Koreans in Cebu calm amid tension back home

There won’t be any Koreans arriving or leaving the country due to fear of the rising tension between North and South Korea, a top official of the Cebu Korean Association said yesterday.

Charlie Shin said he remains positive that North Korea won’t push through with its threats to attack South Korea despite that country’s joint military exercises with the US.

“They have long been threatening South Korea with attacks but I believe that’s just a threat and only a show of force on their part. My country (South Korea) is not threatened as we have enough soldiers and weapons,” Shin said.

If there would be any increase in South Korean visitors, Shin said they would do so for recreation and business opportunities and not because of fear.

Shin said there are more than 20,000 South Korean businessmen, students and residents in Cebu with about 100,000 in Manila. Each day, there are 1,500 to 2,000 Korean passengers arriving and leaving the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

“The South Koreans loved to be here in the Philippines because people are friendly, hospitable and the country has beautiful beaches and tourist spots and the Filipinos speak good English,” Shin said. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza