Catt – Settling In

Well, my first 3 days at school and first 4 days in Gyeongju are under my belt.  I spent most of my time at school planning and have got about 4 weeks worth of lesson plans done already!  I successfully took the bus both to and from school today, which feels awesome.  I ride the (public) bus with some of my students, which is strange, but I’m getting used to it. 

I still don’t know my way around town yet so I’m chilling at home tonight.  I still have a lot of unpacking to do so I’m good with it.  I need some time to unwind too.  There was a meet up happening somewhere downtown tonight but I decided not to go, mainly cause I’m terrified of getting lost on the way either there or back. 

So some things that went well today – giving and getting gifts.  I finally remembered to bring my gifts for my principal, vice-principal and co-teachers to school today.  Mostly they were extremely grateful.  All the gifts were Chicago related things like key chains and pens saying “I love Chicago”.  In return I received many thanks and even a pen and a chocopie!  Haha  Chocopies are like crack here.  They are a chocolate snack with yellow cake and marshmallow.  One teacher even gave me some seaweed paper.  Apparently it goes really good with rice.  I haven’t tried it yet but am looking forward to it.

So the students so far seem pretty cool.  Their English levels are all over the place, which will prove to be difficult I think.  I mostly have some games planned for the next few weeks until I can figure out what their levels are and get to know them.  I have next to no materials, besides books, which seems odd to me.  I need to ask about a materials budget. 

Yesterday I went to get my alien registration card and opened a bank account.  I still have to learn how to make deposits and transfer money home.  We (Sunny and I) also went to Costco.  It was amazing.  It just felt nice to be somewhere somewhat familiar.  They have a lot of similar products like in America, but with an Asian twist of course.  Like lots of rice.  Some things were rather expensive, like a small Brita filter was $39,900 won.  (About $40). 

Anywho, please leave some questions or comments below!  I would love to share more but don’t even know where to start, some questions to guide me would be great.  Love you all! 

Talk to you later!  <3

Dan - Orientation Part 2

Here's part 2!

The field trip was on Friday, August 23rd. We went to Jeonju Hanok Village in our city of Jeonju. It is mostly a historical site with over 800 traditional Korean houses. It contains a small factory where they make traditional Korean Paper (used for walls of the houses and armor), traditional Korean Papercraft, traditional Korean drums and a traditional Korean downpour of rain.

Goddamn it!

The morning walk was tough, but it cleared up by lunchtime. Most of the morning was actually spent at the elementary school in the area, where we were led around by Korean students aged 4th through 6th grade. It was very exciting to get a little taste of the teaching we'll be doing. But the highlight of the trip? You'll find out soon!

Pictured: The Highlight of the Trip

Bibimbap. If you're curious what traditional Korean food is like, here you go. It usually costs between 8000-10000 won ($8-$10) in a restaurant and is delicious. It's served on a bed of warm rice and topped with many different seasoned veggies and chili pepper paste. Sometimes meat or egg is added. It can be served cold or on a hot bowl, but you should always go with hot because the rice at the bottom cooks itself into fried rice. You serve it like it look above, but you eat it by mixing it up with chopsticks. Then you stuff yourself. It's the best thing I have eaten here so far and I can't wait to have more.

The lesson presentation was our final project of sorts for orientation. We and two other group members worked on a 40 minute lesson condensed into 15 (The 25 minutes were time for student discussion or game time). Donna, Dom and I worked on a lesson about shopping in which the students practiced how to buy items from a store. There were skits, worksheets, games and some fun. It reminded me a lot of my college days at Aurora University. 

The closing ceremony was the last thing we had to do at Jeonju. It was held in a large tent by the track on the back of campus. There was a massive buffet, performance by the K-Pop class and several videos showcasing our time there. 

My Plate. Yes that is a octopus tentacle.

Our Class President, Jenny, accepting the certificate for Class 6.

My class, Class 6. We called ourselves Hot Six based on a Korean energy drink and oh god I just realized when we were yelling out "HOT SIX!" people might have heard "HOT SEX"

After a last night in the bars and a good night's rest we got on the buses to our respective cities. Next post will detail my first week!

Catt - Whoa

Day 1 - 

Culture shock is a funny idea.  Don’t get me wrong, its very real.  But for me, I think it should be renamed to “culture paralysis”.  I can’t seem to move without freaking out and freezing up.

