You are probably aware that there was a recent military confrontation between North and South Korea, during which a South Korean Island was shelled and several civilians were killed. This is an unfortunate incident, and is one example among many that have taken place between North and South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Over the past 50 years these incidences have ranged from a few shots fired into the DMZ to an attempted assassination of the South Korean president in 1968 and the grounding of a North Korean submarine on the South Korean coast in 1996.
While each incident is alarming, it is important to keep a broader perspective on the sometimes fractious relationship between North and South Korea. None of the local, regional or global powers invested in Korea wishes to see any of these conflicts escalate into anything more than an isolated skirmish. North Korea stands to lose statehood, South Korea would suffer massive economic loss and China, Russia and the United States have no desire to get involved in or support another Korean conflict. As a result, we strongly believe that this latest incident will have no effect on your day to day life as a teacher in South Korea.
As a former ESL teacher from 1996-2000, I lived through several similar events while living in South Korea. One commonality among all of these events is that they are sensationalized by the international media, while the reality on the ground is far more sanguine. During the IMF currency crisis in 1998 my parents called me in a panic, having seen the news of street protests in Korea. While the protests looked dangerous and violent on CNN, they had no effect on my day to day life in South Korea.
Footprints has an office in South Korea and our Korean GM has not reported any concern among the Korean population as a whole that this latest event will have any effect on the day to day life of Koreans or foreigners living in Korea. Korea remains one of the safest countries on earth – the U.S. Department of State website categories the crime rate in South Korea as low.
While we recommend all foreigners register with their embassy in Korea upon arrival, our position is that this latest incidence will have no impact on your experience in Korea, and your greatest danger is missing out on a great job opportunity.
Ben Glickman
Footprints Co-Owner
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