Escalation of conflict between North and South Korea

QUEZON City, Philippines (August 25) – The escalation of conflict between North Korea and South Korea is intense. North Korea accused South Korea of being “war maniacs” and the tension between the two nations is getting worse.  The question now is how the Korean people will recover? They may have the best equipment in battle but the sad truth is there are a lot of citizens in both Koreas whose everyday lives will be affected in the coming war. The leaders of both countries should consider the feelings of their respective citizens, and try to spare them the terror and the trauma.

Every country’s leader, every head of the state, should have a high tolerance for issues that may lead to war – and avoid behavior that can lead to an escalation of tension.  If so, the world can live peacefully.  Sadly, North and South Korea cannot be level-headed anymore regarding the decades-old arguments between their two nations. They are now setting up all the machines and weapons for the battle. A series of unfortunate incidents occurred in the sea shared by the two, leading to an exchange of artillery and now the possibility of war is imminent. We can say that it is the leaders who are at fault because they let themselves be influenced by their feelings and pride.  And the thoughts that run through the collective mind of the Korean people is “why?”

It may appear that this is just a war between two nations, but said war can have serious international repercussions. Already, the United Nations has expressed its concerns regarding the possibility of war breaking out between the two Koreas. This concern was expressed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, himself a Korean. Secretary-General Ban also called on both North and South Korea to stay away from any action that may further aggravate tension, and make the dialogue, to promote the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. China also expressed its concern and said that they will oppose any action that may cause tension in the Korean Peninsula. In response,  North Korea asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the alleged acts of South Korea that resulted in the rising tensions, namely, the South’s act of bombardment as well as psychological warfare against North Korea, and also the joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States of America. However, the UN Security Council did not give a reaction regarding these allegations.

All eyes are on the Korean Peninsula after 32-year old Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea, placed his country under a state of emergencey and ordered the army to go in war standing the boundaries shared by the two nations. The best thing to do right now is pray for Korea, whether North or South.

(written by Cleeve Carpio, edited by Jay Paul Carlos , additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)