So today I came to Gyeongju, my home for the next year.  I met my lovely co-teacher (sort of, don’t worry, I’ll explain that later) and her younger brother.  They drove me from Gumi, where the bus dropped me off, to my apartment.  Thank God the building has an elevator because I had 3 heavy bags and am living on the 4^th floor, the highest in the building. 

We talked the whole way here about this and that.  I enjoyed seeing some more of the countryside and all of the mountains.  I can’t seem to get over how beautiful the mountains are here. 

My apartment is a studio.  I have a sliding door separating the kitchen though which it nice.  I am also living in a brand, spankin’ new building.  Its actually still under construction.  The landlord said it should be completed within 2 weeks though.  I have a small TV and stand, a cabinet with drawers for clothing and a washer.  The washer is located in a small room off the main room, I have no dryer.  The hanging rack is located on the ceiling, I pull a cord to lower it and such.  The bathroom is the smallest I have even been in.  There is a western style toilet, THANK GOD, and a sink.  The shower is literally the bathroom.  No tub, no curtain, no nothing.  The showerhead is one that I can pick up and use, but it is located to the left of the sink by the toilet.  So yeah, haven’t tried that out yet but it should be interesting.

The kitchen is also VERY tiny.  I have no counter space at all.  I wish I was kidding.  The sink is huge, then to the right of it is a dish draining area and to the right of that is the stove.  I have a stove, no oven.  The fridge and all the appliances are brand new, I’m still pulling tape and plastic off of them. 

Notice one thing I didn’t mention yet?  Here’s a hint – a bed.

Ok, bad hint, that kind of gave it away.  I HAVE NO BED.  WTF?!  My co-teacher, who isn’t actually my co-teacher, said I might get one in a month.  For now, I am sleeping on blankets on the floor in the corner of the room.  The blankets are ones the teacher before me left, don’t worry, they’ve been washed. 

So now to the co-teacher situation.  I basically don’t really have one.  The woman who picked me up today described her job as her being my “manager” of sorts.  She will help me in and out of school when I need it, but will not be teaching with me ever.  I am teaching high school grades 1 and 2 (freshmen and sophomore) and she teaches grade 3.

Oh, and my high school?  It’s an all boys school.  That is Christian oriented.  I mean come on people. 

I’m sorry if I seem to be ranting and pissed off, but that’s because I am.  It’s easier to be angry than sad, which I what I’m really feeling right now.  I’m alone and in a new frigging country halfway around the world.  I’m scared out of my tiny, little mind right now.

There are some great things that happened today, like her taking me to the grocery store and out to dinner.  The fact that the former teacher left a few things behind for me too is amazing.  Overall, I am very lucky.

That’s all for now.  I need to take my clothes out of the wash to dry and get my ass to bed.  I actually start school tomorrow, yay me!  (Not.)  The kids won’t be there but it will be time for me to meet the other teachers and lesson plan.  Gotta be up and outta here by 7:40.  I miss you all dearly and promise to try and be in a better mood next time.  I love you.

Talk to you later! 

Day 2 (August 28th) –

Today went slightly better than yesterday.  I’m starting to feel more settled and acclimated.  I went to school today with my manager, Sunny.  She picked me up today but I have to take a bus tomorrow.  That should be interesting. 

I feel like such a baby.  I know nothing and need someone to hold my hand on just about everything.  I cannot communicate except with a few English teachers at my school and just about everything makes me cry, or at least want to.

Today I spent all day lesson planning at the school.  I don’t actually start teaching until next week which is nice.  I stayed in my classroom by myself mostly.  Sunny thought I would be most comfortable there.  It is a huge classroom.  Much bigger than a US high school classroom I think.  I have my own computer and printer.  The computer is of course all in Korean though, so using Microsoft Office on it has been interesting and the internet always sends me to the Korean version of websites.  So I have to put “in English” into all my searches. 

The school, as I said before, is all boys and Christian.  They pray a lot.  I just kind of sit there being polite and saying amen when everyone else does.  I met some students today, they all seemed genuinely interested in meeting me which was cool.  Their English is better than I expected.  One boy even said to me “you are so pretty”, haha.  Of course, at this point I feel like I need introductions all over again.  SO MANY NAMES AND FACES!!!  The teachers are all very nice too.  My manager said that they all liked me by my first impression which is great.   

So yeah, today was just basically a whirl wind of faces, names, trying not to offend anyone with my Western manners (there is a right and wrong way to shake hands here among other things) and lesson planning.  I am in slightly better spirits tonight.  I can’t wait to have internet though, its driving me nuts not having it.  I am unpacked enough to find clothes for school and this weekend but have no clue where to put most of it.  The “closet” is very small.  I am still living out of suitcases for now. 

