No war, only peace on Korean Peninsula
Anniversary special
The tension surrounding the Korean Peninsula is showing no signs of abating.
North Korea has been intensifying provocations, conducting its sixth nuclear tests in September and launching missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that may fly far enough to hit the U.S. mainland.
The U.S. has been responding with warnings of military options and, along with the international community, seeking tougher pressure and sanctions on the reclusive state.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the first liberal president in a decade, declared the South should take the driver’s seat in resolving the nuclear issue and restoring inter-Korean ties. However, there is not much Seoul can do as Pyongyang wants to negotiate directly with Washington.
Not knowing the situation exactly is another fear factor. There is no way to find out what is really going on in the North — whether its nuclear technology development has neared completion as it claims or is it just bluffing. And there is no way to find out what Trump’s “madman” strategy aims to achieve — whether he really believes military options are available or is he just bluffing.
Such situation is driving South Koreans nervous — seriously.
South Koreans used to be calm about North Korean provocations and believed there would not be a war. Now, however, as novelist Han Kang wrote in an op-ed piece in The New York Times, even younger-generation South Koreans in their 20s to 40s, for whom war is something that happens in other parts of the globe, worry about the possibility of one. It is unimaginable to lose everything we have and enjoy, and the people we love.
“I will not allow a war on the Korean Peninsula ever again,” Moon vowed. This is a pledge by not only Moon but also all South Koreans. And probably all North Koreans, too. Peace is what everybody wants but sadly the situation is driving people toward the opposite.
No war on the peninsula ever again — this is the top mission for all people on the peninsula. But how to achieve the goal is unknown. Sanctions, more sanctions, and suggestions for dialogue have not worked all.
But we cannot and will not give up. We have to find ways to achieve the goal, because we need to keep and protect everything we have and enjoy, and the people we love. If a war here kills 20,000 people every day like the U.S. Department of Defense’s simulation, those killed will surely include at least one of our loved ones. We simply do not want that. So, peace, please.