waygookers do you feel safe here?

[grajoker]

The us/korea joint drills are causing tensions again..am i alone in feeling unsafe?

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110807000256

[alwaysgood]

Nothing to worry about.  This kind of thing happens all the time.

[andyfoggy]

Nothing to worry about.  This kind of thing happens all the time.

true, ask your students and teachers they will all say the same thing

[Yu_Bumsuk]

The us/korea joint drills are causing tensions again..am i alone in feeling unsafe?

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110807000256

[MOD EDIT: Trolling Removed]

[Spongeblob]

North Korea is a beggar with a gun holding his own family hostage.  Everyone knows that as long as North Korea gets a little aid and attention everyone is going to be ok.  The general concensus is that when North Korea falls asleep we can safely wrest the gun away from him.  The thing most people don't want to picture is what if that gun goes off accidentally.  The hostage drama has been going on for decades now and Korea is building a bigger (nuclear) gun with longer range to reach Uncle Sam (America).  It also appears that North Korea has been taking lots of drugs that will keep it awake yet stupid for many years to come.

So, yes I feel safe.  Why do I?  North Korea will probably accidentaly fire that gun someday and South Korea (Grandma) will jump up and take the bullet allowing the rest of the family to beat the living tar out of North Korea.  North Korea will die or finally get the help it desperately needs.  As for Grandma well I suspect she will live as she is one of the toughest old birds around.  She will probably boast about her new scar. (Grandpas dig scars.) 

As for me, chances are I will be safe hiding in my apartment basement for the week long war (not likely that long).  A few blasts will rock Seoul area until the retallitory strikes from Grandma begin then watch North Korea fall apart like a Korean Contract as Uncle Sam leaps accross the room with his trusty shock and awe axe.  Aunt Dragon (China), who divorced Uncle Sam years ago will jump at Grandman and Uncle Sam with fangs a bared and fire ablowing.  Everybody will kinda calm down when they realize the danger is over.  North Korea's posessions will be mainly given to Aunt Dragon so she will be mostly happy.  Uncle Sam got to kick some butt again so he is happy.  Grandma got some more drama and a new scar so she is happy.  Hey, the wholer world will be happier.  Of course around this time Japan will invade Dokdo but that is another story. 

[Koreak]

Lather, rinse and repeat yearly...

[The.it.girl]

I feel more safe in Korea with drills and potential wars looming than I feel going outside, This is my 3rd year in this country and Ive never felt more unsafe.. The stares I get from perverts and old men when im not wearing a cardigan over my dress makes my stomach turn, When I get out of taxis, the cab driver will wait until I walk to my door to see where im going in, Ive had peeping toms while I shower and it scares me to death.. I hate that people genralise and go on to say that Korea is soo safe because fact is it is NOT!!! I feel more safe in South Africa where the crime rate is 1000 times higher.. I can't pray for the next year to go by fast enough so that I can get the hell out of here..

When I read of the waygook that was sexually assaulted in jeju I just when numb because it could have me or anyone else for that matter!!

North Korea can attack I dont give 2 woots about that.. But walking alone at night or having my cleavage show just a little bit?!!? HELL NO!!

[JABU NXAU]

some interesting replies , some sarcastic and cynical...i feel safe..

[WorkingTitle3484]

In terms of North Korea, of course I feel safe.  When you see Koreans and your CoTs start panicking, you should start worrying.

However, in terms of South Korea, eh it could be worse.  I've grown numb to the buses testing the laws of physics while turning a corner at high speeds, taxis flying through red lights, menacing scooter girls daring me to cross the street, soju causing me mild liver damage, the daily social stigma of being foreign, etc.

In other words, you should fret about South Korea before you start on North Korea.

[sejongthefabulous]

Maybe you should have asked yourself "Will I feel safe living beside the most secretive, aggressive, backwards and heavily armed member of the axis of evil" before moving here.  If the fact that they have weapons of mass destruction scares you...they forgot to add biological and conventional weapons to the list in that article.
Personally it's reassuring to know that the joint military force often practices how to get rid of these threats in the events of open hostilities. I always breathe a breath of fresh air during training season. Cooperation is wonderful.

Also for those waiting for their CoTs to panic you may be waiting until the Americans have to liberate Seoul from DPRK control to see that happen.

[MTBman]

To answer your question, yes I do feel safe here even while I drive in Korea.  That exercise is a routine exercise but the situation was much worse 9and a lot scarier) in 94.

You should register your stay with your embassy, and if they send you an emergency text or email message to get out of Dodge then you should feel worried and leave.

[anichion]

I am usually not worried- unless I'm in Seoul and parts north.

The Norks don't do the kidnapping thing anymore- unless you're a TV reporter near the Tumen river.
So unless you're on a border island or community near the DMZ, the odds of being attacked are 0%.