Well I want to shower and get my butt to bed.  This whole experience has left me exhausted.  I love you all!

Talk to you later!

Dan - Orientation Part 1

Sorry for the delay, things have been extremely hectic. The good news is that we have a multitude of stories, knowledge and experiences to share during our first week in Korea!

To review, our first interaction with the EPIK program in Korea is orientation. Orientation is a 10 day experience that is required to anyone teaching through the EPIK program in Korea. Half of the intake teachers (like us!) are placed in Jeonju University in Jeonju, which is about 3 hours south of Seoul. The aim is to get us acquainted with not only Korean culture and customs, but to prepare us for teaching in terms of educational philosophy and classroom management. It's also a great place to meet people from all over the world.

Catt and I arrived in Korea on a Sunday afternoon in Incheon International Airport (an airport that didn't exist 12 years ago; Korea Bali Bali!). It was humid and foggy but the sights of Dunkin Donuts, Jamba Juice and Bennigans (really?) helped to paint our first impressions of Korea. IIA is located on the island of Incheon, which is about 45 minutes west of Seoul. With six suitcases between us and assorted backpacks we got plenty of stares (and a laughing old guy who made a "Woo!" noise as we stepped off the elevator with all this in tow).

Incheon Internation Airport. They had a Bennigans. I know, I'm confused as you.

Our recruiter picked us up at the airport and took us on a shuttle to the Parkwood hotel, where we met our first fellow EPIK teachers. Many of them were as well traveled as us, and most even more. A surprising amount of couples (10-12 out of 20) were there as well. We exchanged stories over dinner, a noodle and shellfish dish that was provided for us by our recruiter.

The next morning, bright and early, we made way to the shuttle bus back to the airport. I made my first cultural faux pas there at breakfast. In Korea, food goes in a separate disposal bin than the garbage and I committed the cardinal sin by mixing the two. The look of horror on the poor hotel clerk's face is something that I will see whenever I close my eyes.

So yes, from the Parkwood hotel in Incheon to Incheon International Airport to the bus to my home for the next ten days: Jeonju. After 3 hours and a rest stop in the side of a mountain where I bought this AMAZING fish shaped ice cream sandwich with honey inside. When we arrived at Jeonju University we got our first big pleasant surprise from the EPIK staff. It went something like this.

"Welcome to Jeonju University! Pick up your name tag here, it is in alphabetical order. Go to this table to receive your room number and medical assignment."
"Thanks!"
Doot a doot da do.
"Hello room number people!"
"Hello! Do you have any special requests for your room?"
"Actually, yes! We're a couple, but were not married. Is it ok if we have the same room?"
"Oh yes, we can do that.!"
"Radical!"

Picture unrelated.

Yup. Catt and I, thankfully, got to stay in the same room for orientation on the couples floor with all the married folk. It was nice because we were put into separate classes and basically only saw each other during meals and the walks to and from classes (One again, I am in Daegu, a city of 3 million people in the middle south of the country. Catt is in Gyeongbuk, a province that surrounds Daegu. The classes were based on our location). It was a double edged sword; we didn't get to see each other as much but always came back each night with new experiences and friends to talk about.

The first night was lax, with us dropping off our luggage in our dorm and exploring the town a little. The second day was the opening ceremony and campus tour. It was pretty impressive. The ceremony started with a Taekwondo presentation. Flying kicks, breaking boards and inspector gadget music. It was extremely entertaining. There were speeches from Jeonju University's president and VP, as well as a very well-spoken Walter Foreman with a great speech introducing us to Korea. 

He broke the left board, but missed the right. Nobody told him because our jaws were  still firmly on the floor.

From there we settled into a fairly even routine. Breakfast in the morning at 7:30. Classes from 9 to 12. Lunch until 2. Classes from 2 until 6. Dinner until Language classes at 7:20. We get out at 8:30 and our day is done, unless we wanted to go out to many of the local bars (Many of which of whom were putting up "Welcome EPIK teacher" signs). 

Let's do a play by play.

Meals were for the most part, pretty good. Rice, Kimchi and Salad were always a staple, no matter if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner. The salad dressings they had were fantastic. My favorite was kiwi dressing and strawberry dressing, but there was orange, oriental, thousand island, sesame, peach, and the mysterious 'white' dressing. The food fell into two categories for the most part: very spicy or a little bland. Apparently they aren't too big on salt here. There were several spicy meat dishes that I very much loved, as well as a veggie pancake that I couldn't get enough of. I'm being told that real Korean food is much better, but honestly? Jeonju University cafeteria isn't too bad. Everything was eaten with metal chopsticks, spoons, and tiny tiny cups. I learned my lesson about where to throw away my discarded food. 

