The border between North and South Korea has been bad since the war went on hold. My ex-husband was stationed there for a year in 1993. I could not go with him because his base was too close to the DMZ so he had to leave me and our six month old daughter behind.

It was while he was there that I learned that as recent as 1970 there had been US soldiers killed by North Korean troops. I was not surprised by today’s event. The North gets more volatile whenever there is a change of power and I believe that Kim Jung Il has been having health issues and that his son is taking over?

While my ex was over there Kim Il Sung left power and at that time Kim Jung Il took over. There was a very comprehensive article in Time magazine about the measures the South has taken to slow an invasion from the North. To this day there are bridges and tunnels rigged with explosives that they can set off to block main road ways.

I think it is very sad that this happened and that there was a loss of life. I was able to spend some time in South Korea. It’s the only place I have ever been outside of the US. I’m hoping that we can go another forty years without something like this happening again.