No matter what, everybody has a choice to make in case of Nork invasion.

1- Run
2- Stay and hide
3- Stay and fight, which leads to 2 choices.
3.1- fight on the front lines
3.2- guerrilla warfare, which I am fairly certain the NKA is not prepared to deal with.

You should make your plan based on what you are most able to do, though if you are close to the border, you will have to be quicker with your decision than if you're south of Seoul. Otherwise, if you choose 1 and the roads are blocked/destroyed, you have to decide on whether to continue option 1 or go to 2 or even 3.

[MTBman]

I'll apologize first.  I have to disagree with the previous poster.  The NKA is totally prepared for guerilla warfare.  In 96, a NK submarine ran aground around Donghae City.  The occupants disembarked and the NK commandos executed the crew and then took off shortly afterwards they were followed by thousands of ROK troops in Gangwon province.  It took those thousands of ROK troops a long time to finally find two of the NK special forces soldiers pretending to be guests at a resort with a wad of South Korean money.  The last one, they never found.  Before they were found at least one ROK soldier was killed by those two NK special forces soldiers.  The NK's are totally prepared for a guerilla war.  In fact, they reportedly have one of the largest special forces army in the world, including women.  Option 3.2 is foolish.  Mea culpa.

[anichion]

Granted, they are very good at waging guerrilla warfare, but are they any good at counter-insurgency?

Do they have up-armored vehicles that can protect against IEDs?
Do they have jammers that can prevent signals from reaching command-detonation landmines?
Do they even have unmanned surveillance drones?
Heck, is there on-the-ground intelligence network as good as it was in the 90s?

Speaking of the NKA, they're having a bit of a problem with food.
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=8049
How are they going to attack us if their army is malnourished?

[MTBman]

 I don't think that NK is going to attack us unless something very stupid or unfortunate occurs even though things do happen.

We're (US) incredibly fortunate to have one of the most professional militaries in the world.  The US miltary leadership in Korea is the best of the best.  I feel safe knowing that they and the ROK government is very capable of making sense of the situation here and doing the right things. 
       

[Yu_Bumsuk]

I don't think that NK is going to attack us unless something very stupid or unfortunate occurs even though things do happen.

We're (US) incredibly fortunate to have one of the most professional militaries in the world.  The US miltary leadership in Korea is the best of the best.  I feel safe knowing that they and the ROK government is very capable of making sense of the situation here and doing the right things. 
     

[MOD EDIT: Trolling Removed]

[MTBman]

Yes, Yubumsuk.  You should thank your lucky stars that they have your back here in Korea.

[Spongeblob]

I think it kind of all relates back to this moment in September of 1950.
"On 29 September MacArthur restored the government of the Republic of Korea under Syngman Rhee.[96] On 30 September, Defense Secretary George Marshall sent an eyes-only message to MacArthur: "We want you to feel unhampered tactically and strategically to proceed north of the 38th parallel."
It was shortly after that they marched into North Korea and very quickly triggered a massive response from China.  Ever since NK has been super paranoid about being invaded by land, air and especially sea.  There were also a lot of good reasons why American and ROK forces did this too.

This topic though is speculation about safety not really about who is to blame.  Old Kim Il is an evil dude who needs to go and his empire fall so the big reunification parties can start.   

Back to the original topic.  You are safe.  It's been going on for over half a century with small randomn conflicts.  I personally think it will go kablooey someday but most of the kablooey will be on the NK side.  They have some numbers, old equipment, low morale, low supplies and every reason if there not to brainwashed to surrender.

My biggest worry if there was another bloody battle would be living in the local community.  There would be bound to be one or two angry citizens shooting at foreigners.  Otherwise keep your head down, hide if you can, run when you can and get out alive.  The graves are full of brave souls who chose to fight but then again gotta do what you gotta do.     Anywho, no more war.  It's good for nothing.

[MTBman]

Getting back to the OP, I understand the reason for the sirens in the middle of the month, but I have been caught out and about a couple of times when the National Defense Drill started.  Everyone has to stop and wait it out wherever they are.  Iit can be irritating to be suddenly "detained" like that. but that's the price you have to pay sometimes for living here.    One time I was even on my bike and had to stop with everyone else under an overpass in Seoul in the Han River Citizens Park.  An elderly Korean cyclist started talking to me in Korean, but  then suddenly switched to Japanese to see if I was aware of it or not.  That was an interesting time. 

[west coast tatterdemalion]

If you are afraid of air raid sirens and/or North Korea saber rattling, then I would say that it is best to stay home. North Korea is, like most Koreans, full of bluster, but when it comes to actually doing something(other than to the S. Koreans who they know they can abuse), they won't do anything because they know that there will be consequences.