A typical cafeteria meal. (Hi Donna!)

Classes were surprisingly interesting. They ranged from classroom management to lesson planning to introduction to korean schools to life in korea to creating powerpoint games to korean culture to understanding the cultural workplace to basic korean phrases to Taekwondo classes... You know what? I was surprised. I went into orientation thinking I wouldn't learn much and it would only be good for meeting people. I certainly met people, but the classes were all very interesting in their own way. They were excellently paced and provided invaluable insight into our future year in Korea. Most of the classes were taught by former or current EPIK teachers themselves. 

My teachers, Ellie (left) and Song (right). They were fantastic.

After Taekwondo. This picture shows the people I spent most of my time with.

Not pictured: A poor girl slipping in a puddle of my sweat off camera.

The weather was exactly like this.

The people were really great. I expected most of them to be the stereotypical expat teacher who didn't care about teaching and just wanted to travel, but honestly? I met dozens upon dozens of the 350 future teachers at Jeonju and those who would fall under that category I can count on one hand. They were from the US, UK, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada. They were extremely nice, willing to share their life stories and were genuinely excited and nervous to be teaching. Special shout out to my new friends: Nick, Chelsea, Rosa, Dana, Donna, Matthew, Josh, Jason, John, Jake, Maria, Julia, Kyle and everyone else I'm forgetting. 

Continued in Part 2. 

Bedtime for Dan, can't write anymore! EPIK Staff, Field Trip and Impressions about Korea next!

Catt - Observations

I've been making quite a few observations since arriving.  I'm not trying to be judgmental or negative, they are just observations.  I know to keep my mind open and to go with the flow, which I am doing.  But here's a few things I've noticed so far...

- Hills.  And tons of them.  I guess I'm used to Illinois and is flatness.  I can't wait to have time to take some pictures to share with you all.

- Metal chopsticks.  OMG, they are so much harder to hold too!  I had finally learned how to use the wooden ones pretty well and then this through me for a whole new loop!

- Small cups.  America does do everything bigger I guess.

- The buildings all look relatively similar.  There is not a lot of variation among the high rises I've seen so far.  Someone described it as looking like a prison cell block, haha.

- Cars.  I thought they would be smaller like in Europe but they drive pretty good sized cars here.  Nothing as big as the US sized SUV's though.  And they drive on the right side of the road like in the US too.

- Not too many suburbs.  At least that I've discovered yet.  They all seemed to be city's and such.

- Lots of green.  There are trees everywhere.

- Rocky sidewalks.  And they are bumpy too.  It was hard to walk on in flip flops yesterday.

- The people are very nice!  :-)

- PC Cafe's.  There were 5 in like a 3 block radius that we noticed yesterday.  

Well that's about it for now.  It's been so fun to notice the differences and similarities between here and home.  I'm sure that there are plenty more but for now these are the ones that have stood out to me the most.

Talk to you later!  <3

Catt - Hello from 32,000 feet! (Kind of)

-  As I write this, I am about 3 1/2 hours into my 14 hour flight.  It's not too bad so far.  Asiana has great service.  First thing they did was give out slippers.  My feet thanked them.  Then we got headphones and hot towels to wash our hands with before eating.

So far we've had lunch.  Dan and I chose to have the traditional Korean meal they offered.  It was beef with mixed veggies and rice.  It was served cold which was a little strange to me.  I can't remember what the dish was called.  It started with “Bi” though.  It came with fish soup and Kimchi of course.  I chose not to eat the Kimchi though, I haven't worked my taste bud guts up to that yet.

Right now we are flying over Canada.  We're making an upward arc that will take us above Canada, Alaska and a little part of Russia.  (Dad, I waved to Sarah Palin just for you.  :-P )The sky is clear with a beautiful view of some very nice lakes.

The plane itself is kind of “old school”.  I guess what I mean by old school is that the plane itself seems older.  Its a B 777-200.  It is arranged 3 seats-3 seats-3 seats.  Dan and I have a middle and an aisle seat toward the back of the plane.  He was kind enough to give up the aisle seat for me though.  :-)  The plane does have small TV screens in the back of the seats in front of us.  It has a wide selection of TV shows, movies (Asian and American), music and even games.    

