This has been a test of the Korean Emergency System...

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Monday afternoon while walking back from a failed attempt at finding the groceries I needed, a loud alarm sounded. People seemed to be hurrying along their way, but nothing out of the ordinary, so i continued on mine. I kept looking behind me waiting for an Ambulance or something to speed by. The noise was so loud, but it was continuous and steady. It wasn't getting louder or quieter, it just rang one. Minutes went buy and it continued. As I came up to the front gate of Ewha i saw that there were a few guards there closing the front gates, only allowing one small section for people to walk in and out. The road into campus was also closed. That was odd. It was only maybe 2 in the afternoon. They don't close the gate until late at night. In the back of my head I joked to myself that this was the north attacking us "125 exchange students killed at ewha university in an attack because they weren't told that the alarm meant to get to a safe place..." haha Who knows what it was for. I kept walking and there were more and more guards around blowing whistles at people who were moving too slow down the stairs or coming in the gate. That made me tense up a bit. It seemed like there was something going on that I had no idea what was going on. My chest was already tight from the yellow sand in the city. It looked and felt muggy, but instead of humid air, it was sand in the air. It smelt like sand and it almost looked yellow out.

After probably 20 minutes, the alarms finally went off. And i just chalked it up to something Asian that I had yet to learn about yet. The next day, talking with another exchange student, I learned that that was a test of the alert system incase Kim Jong Il decided to attack Seoul. But apparently nobody seems to take notice to it because it would be worthless anyways. His planes would reach the city within half an hour and if he shot a missle, it would nuke the city in 30 seconds. So, everything would be over before they would even have a chance to sound the alarm. I think that was supposed to be comforting in a way. Like 'there's no need to be worried about the alarm, you won't see it coming anyways and you'll be dead instantly...'


I found a news article online about the current Situation with North Korea. It's fishy what North korea is saying and doing. I haven't followed the news with them before so I'm not sure if this is normal or new. The North is convinced that the US is getting ready to wage a war against North Korea. Which in my mind doesn't seem too plausible right now, just for the main fact that all our manpower and efforts are being sent into afghanistan right now. Most of the news i've read about the US and NK is us trying to keep them from shooting a "space" rocket into space. (which NK says if the US in any way tries to stop/shoot down their rocket then NK will see that as an act of war.) Which then seems to put the US in a tricky position, or anyone else for that matter. If there is some kind of definite proof or intel that its not a rocket for space, its a rocket for some other bad purpose, the responsibility is there to stop it... but in the process wage war...
The article went on to say that "...The North Korean official said that inter-Korean relations had reached their worst phase and the situation had grown so tense that "a war may break out any moment due to the reckless policy of confrontation" pursued by South Korea." north korea has but their 1million strong military on combat ready as they prepare to launch a long-range missile. Again, it seems so fishy... if it's a peace-time rocket for space or w/e they are calling it... why do you need to have your military ready? They say its just for exercise and will end March 20th. But it all seems to fall into place in a weird way. Oh and BTW shooting this long-range missile would be going against UN Sanctions. Online Article

As for now, NK will be launching the rocket sometime in April, so maybe i'll get to see it!

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Comments

[Laura]

Mom
Walk around with your camera ready all April because seeing that go into space will surely be the start of something BIG. Have it on picture if you can. Then come home.