Dear editor,
The Korean public continues to surprise and confound me. Since the March 26 sinking of the Navy patrol ship Cheonan, I have yet to hear or see of much protest from the Korean public at large.
With it becoming increasingly clear that it was not a simple accident and more likely an attack from North Korea, I have yet to see any candlelight vigils, which is quite perplexing considering the Korean public's apparent fondness for these demonstrations.
I am an American having lived in Korea more than 10 years and have frequently witnessed many vigils directed at the United States.
In 2002, when a U.S tank accidentally ran over two schoolgirls, the U.S. promptly apologized, offered compensation, constructed a memorial and yet the country was convulsed by candlelight vigils by tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Koreans.
Signs were even erected in downtown restaurants advising ``No Americans allowed." Quite a reaction considering it was an accident and not an attack.
Even more interesting is the fact that the U.S is one of South Korea's few if only friend in the international arena and North Korea is supposedly an enemy.
Not to be outdone was the more recent candlelight vigils concerning U.S beef in which the Korean public apparently felt that the U.S was intentionally sending diseased meat to South Korea to infect and kill people.
This also caused the Korea public to rise up in the tens of thousands again in candlelight vigils to protest. Never mind that in the end ― the reports of diseased meat turned out to be a false alarm and the U.S was not, in fact, bent on poisoning the entire Korean population.
Now, I return to the curiosity that is the Korea public's apparent silence in the face of an almost certain attack and the death/murder of 38 soldiers. Where are the candlelight vigils and why is there not more of an outcry?
Why do I have the uncomfortable suspicion that if the U.S had accidentally done this, the Korean public's reaction would be completely different?
Why does there seem to be such a double standard when events concerning the U.S occur ― is it possible that the Korean public views the U.S as much more of a hated enemy than the North?
To this American in Korea, I am left with little else to assume. Why don't you ask yourself: Where is the outrage in this case and where are the candlelight vigils?
Chad Baldwin American in Korea cwickb@yahoo.com