russia was a threat, just by its size, technology and population. North Korea is like a child begging for attention. They just want someone to talk to them, and no one will. South Koreans see it for what it is. The US sees it as a slap in the face- they play it up as though it's a very real threat that the North could attack. They keep the world in fear of what stupidities will follow, as Bush enters into his second year of his second term. There is no real threat. Though the test failed after little more than forty seconds- a long way even from making it to Japan, Mr Bush I'm sure, will not want to leave this incident as part of his legacy. And that's the real threat. Not that North Korea will use nuclear weapons, but that the Americans will close in on them because Bush sees it as an affront to his delicate ego. He will be remembered as the President that started a war on the pretense of looking for nuclear weapons which didn't exist, but to turn a blind eye on the efforts of North Korea to gain attention for their nuclear program would make his legacy even more pathetic.

As I sit comfortably in my South Korean apartment, on my newly purchased laptop computer, my air conditioning blowing at full force, I contemplate the lives of the people living only half an hour north of me. Tomorrow I may finally make the trek to the border, to allow myself to be hit head on by the tensions that exist here. The producer of my show was in North Korea just last week. Anthony works for a company that has factories in North Korea and he went up to visit. The bus stopped at the border, and the North Korean army boarded the bus, carefully looking everyone up and down. You are not supposed to make eye contact, it can be seen as provocation. You are not to speak, it can be interpreted as political. As the bus continued on its way, it stopped as it reached its destination. The bus came to a halt and he descended from the bus, finding himself where few others have gone- in North Korea. A young girl greeted them in full military uniform. She wore a Kim Jong Il button. Anthony approached the girl and proposed a trade for his Australian pin. She looked appalled, taken back and scandalized. Anthony later discovered that the people of North Korea are required to wear these buttons whenever they appear in public, and can be shot if they are seen without it. They only get one button in their lifetimes. We have little to fear from the North, what I fear is the American presence here. They've declared war over less, and I wonder if I may be packing up and running home before October. Running back to a country that shares the longest undefended border in the world with the US- presently the scariest country on earth.