By Andrew Salmon
It has been a relaxing few days for English-language foreign correspondents here in Seoul: two massive news fests have been keeping their editors far too busy to consider running any stories from a distant Asian peninsula, thank you very much.
These events in question? One wedding and a funeral.
Last Friday, British streets were flooded with the kinds of crowds you would normally expect to turn out for the overthrowing of a dictator. In fact, they were there to celebrate nothing more than a marriage ― albeit the marriage of a future king and queen.
The jubilant scenes must have stuck in the craws of Republicans, for however much they whine about the cost and elitism of royalty, this family is worth billions ― not as charitable or diplomatic players, but as the core asset of Brand Britannia, generating tremendous interest in the country.
It was not only Britons who turned out in their millions to toast the nuptials; the hysteria was mirrored across much of the globe. Apparently, William and Kate’s marriage won the greatest viewership in Internet streaming history, beating out both the Obama inauguration and the 2010 World Cup final.
Remarkably, some of the keenest overseas viewers were found in the staunch republics of France and the United States, as well as in India ― a nation with very mixed memories of a family who once ruled their land as colonial overlord.
Just when things were returning to normal after this joyous weekend, delight of a different kind exploded across American streets. After over a decade evading justice following the Sept. 11 mass murder, Osama bin Laden hosted a U.S. Navy hit squad. The SEALs, visiting bin Laden’s residence by helicopter, were unexpected and uninvited: judging from early photographs, the bearded jihadist emerged from the encounter looking the worse for wear.
Barack Obama’s speech announcing the news was one of the most dignified of his presidency. Naturally, the average American was less restrained: crowds poured onto streets to celebrate the long-awaited demise of Public Enemy Number One.
There will be those across the world will find the spectacle of tens of thousands of Americans singing, dancing and chanting “USA! USA! USA!” distasteful: mass hysteria is hardly a dignified response to the death of an enemy.
Don’t count me among the critics. Bin Laden was the worst kind of terrorist, a man whose aim was to ferment a war between religions. His Guinness World Record-breaking terrorist assault on America ignited wars in Afghanistan and (for better or worse) Iraq.
Yet the clash of civilizations did not happen. The 9/11 carnage and the resultant bloodshed that poured across the Middle East and Central Asia has not led to religious war. Though he may be a hero to some sections of the Muslim world, bin Laden remains a minority representative of his faith. In short, he failed in his mission; now he is dead. For that we should be thankful. If any man’s funeral is worth celebrating, then his is.
But let’s not get carried away. When the U.K. and the U.S. publics awake from their post-wedding/post-bin Laden hangovers, their broader problems will not have receded. The U.K. will still be reeling from unprecedented government spending cuts with no significant economic growth in sight.
For both Americans and Britons, the war in Afghanistan grinds on, into its 10th depressing year. In Libya, the chance of a swift, clean regime change has passed: instead, the West is mired in a possibly interminable civil war. As for terrorists, bin Laden is dead but his organization lives on: He was just one head of a multi-headed hydra.
Turning our gaze back eastwards: do these two events have any relevance for South Korea? Koreans I have spoken to were more interested in Kim Yu-na’s latest skating appearance than William and Kate’s walk down the aisle. As for bin Laden: South Korea has avoided embroilment in the war on terror ― at least at the pointy end ― meaning any celebrations here will be muted, at best.
So could we see any reflection of these events on the peninsula? If the state apparatus can lighten up, I suppose we might see ecstatic crowds thronging Pyongyang’s precincts, should the North Korean royal family deign to announce the nuptials of “Young General” Kim Jong-un. But I doubt it.
On a brighter note, we may look forward to celebrating the passing of Kim Jong-il ― a man who must surely rank as one of the most catastrophic leaders in this peninsula’s long and bloody history. The broader question, of course, is what will follow his death? Could things actually become even worse for North Koreans after the passing of the second generation of the Pyongyang Kim Dynasty? Perhaps.
Either way, such is the strategic important of this peninsula, that even if Kim’s death takes place at the same time as another royal wedding or the passing of a notorious terrorist, Seoul-based foreign correspondents will be guaranteed column space ― and some very busy days.
Andrew Salmon, a Seoul-based journalist and author, can be reached at andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk.