If I had a category entitled “Stupid Korean Tricks,” this would certainly qualify [Yonhap News, Korean].
On Sunday, some 12 civilians crossed the northern civilian limit line on Ganghwa Island to do a little fishing on the beach. Two astute marines with the ROK Marine Corps 2nd Division noticed them, and using a loudspeaker, politely asked the intruders to leave the area.
The civilians—whom the Defense Ministry claim were drunk—responded by surrounding the two marines and threatened them both verbally and physically. One of the marines reacted by firing one live round into the ground as a warning.
A military official said the rowdy civilians also tried to take from the marines their rifle magazines.
At any rate, the civilians ignored the warning shot and continued to resist their removal. Their resistance was apparently quieted only when one of the marines broke a civilian’s nose with his rifle.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
No matter which country, only the most stupid confront soldiers armed with weapons who are doing their duty.
hat’s off to the marine.
I think they got off lightly.
My friends and I took a local bus from Ganghwa City to the northern part of the island back in ’97. Admittedly, we were curious to see just how far north we could go. Once we got to the limit line, the ROK Marines got on the bus and quite politely asked us to please get off and wait for it to come back later to take us back to where we came from. So, for the next half hour or so, we just hung out and talked, shared with them the beers and smokes we happened to have with us, and listened to the North Korean opera propaganda drifting over the water.
All in all a cool experience; it was our mistake, the marines were nothing but friendly, we followed their instructions, and made an effort to be polite throughout.
I can’t for the life of me understand what would possess people to antagonize armed soldiers, especially when they were clearly in the wrong. Then again, normal people wouldn’t dream of pushing and poking police officers when contesting a ticket in North America…
globalvillageidiot,
This is probably what was going through their minds, “Gangwha-do uridang!”
Why don’t you?
It seems that every culture across the world has a “it happened when I was out fishing with the boys, all drunk off our asses… ” type of stories. What is it with fishing and unruly drunken behaviors that make them go together so well?
After seeing his appearance with some Australian rowdies, I am waiting for the return of Japanese Garbageman — “he’s here to take out the trash!”
Those guys would probably have been shot just a few years ago, you know. I remember reading sometime in the late 90′s how Korean soldiers shot and injured a man and woman that were “just chatting” (or so they claimed) on the beach after curfew.
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