Young South Koreans, born decades after the Korean War and enjoying the peace and riches of the most wired country in the world, urged their government yesterday to respond strongly to North Korea’s artillery attack.
North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at the Yeonpyeong Island on Tuesday, killing two South Korean soldiers and two elderly civilians and setting houses ablaze in the heaviest attack on its neighbor since the Korean War ended in 1953.
South Korea warned of “massive retaliation,” but was careful to avoid suggestion of any imminent action.
PHOTO: EPA
“Compared with the Korean War, we are no more lagging behind North Korea in military capacity,” said Kang Chun-mo, 36, an office worker at a top business group near Seoul. “However, our government looks like responding too timidly. They have been talking of ‘retaliation,’ but looking back on the Cheonan incident in March, I feel heavy about our government’s response.”
“I think it is unfair that we keep being attacked by the North, and us not doing much about it,” said Min Kyung-ock, 30, a researcher with a government think tank. “I think our country has the right to retaliate and protect our people.”
Office worker Kim Eung-soo, 33, said being a wired country helped defuse the tension.
“In the past we could not see pictures or footage of any attacks or military conflicts,” he said. “But now I can see them almost on a real-time basis through Twitter or other Web services. Yet the technology has also helped ease worries about the North as I can quickly get experts’ views that yesterday’s attack will not have big impact on the economy.”
Kim Hyun-jeong, a 23-year-old university student, said she first learned of the attack by Twitter.
“I think it is unfair that we keep being attacked by the North, and us not doing much about it,” she said. “Previously, I was not threatened by North Korea, but after the incident, I realize the Korean War is not over. I think the government should take a tough stance on the North.”
Yang Yeong-hwan, 82, lives in Seoul, which was razed during the Korean War.
“North Korea is the bad guy to attack South Korean civilians,” he said. “Our government should take more stern measures against the North. But what can we do? We have little power. China and the US have the sway.”
Chung Doo-sun, who was born in 1955 and whose daughter and three grandchildren still live on Yeonpyeong, asked why the South didn’t return fire “immediately they took the covers off their artillery.”
“I mean this is the age of cutting edge technology and we talk about how we’re looking at everything they do from satellites,” he said. “We should have started returning fire the minute they cranked up their artillery. I just don’t get it.”
Meanwhile, scores of protesters in Seoul burned the North Korean flag and called for revenge yesterday. One group of about 40 protesters near the US embassy also urged China to join other world powers and condemn its ally for Tuesday’s attack.
Protesters waved banners reading “Revenge on North Korean provocation” and “Vengeance for Yeonpyeong island.” They also carried portraits of the North’s leader Kim Jong-il and heir apparent Kim Jong-un defaced with black ink.
There were scuffles with the police as one man set fire to three North Korean flags.
Outside the defence ministry, some 110 protesters rallied, shouting “Vengeance!” They also burned North Korean flags and torched portraits of Kim Jong-il and his son.
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