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| Tourists board a plane bound for Guam at Incheon International Airport, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
North Korea's missile threats against the U.S. territory of Guam have so far had little impact on South Koreans planning to spend their vacation on the tourist island.
South Korea's two largest travel agencies told The Korea Times Friday that few people have canceled their trips to Guam or asked for a delay, though they are concerned about the long-term effect of military tensions in the region.
In response to North Korean threats, Wednesday morning (KST), U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to respond to the regime with "fire and fury like the world has never seen." North Korea then threatened to launch ballistic missiles into waters near Guam, which houses two major U.S. military bases.
That day, 140 South Koreans booked trips to Guam through Mode Tour, which is about average around this time of year, its official said.
"Also, no one canceled their reservations for this reason," the official said. "We are not worried about the effects of North Korea's threats based on past experiences."
He noted an earthquake, which occurred in China's Sichuan province earlier this week, was a bigger concern for customers based on the number of cancellations.
"I think South Koreans are so used to such threats and know that North Korea is just bluffing as always," he said.
The situation is not much different at Hana Tour.
"We received about 15 calls from customers Thursday following the news, but none of them canceled their trips to Guam," its official said.
But the firm is concerned it may become more difficult to attract new travelers to the island. The official said Thursday's Guam ticket sales were lower compared with other days in the past few weeks.
All this indicates how numb South Koreans have become to North Korea's threats after living beside the unruly regime for decades.
While Kim Jong-un and Trump wage a war of words, the overall atmosphere in South Korea remains just the same: people go to work, planes fly, protesters shout and journalists report about North Korea as one of their many news subjects.
"I think the media, especially foreign media, are just making a fuss. Think about how many times North Korea has made such threats," an office worker living in Seoul said. "It does not feel like a crisis to me. I don't think Kim Jong-un is suicidal enough to initiate an attack."