At the airport we ran into several other EPIKers as I call them.  One we knew previously from the Chicago get together we went to.  Many we met for the first time.  All were from the Midwest.  I was glad to find out that many had just graduated like me.  And it turns out I wasn't the only one with problems getting my diploma from the school!  Though my story seems to be the worst so far.  (I mean seriously, I attend your institution for 5 years and then you spell my name wrong on my diploma?  Come on.)

Well, they're closing the shades and turning down the lights.  I'm gonna attempt at some shuteye.  Its about 4pm Chicago time but 6am Seoul time.  We'll land about 4pm their time in Seoul but 2am Chicago time.  Yikes.  So yeah, I best get some rest.  I'll write more later after some other interesting things develop.  Cause you know, 14 hours on a plane is just rivited with drama.  ;-)



-  14 hour flights are no joke.  My legs and back hurt like crazy.  Yes I've been getting up periodically but the space is limited even then.  No sleep yet either.  I watched a movie instead.  Nothing too great.
Right now we are about to cross the international date line.  I kind of picture this line that goes through the air like a rainbow.  And that there will be Skittles and unicorns on the other side.  Just kidding.
I forgot to mention before, I would recommend Asiana to anyone flying to Asia.  They have been very nice so far.  They checked not one, not two but three bags for me.  The only reason they charged me was that one was overweight.  But yeah, they let me check my third bag, my carry on, for free.  The flight attendants are also very nice.    

So I have a question for everyone.  Whats the easiest way to learn the metric system?  I know that for degrees you have to triple the Celcius and minus 9 or something.  But as far as distance, height and weight, I could use some tips.  I know I could look it up online, but getting ideas from you all is more fun.

Anywho, I'm not sure what else to write about for now.  We're about halfway through the flight.  Dan is playing on his 3DS and I've got my September issue of Vouge to keep me company.  :-)
And btw – shout outs to Dad and Kevin for providing us with neck pillows.  They are life savers.  And another shout out to Kathy (Dan's mom) for the snacks.  The gum has really helped my ears.  <3



-  Well, we have arrived!  We sit in our little hotel room finally showered (or bathed.  The bath had a shower head but no curtain, so you kind of had to crouch and do a little dance to wash your hair) and catching up on lost and very missed internet time.  Dinner is in about an hour and a half.  Educon is putting it on for all of us who arrived today.  After that its bedtime for this tired girl.  I don't think I slept but for maybe an hour.  Check below for in flight photos.  (Sorry Dad, I didn't get one with a flight attendant.)  Tomorrow we head back to the airport to take our 3 hour bus ride to the university we'll call home for the next 10 days during orientation.  That's all for now folks!

나중에 얘기해요!   

Photo of our plane!  (It was the best angle I could get.)

Happy to finally be off to S. Korea!

Our in flight progress and picture of the route the plane took.

Tired after 13 hours on the plane.  Ugh.

Dan - My Top Ten Things I Want to Experience in Korea

One week left! At this point all the paperwork is filed, the red tape is cut through, bags are packed and we are counting down the hours until the plane leaves (Saturday, 8/17 at noon CST if you're curious). What now? Start a bucket list of things to do in Korea, of course! Here is what I want to accomplish and/or experience while I'm there for the year. Some of this information may be incorrect, I'm going off random tidbits I've heard online so please correct me if something's off!

1: Internet Speeds

Yeah, I am a total nerd. South Korea is one of the most wired countries in the world and has an incredible internet speed in comparison to the rest of the world. Couple that with the fact that there is at least 3G service ANYWHERE and this could be very dangerous to my wired-in lifestyle. Standing on top of a mountain? No problem. Fifty feet underground on the subway? We got service. Now let's just see if my hard drive space can keep up with everything I'll be downloading.

2: Seoul

Seoul, South Korea. A megacity with a population of over ten million. Fourth largest economic powerhouse city in the world. It's probably the closest to a cyberpunk city we have today, with a plethora of neon signs that dance across the night sky. Apparently things to do in Seoul could constitute a top ten list on its own, so we will leave it at that.

3: DMZ

The border between North and South Korea is practically regarded a tourist destination in today's times. There are groups that take you through various parts of history encompassed by the Korean War: The room where the cease-fire was signed, the tunnels underneath the two countries and much more. Not only will it will likely be my only chance to see North Korean land and citizens with my own eyes, but I can actually set foot in the room and technically be on North Korean soil.

I probably won't be doing what this guy did though.

