commitment

What would you do if war broke out on the Korean peninsula? War is a topic currently being tossed about by expats on blogs and on Twitter with a mixture of jocularity and disquiet. No one truly takes the idea of all-out war seriously, of course; North Korea's leader Kim Jeong-eun is most likely doing what he's doing to bolster his image and authority among his own population. In the back of his mind, Kim understands that his country can never win a war against the South, and were he to disappear during a war, he'd be hunted down like Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden and would end up swinging from a lamppost. That said, expats can't seem to stop themselves from whispering about the prospect of a full-on conflict.

One of my friends told me long ago that he'd be "the first white boy outta here" if war broke out. I can understand his thinking: he's got a family to take care of. For me, I'm unattached. I've got two brothers in the States, but they both have their own lives: one's already married; the other's getting married in October. They've got plenty to keep their hands full. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins in places like Texas (the Korean-American branch of my family—Mom's side) and California (the Caucasian-American branch—Dad's side), but these aren't people I speak with all that often. What do they lose, really, if I'm not around? Meanwhile, I've got friends and relatives here in Seoul who would be my first concern if the South and the North decided to go to war. Since they're here, and they live here, how can I leave?

So, yeah: my plan is to stay, help my relatives flee south if possible and/or necessary, and to fight. I have no military training; I'm woefully out of shape; I'd need to learn how to handle a gun. All these factors are against me. But I'm grateful to this country, and I do love it as a second home, and there's no way I could stomach seeing it overrun by those bastards up north. If I can take down even one Norker, it'll be a good death for me.

That's my commitment. That's the price I'm willing to pay.


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