[Editorial] The plight of the Yeonpyeong Island residents

Posted on : 2010-11-27 14:27 KST Modified on : 2010-11-27 14:27 KST

Due to the North Korean coastal artillery shelling, all the residents of Yeonpyeong Island are leaving. They say only a handful remain. It must come as a huge blow to the residents of the island, who have lived there for years. Most are elderly, and have nowhere to go. They must stay in Incheon bathhouses and motels, passing each day with no promise of return.
With North Korean shells falling, some right in their backyards, they cannot remain on the island. With joint South Kore-U.S. drills scheduled to start on Sunday, they do not know when North Korea might launch another provocation. They must take cover, even though it is uncomfortable. What is weighing on the hearts of Yeonpyeong Island villagers, however, is not the temporary discomfort. It is the gloom that comes with contemplating how they will live in the future. If the situation continues, they might have to leave Yeonpyeong Island forever.
It is not just Yeonpyeong Island, either. All Five West Sea Islands are in the same position. As the hardline responses between North Korea and South Korea become more serious, the possibility of both a military clash grows and potential civilian losses grows. Residents should not have to leave the island for this. Blameless residents are in a position where they cannot do anything. Let us imagine ourselves to be a resident of the Five West Sea Islands. Would you be able to leave right away and leave behind the land you have called home for decades? It makes you understand just how precious the uneasy peace of the last 50 years since the armistice has been.
What the residents of the Yeonpyeong Island want is simple. They want to keep their peaceful livelihoods with a guarantee of security. The hopes of the residents of the other West Sea islands would be the same. On acquaintance, both military confrontation and punishments and building a long-term peace regime are needed to preserve the security and livelihood of the people. Ultimately, the situation faced by the residents of Yeonpyeong Island is not someone else’s problem. It could be a good lesson showing what will happen to our people after the peace is broken. The way in which the government finds a solution to this situation is important. The residents of the Five West Coast Islands must not become hostage to inter-Korean confrontation.

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