Seodaemun Prison

This is Seodaemun Prison.

I previously posted about the holiday here in Korea every March 1st commemorating those Koreans who demanded their freedom from the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Korea.  Most of the people involved in the peaceful demonstrations were imprisoned here at Seodaemun Prison.  My friend Kiho gave us a tour of the prison and some of the history behind it.

First I'll put in my pictures, because most of them have us smiling and happy.  The prison was far from a happy place.  So I'll do all of our sunshine first, and then thrown in some depressing rain about what the prison was really like.

 Here's Ryan being handcuffed.

 This is one of the cells.  The hole in the wall is where they received their food.  There were no bathrooms, heating, or air conditioning, so many people died either from hypothermia or disease.

 Here we are -- caged in.

Kiho thought it would be fun to get us all jumping in front of the flag.  We took about 5 pictures, and I guess the three of us have really bad timing!  None of them worked.  :)

 Here's Kiho with the kids.

 This is the exercise yard for the prisoners.  There was just barely enough room to walk.

Here's another picture of the prison with Flat Stanley.  Yes, we are hosting Flat Stanley in Korea for a friend.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take this picture without him.  Oops.

All of the little squares on the wall behind us are pictures of the prisoners who were detained here.  It was shocking to look at them.  Some of the pictures were of children, no older than Ryan.

I didn't take a lot of pictures at the prison, because most of it was really depressing.  It reminded me a little of the Holocaust Museum in DC.  That's a museum I highly recommend, but you leave feeling sick about how human beings can treat other human beings.  That's exactly how I left Seodaemun Prison.  Sick.  The prison was horrible.  A lot of the people who entered the prison didn't leave.  A few did, but many died from the torture.

I started to write about the torture, but then erased it.  If you want, you can google the prison and find many pictures and write ups about what happened to the people here.  I don't think I can write about it.  Just know it was horrible.  The thing that makes me the most sick though, is all of these torture tactics that the Koreans were so angry with the Japanese for using, are still being used in North Korea today.  If you have read Escape from Camp 14 or seen the documentary with Shin Dong-Hyuk that the book is based on, you know all about this torture.  It is disgusting to me that the North Koreans, many of whom were part of the freedom movement to oust the Japanese, now keep their people enslaved the same way the Japanese did.  It's unbelievable to me.  

On a positive note though, as hard as it is to see humanity at its worst, it's also inspiring to read about those people who were willing to give everything for their freedom.  There were interviews of prisoners who were freed after WWII talking about how everything they endured in Seodaemun was worth it, because they did it for their freedom.  They are heroes.

After we finished our tour of the prison, Kiho took us to one of his favorite Chinese-Korean restaurants.

From the outside it looks like you're walking into a whole in the wall in the basement.  (You can see the sign to the left of the Coca-Cola sign.)  But boy was the food good!  I'd been telling Kiho how much I loved the Chinese-Korean dish called Jajamyong, so he told me I hadn't really had Jajamyong until I'd eaten it here.  He was right.  It was DELICIOUS!  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures without Flat Stanley again.

 Here's the Jajamyong.  They call it black noodles.  It's kind of like spaghetti with a beef based sauce.  It's yummy!

Here's the Yaki Mandu we ordered as well.

We finished the day by walking through some of the markets.  It was a great day in Korea.

Living in a "War Zone"

So the number one question I've been asked these days is, "Are you guys okay living in South Korea?"  

My answer, "I hope so!"  

I remember hearing about North Korea bombing South Korea's Yeonpeong Island in 2010 from the comfort of my very safe living room in Maryland.  Sure, it sounded bad, but it didn't really effect me.  I remember thinking North Korea is just making noise.  They'll never really do anything crazy like attack Seoul. 

Honestly, living in the United States and hearing North Korea threaten Seoul and the US, I never really worried.  Growing up in America definitely gives you a sense of security you don't always get other places.  Sure, maybe I was a little worried about the Russians invading when I was young (yes, I saw Red Dawn as a kid and read George Orwell's 1984), but by the mid 90s, the Cold War was over and the fear of communism was gone. I never really had to think about another country invading my home.

Fast forward to 2013.  I now live 20 miles from the North Korean border.  Threats from North Korea seem a lot more real to me now!  I've been watching the news and reading the newspapers, constantly analyzing what Kim Jong Un could possibly be thinking.  Am I nervous?  I'd be an idiot to say I'm not a little nervous listening to him spout off about how he wants to turn the city where my family lives into "a sea of fire."  However, with that being said, I'm not scared.  The most recent statement from the US Embassy reads:  

The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that despite current political tensions with North Korea there is no specific information to suggest there are imminent threats to U.S. citizens or facilities in the Republic of Korea (ROK).  The Embassy has not changed its security posture and we have not recommended that U.S. citizens who reside in, or plan to visit, the Republic of Korea take special security precautions at this time.  The U.S. Embassy takes as its highest priority the welfare of American citizens in Korea.  Should the security situation change, the Embassy will issue updated information.

I feel safe reading statements like this.  I feel safe talking to South Koreans who remind me that the North has been threatening the South for more years than I've been alive, and nothing of real substance has ever happened.  I feel safe being reminded that North Korea does this every time South Korea elects a new president.  (South Korea's new president was just inaugurated this year.)  I feel safe as I watch everyday life here in South Korea remain unchanged.  

I still feel safe here.  I trust our military and Embassy to let us know when and if we need to leave.  For now, life continues as normal.  There are still dishes to wash, rooms to vacuum, and tourist sites to be visited.  

So to answer the question, "Are you guys okay?"

The answer is "Yes.  We're safe."  

But we have our passports right by the door just in case.  :)