Foreigners not worried by nuclear test
People watch television news on North Korea’s nuclear test at Seoul Station in Seoul, Tuesday. North Korea confirmed it had “successfully” carried out an underground nuclear test, defying U.N. Security Council orders to shut down atomic activity or face more sanctions and international isolation. / Yonhap
By Cho Mu-hyun, Rachel Lee
Bryan Hopkins, professor at Sejong University’s graduate school of business
Foreigners living in Korea said they were not worried following the third nuclear test by North Korea Tuesday but voiced concern about the political effect across the Korean Peninsula.
Bryan Hopkins, a professor at Sejong University’s graduate school of business, said over the phone that North Korea’s action “showed a total disregard for the U.N. Security Council’s demands” and showed concern over the rising tension on the peninsula.
“Though from a personal standpoint such a test does not make me nervous or anxious because I believe there is no immediate cause for alarm. However, I am concerned from a geopolitical standpoint,” he said.
“This is not the action of a country that wants to join the international community and is certainly not the actions of a country that wants a stable relationship with South Korea,” he added.
As Hopkins stated, most foreigners believe there will be no immediate effect on their lives here, especially those in the field of commerce.
"Business continues as usual for AMCHAM (American Chamber of Commerce in Korea) and its members, and as indicated from news reports and financial agencies, investor confidence remains strong,” said AMCHAM President Amy Jackson via email.
“We are confident that the Korean government, in close cooperation with the United States and other allies, will address the situation appropriately and continue to work to secure peace and stability in the region."
Long-term residents here have gotten used to Pyongyang’s behavior. “To be honest, a similar situation happened here before. I was literally freaked out when I heard it for the first time, but I am calmer now,” Naoki, a 31-year-old Japanese working in Seoul. “I just hope that Korea reacts accordingly to the new threat and if I may say this, perhaps Korea needs to take a strong stand against it.”
Market Force Company CEO James Rooney said he expected reactions from China to curb North Korea because it “doesn’t want nuclear tests in its backyard.”
“We have a transition period in China, Japan and South Korea and they are obviously trying to catch them off guard and set the mood of discussions going forward to obtain a good bargaining position,” said Rooney over the phone.
Though reactions will come from all neighbors, most vocally from the United States, the strongest and the most “subtle” will be from China. “Notwithstanding its geopolitical aspect, if I were China I wouldn’t want someone on my border that can effect population among others, to conduct nuclear tests.
“I think the consequence might be different than North Korea might have anticipated. The relationship between China and North Korea is changing. What China does against North Korea won’t be visible to the outside world, but it has many forms of leverage such as trade over them,” he said.
The CEO said the “worst and most perverse consequence” of the test will be Japan, which will use the situation as an excuse to increase their own military level as they have been doing for the past few years.
He also believes that further similar happenings will occur instigated by Pyongyang as young leader Kim Jong-un attempts to cement his leadership and “control his own bureaucracy” there, which will take at least three to five years. The nuclear test follows the line of Kim revealing his wife and launching a rocket into space, though it was “more extreme” compared to those moves.
“Ultimately the internal maneuvering has external consequences and we can certainly expect a subtle reaction from China,” he added.