Seoul, Tokyo residents wary over North Korea's threat

Record ID: 905877

  • Title: Seoul, Tokyo residents wary over North Korea's threat
  • Date: 9th August 2017
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC PASSING IN SEOUL STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CROSSING ROAD ELECTRONIC SCREEN SHOWING MOVING CAPTION READING (Korean): "SOUTH KOREA'S ARMY SAYS THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL DETECTED RELATED TO NORTH KOREA'S THREATS TOWARDS GUAM" (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 25-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN CITIZEN, AN JAE-MIN, SAYING: "North Korea says that it will launch a preemptive attack on Guam, but since such behaviour by North Korea is not something unusual, it does not really come as a real threat." PEOPLE WAITING AT CROSSROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 58-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN CITIZEN, CHO GYU-SEONG, SAYING: "Big troubles always start small. Although, North Korea stands on the other side from us and the U.S. right now, if we press down on North Korea too hard, they could break down and burst at one point. In that sense, I do not believe war is something impossible." TOKYO, JAPAN (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON TOKYO STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 38-YEAR-OLD COMPANY WORKER, RYUTA SUZUKI, SAYING: "Japan is weak, the politicians are weak. I want us to become stronger." PEOPLE CROSSING ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, SHIORI YAMADA, SAYING: "Recently, I've been feeling that Japanese people take peace for granted too much. Not just regarding North Korea, but with other things like earthquakes. There are situations which are quite serious in the country now but people think that nothing will happen and are used to thinking this way so they are complacent." MORE OF PEOPLE CROSSING ROAD
  • Embargoed: 23rd August 2017 07:16
  • Keywords: Japan North Korea nuclear missile threat
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA/ TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA/ TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Various
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TFPTFR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents of South Korea and Japan's capitals were wary on Wednesday (August 9) after North Korea said it was considering plans for a missile strike on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
    Earlier in the day, Pyongyang said it was "carefully examining" a plan to strike Guam, which is home to about 163,000 people and a U.S. military base, just hours after President Donald Trump told the North that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury".
    On the streets of Seoul and Tokyo, some said North Korea's latest provocation doesn't come as real threat as they use that sort of rhetoric often, but others were more concerned about the prospects of war.
    Washington has warned it is ready to use force if needed to stop North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes but that it prefers global diplomatic action, including sanctions. The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday (August 5).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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