Holy War of Justice, or "I'll turn Seoul into a sea of fire" are just some of the sensational headlines and quotes that have popped up in Western media for many years now concerning North Korea's rhetoric against South Korea.
While these quotes make news in the West, and sometimes scare Western people, I'm here to tell you it's not as bad as it seems. It's true that North Korea is a threat. It's true that war could breakout at any moment, and it's true we need to always be ready, but as a guy who has spent a decade here it's not as bad as it seems. In fact life is pretty normal here, just sprinkled with the occasional skirmish along the border.
There is a lot of opportunity here in South Korea, and Asia in general. The only question is will people listen to sensational headlines and stay home or will they take a leap of faith and give it a try over here?
I obviously chose the latter and while I can honestly say it's not perfect (I really do miss America) my life has a much greater purpose over here. Back in America life was just life. I have/had good friends and a good job, but I knew I needed to see more of the world, so when an opportunity arrived for me to teach English over here I took it. That lead to me meeting the Korean woman I would marry, starting a couple of businesses over here, joining the US Army Reserve here and traveling across the Pacific and CONUS because of that, etc.
Now I have good friends and family on two continents and I'm thankful for it. It's not easy juggling all this, but it has lead to a very interesting life. So if you're looking for something different in life you always have to get out of your comfort zone and take risks.
Perfectly!
Thanks for the comment.
There is much opportunity, but the I tell you it's hard to convince people back home to get out and explore. One lesson I learned was that beside the sensational headlines there is also the fact that people are comfortable, even if they are just getting by. It's easier to stay with what you know, even if it's not so great, than take risks and go forward with new experiences and opportunities.