Unlike Singapore whereby the key problems we face nowadays are the COVID-19 and the closure of bubble tea shops, several other countries are fighting both COVID-19 and other internal matters.
In the US, the death of George Floyd has sparked protests that have made people forget about the coronavirus.
In Hong Kong, the new security bill has instigated more protests again.
And in South Korea, the country is still trying to mend relationships with Japan and North Korea as relationships between the countries soured.
While South Korea and Japan continued to quarrel over goods related to COVID-19, North Korea has just done a Crash Landing on Them.
Because today, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry released a one-sentence statement: “North Korea blows up Kaesong Liaison Office at 14:49.”
What Happened
If you’ve never watched any South Korea political drama, you might be confused. What is a Unification Ministry?
Basically, it’s a ministry in South Korea set up to promote the unification between the two Koreas, so that one day, Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri can finally be together.
But they do more than that: they organise dialogues with North Korea and resolve any issues between the two Koreas.
In political dramas, the ministry would often be present in any talks that involve North Korea.
In recent years, the tension between the two countries have eased a lot after their two leaders took a few steps into each other’s land without having to chop passport:
It was groundbreaking, and last year, South Korea soccer team even went to North Korea to play a World Cup qualifier game: a first for 30 years.
In fact, unification no longer looked like a pipe dream after they set up a liaison office in North Korea in 2018, which will have separate Northern and Southern offices and a joint conference room.
Everything looked good until 2020, the year that has spoiled everything we’ve all achieved for the last century.
There are defectors from North Korea living in South Korea, and some have even made it big online, like this young lady who’s now a YouTuber:
In fact, she was one of the consultants for Crash Landing on You.
But not everyone’s happy with a new life in South Korea.
Some North Korea deflectors have been regularly sending anti-North Korea leaflets, and other things that North Koreans can’t use like USB sticks and USD$1 bill, over to North Korea by attaching them to hot balloons or floating them within bottles on the sea across the border.
North Korea has never been happy about this, and things worsened recently when Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, suddenly stepped in. The hermit country said they are ready to take action if these leaflets continue to land on their shores—which includes military action.
Of course you’d wonder: why the sudden “action” when this has been going on for quite a while?
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North Korea didn’t say so, but it’s rumoured that it’s a move to pressure South Korea to convince the US to stop the sanctions imposed on the country, or simply to bolster internet unity.
Or maybe it’s to show us the power of Kim Yo Jong, who’s been in the headlines ever since Kim Jong-Un suddenly ghosted the world two months back.
South Korea has been trying to control the damage, taking legal actions against the people who sent the leaflets, but some of them said they intended to continue with their actions.
Last week, North Korea said they’re cutting off all communication lines with the South from 9 June 2020, 12pm onwards.
Liaison Office Has Been Closed Since January This Year
Thankfully, due to COVID-19, the office has been closed in January this year.
The attack didn’t come as a surprise; Kim Yo Jong had said earlier that before long, “a tragic scene of the useless north-south joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen.”
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Unlike Kim Jong Un who makes empty threats every now and then, his sister isn’t one to be trifled with.
South Korea Military on Stand-By
With the attack, the South Korea military is now on standby, with the ministry spokeswoman saying, “We’re taking the situation seriously. Our military is maintaining readiness posture to be able to respond to any situation.”
Yesterday, South Korea President Moon Jae-In has urged North Korea not to cut their communication lines and to maintain peace. He said, “The promises of peace on the Korean peninsula that Chairman Kim Jong Un made before our 80 million people cannot be turned back.
“North Korea should not cut communications, raise tension and try to go back to the past era of confrontation.
“I hope it will resolve uncomfortable, difficult problems through communications and cooperation.
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“I also regret that North Korea-US and inter-Korean relations have not made progress as expected.
“It’s time for the South and North to find a breakthrough.”
I don’t know about you, but it seems like he shouldn’t be addressing to Chairman Kim.
She’s the one he should talk to:
I guess Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri would have to continue their romance in Switzerland.