A UF alumna living in South Korea said she feels safe despite North Korea’s recent threats of nuclear war.
After graduating from UF last Spring with a degree in art history and a minor in classics, Carolina Chavez decided to teach English in South Korea.
However, after living in the country for almost a year, Chavez, 22, said life in South Korea after the recent threats is normal.
“We’re obviously cautious, but the country is not in a state of emergency,” she wrote in an email.
Chavez said she registered with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, so she will be informed of any evacuation plans or safety concerns.
However, she said she feels the threats are attempts by North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, to prove himself to his country.
Zachary Selden, a UF assistant professor of political science, agreed, saying the threats are more dangerous than before because North Korea is refusing to recognize the cease-fire armistice that ended the Korean War in the 1950s.
“This is probably one of the least transparent regimes on Earth,” he said. “It’s very hard to understand what goes on inside North Korea.”
Selden said Kim Jong-un might be trying to test South Korea’s new president and Japan’s new prime minister.
He added the most important thing for the U.S. to do is to demonstrate to its allies in Asia that its commitment to them is real and to help keep South Korean, Japanese and American citizens like Chavez safe.
“That’s why we’re bolstering our presence in South Korea,” he said. “It’s a way of telling South Korea and Japan that we have your back.”
Despite the possibility of conflict looming, Chavez said she will continue living and working in South Korea.
“I was aware of the ever present tension between [North] Korea and [South] Korea,” she said. “My safety being in danger wasn’t a concern for me.”
