Business as usual in South Korea

Business as usual in South Korea

By Tom Godfrey, Milford Daily News, Nov. 11, 2017

SEOUL --- In the days leading up to President Donald Trump’s first official visit to the Republic of Korea on Nov. 7, the area around the US Embassy in downtown Seoul became a mecca of protest. Supporters and protesters took to the streets and were anything but quiet.

While there were multiple groups of organized protesters, they represented two basic positions: those who welcome Trump’s words and actions as a step in the right direction against a constant foe, and those who see Trump’s increased rhetoric against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) as dangerous warmongering.

Ok-soon Ju, leader of Umma Buddae (Mothers Society), a pro-Trump alt-right group, said that she supported Trump and the US in general because of what she sees as a blood alliance with the United States for their role in the Korean War.

“I love Americans and I love Trump,” said Ju. She expressed concern that the current South Korean president, Jae-in Moon, who replaced the ousted Geun-hye Park, is leading the country down the wrong path.

“He is very bad,” said Ju as she waved both a US and South Korean flag. “His government is turning us into communists.”

While pro-Trump groups were loud and energetic, they were vastly outnumbered by anti-Trump protesters.

Ui-seon Lee, who took to the streets to support Minjung Minjudang (the People’s Democracy Party) said that Trump’s rhetoric and actions are not helpful in the long term goal of unity, or at least peace, with North Korea.

“We are here for the sake of peace,” said Lee. “Trump’s [potential] war with North Korea will happen [on the Korean peninsula], not in the US. Korea is our own sovereignty and does not belong to the America.”

Lee also added that his issues, along with those of other like-minded South Koreans, have not affected their view on Americans in general.

“It’s not about Americans,” said Lee. “It’s about politics.”

This type of activity is not uncommon in downtown Seoul. The same area saw hundreds of thousands of protesters call for the ousting of former president Geun-hye Park. There have been constant vigils and demonstrations in the plaza since the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014, which claimed the lives of 304 people. On the day of Trump’s actual arrival protesters came in such numbers that traffic was often at a standstill.

What about the rest of the country? What is it like to live under a near constant barrage of threats from multiple global forces?

It’s business as usual.

About 90 minutes north of Seoul is the city of Paju. Paju is well known throughout Korea for Jangdan soybeans. The rustic city is home to a spattering of restaurants that feature traditional dishes made from the beans, such as tofu, soy sauce, doenjang jjigae- a pungent stew made from fermented soybeans, and cheonggukjang- an extra pungent stew made from extra fermented soybeans.

Paju is also famous for its proximity to the North Korean border. The city abuts the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

While the DMZ is a humanitarian blight, it is also a major industry in South Korea. Every day, tour groups explore as far into the DMZ as Panmunjom, where they can step into a meeting room that technically reaches into the North Korean side of the DMZ. Other tourists frequent places that are easier to access but still give them an up close view of one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world.

Imjingak, a large recreational area located along the restricted area before the DMZ, called the Civilian Limitation Line (CLL) was crowded on Nov. 5. Families and couples wandered around a hilly, grassy field adorned with sculptures and pinwheels. Dozens of kites flew in the blue sky. Next to the field is Peace Land, an amusement park located within throwing distance to the CLL’s razor wire. Across the street from Peace Land is an altar called Mangbaedan. It is here that North Korean refugees and those whose families were torn apart by the Korean War offer prayers in the direction of their ancestral homes and their loved ones.

For those who work in the Imjingak and the greater Paju area, North Korea is part of their everyday life.

Ji-ah Choi sometimes hears gunfire and artillery drills while she is working at the Imjingak Cafe. Min-hye Kim, who works for a publishing company in Paju, said that she often sees tanks moving around town and into the military controlled areas. This is normal.

An employee at one of Imjingak’s several exhibitions, who preferred to give only her family name of Hwang, said that while the language between North Korea and the US has become more aggressive, there has not been much of a change in their environment.

“It is a bit more stressful than before but it is just as quiet as always here,” said Hwang.

For the most part, Hwang said that tourist numbers have remained constant with the exception of the Chinese, which she attributes to the installation of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense units in South Korea.

The installation of THAAD has had a widespread impact on South Korean citizens and their global neighbors. Those living near the units have argued that the radar could impact their health. China staunchly opposed the units because they said its radar could be used to monitor movement of the Chinese military. As a result, Chinese tourist numbers in Korea have dropped. This has hurt tourist-driven businesses not only at Imjingak but also in major shopping districts like Insadong and Gangnam.

Despite the lack of effect on her daily life, Hwang expressed concern over Trump’s tone.

“We all want peace but his speeches and behavior stimulates North Korea,” said Hwang. “We all dream about a reunion, but we’re affected by larger countries. I want our descendants to live in peace.”

Tom Godfrey is a freelance reporter and photographer for Wicked Local. He was traveling to South Korea and shares a tourist’s view of the conflict between North and South Korea.

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