Good Guys Vs. Bad Guys

Who gets to say who’s a bad guy and who’s a good guy? That has always bugged me. So this week I used the story of North Korea’s nuclear tests to discuss the issue. I read an article online from the BBC that  featured reactions to the testing from people in neighbouring China, Japan and South Korea. I thought it was really interesting to hear perspectives from people who live close to where the blast happened, so I’m including them here. This is what some of them said. HIROFUMI UCHIKAWA, 59, VOLUNTEER , SAITAMA, JAPAN: I was embarrassed by the way North Korea conducted these tests, without giving us Japanese any notice. I understand that they gave notice to China and the US. That is what worries me. Here in Japan we suffered from the atomic bomb. We want to see the atomic bomb disappear from all over the world. We find it very alarming that our neighbour has such capability. HA SU-DONG, ENGINEER, 32, SUNGNAM CITY, SOUTH KOREA: I don’t really care about North Korea’s actions. They are just trying to get attention from the outside world. But the South Korean government is in chaos now because our former president killed himself. I wonder if North Korea took advantage of this moment of chaos to play power games. That’s why I don’t think they will launch a nuclear weapon right now. It is posturing. SK CHUNG, MARKETING EXECUTIVE, 36, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: I’m not at all worried. But I’m angry at their childish behaviour. My view is that North Korea is trying to get the attention of the US. This is their way of getting attention. It is a dangerous thing but Korean people don’t care about this. Nobody is really worried about a war between the North and South happening again. Reunification is our ultimate aim. North Koreans also want this reunification but their way of going about things is different. Kim Jong-il has run their government for such a long time and now he might hand some power onto his son. Even though we are not scared, we know this is an unpredictable place. DU YUPING, DOCTOR, 52, BEIJING, CHINA: I know North Korea. I worked with North Korea in the field of health for 10 years. To be very frank, I don’t know why they launched missiles and conducted nuclear tests again. I think neighbouring countries have mishandled the situation with them. This is a mistake. South Korea has taken a tough position with regard to the North. The Chinese give a little aid and the US gives very little too. The country is so poor. It wants to make a big noise to draw attention from other countries. They are so poor and life is so hard in North Korea and that is why I think they try and sell the message to their people that their government is strong and can conduct nuclear tests. I don’t feel threatened. The Chinese are not so worried. Click to read the full story.