sidewalker123

Yeah, I'm in the USAF (doesn't feel like it sometimes, though... ), and I just got back from Korea today--fun trip.

Stories like this are just a kick in the gut, aren't they? I've been to Turkey, and even as just a foreigner I felt the despair the poor there have hovering over them. I can't imagine what it's like among the persecuted...

Come payday, if I don't find something that blatantly contradicts the story so many webpages have been carrying, I'll send this guy and his family a couple of Franklins. If this thing goes to any sort of protracted court action, they're going to be hurting.

I was there for an exercise, actually.

My impression of South Korea is that it's a very amazing country at a cultural crossroads.

Imagine familial and social relations falling more along the lines of the US' 40s and 50s. Increasingly, kids are getting too "hip" for the elder generations' tastes, impressed as they are by foreign music, fashion, attitude, etc.

Many young people are politically aware (a trait passed on by parents who were under an outwardly nice but rather sinister government for so long), and it's amazing to see the amount of participation here. I had the impression that those who could went to vote, and I saw crowds of tens and even hundreds of thousands gathering for protests, sit-ins, demonstrations, etc. Were it in the States you'd think something major was going on, but here people are much more vocal about things you and I might swallow.

Technology has an everyday impact in life. Almost every kid I saw over 10 had a cellphone and relied on it for their daily events, social gatherings, etc. Internet cafes are ubiquitous.

Not everyone digs the US--or at least the military. I got some cold stares during my time there, but-as in most places-I learned that once you get to know people they would rather judge you by your character than by the flag you fly. I honestly believe that most people opposed to US presence take this stance because they believe ardently that the division of the peninsula cannot survive Kim Jon Il's inevitable death. One can only hope.

People can be somewhat impersonal to strangers, but it was my experience that they warm up quickly when pleasantly surprised (giving an old lady a seat or right of way, being nice to kids... you know, basic civility).

My only real complaint (and it's a small one) is that there is so much chaos caused by endless building--everywhere.

All in all, a fascinating place to visit and a very interesting people to study.