While the whole world watches with concern as tensions rise over North Korea, the issue is very personal for one man in Madison.
The owner of new Seoul Korean restaurant in Madison, Charyong Lim, he is concerned for his family back in Seoul but said it’s not only North Korea’s nuclear threats that concern him.
“I worry about my family and the political situation,” Lim said.
While the Trump administration doubles down on it’s threats, demanding North Korea end its nuclear weapons and stop launching ballistic missiles, Lim is more fearful of what will happen if the United States takes aggressive action.
“If war is happening, the people are gone. Everyone is gone. South Korea is small, it’s different from America,” he said.
While he said North Korea’s failed missile launch Sunday worries him, Lim said his family has consistently lived under a threat being next door to North Korea. Lim’s biggest concern is who will control his home country after next month.
“The first issue is the election, (for) president, that is the issue,” Lim said, adding that he hopes the May 9 election outcome will help ease tensions after the impeachment of the nation’s former president.
“Korean people do not want war. That is important. Korean people want to take care of this peacefully,” he said.