4: Beaches in Busan

Busan is one of the bigger cities in Korea and will be a short train ride from my home city of Daegu (1-1.5 hours). Busan is a shipping city known primarly for it's ports and seaside tourism. The beaches are beautiful and are the best place to swim in the country.

On a side note, apparently Koreans are very skiddish about showing too much skin on the beach. Boys rarely go shirtless and girls typically have something over their bikini. Thought this was a funny anecdote.

5: Martial Arts

I've only got four years experience of martial arts, but I'm excited to continue overseas. The two big ones are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, of which I'm sure there will be plenty of schools (Dojangs) in Daegu. My prior sensei in the US has been so generous as to reach out to a few of his contacts in this part of the world. From what I understand most Korean teachers enjoy the challenge of teaching a foreigner and consider it a great honor, as it is a rarity. Let's just hope the more traditional schools don't kick my butt too much.

6: Hiking around Daegu

My soon-to-be home city of Daegu is located in the basin of several mountains; each complete with a plethora of trails that run throughout the wilderness. It'll remind me of my boy scout days all over again.

7: Ordering Delivery

Korea delivers. 3am and you're craving pizza? There will be a delivery boy ringing your buzzer in a half hour. What about if you're craving McNuggets? McDonalds will put a employee on a back and it'll be over in ten. What if you're not at home? What if you're in your classroom? The beach? No problem, Korean capitalism will take care of it for you.

8: Seoraksan National Park

Korea's largest national park must be a sight to behold. Home to over 1500 different species of animal and 60 square miles of forest. Seems like a fun place to spend the day hiking around!

9: Everland Theme Park

Korea's biggest amusement park is almost a celebration of global relations; taking inspiration from countries and cultures all over the world. There's a section called "America Adventure" where I can relive my American experiences in the Wild West and Rock N Roll. Yee-hah!

10: Teaching!

I am so excited to get back into teaching after two years. It really has been too long and the fact that I will doing it with a whole other culture means worlds to me. The challenge will be wonderful and the memories will be incredible.

I already found some ideas!

Honorable Mention.

The Toilet Theme Park, though I hear it's kinda crappy.

Dan - The Big Elephant in the Room

Dan here. When Catt and I told everyone about our initial decision to teach in South Korea, we were met with two reactions. Either excited expressions of joy, or a worried glance with gritted teeth. As if we had just told them we were going to go surfing in an active volcano on a board made of ice. Not exactly the reaction we had hoped for, but in fairness it was back in April at the height of a certain world leader's temper tantrum.

To be blunt, this is nothing new for North Korea to be doing. And it's nothing for us to worry about. The people of South Korea certainly aren't.

The history of the two Koreas dates back all the way back to WW2, in which Japan invaded Korea and a part of China known as Manchuria. When Japan lost the war, Manchuria was returned back to China but Korea was split into two: The North and the South. North Korea, assisted by Kim Il-Sung was developed into a communist state, friendly with China and Russia. The South adapted a democratic state and was assisted by the US and Europe.

In 1950, North Korea invaded the south in hopes of unification. Even with the assistance of Russia and China, the North couldn't break the South and their allies. This created much tension between the two states, though in this day and age many Koreans feel a sense of remorse for their families across the borders and have a pipe dream of unification; even if the logistics are more than depressing.

What happens after the Korean war imitated the global scale of the Cold War. The South adapted capitalism and became the country with the 15th highest GDP in the world. The North struggled and as a result, their problems are numerous.

Satellite image of Korea at night taken within the last few years. 

The North Korean military is large, but they have no technology to back it up. They have no air force or functional navy to think of. And they know it. Their current leader, Kim Jong-Un was educated in Switzerland and is fully aware of North Korea's place in the world. He knows a direct war with the South, backed up by US forces, would practically be suicide. But he was practically born into a starving, failing country and occasionally must flex what military muscles he has to appease his citizens. Thus, there have been several small disputes that make the US news over the past decades. There will likely be more when we are over there. It's a normal part of the South Korean life, and you would be hard pressed to find any South Korean citizen who takes them seriously anymore.

Why make a trillion when we could make... billions? 

To further illustrate the Looney Tunes level of villainy North Korea is capable of, there were several tunnels into South Korea from the north discovered in the 70s. When discovered, North Korea turned face and claimed they were all coal mines. To help their story, the walls were painted black. South Korea was not easily fooled.

To yes, to summarize. Our USA media is a bunch of fear-mongering and there is no chance North Korea would last in an outright war with South Korea. They realize this, but to appease their citizens there are often displays of power that piss the rest of the world off. There will likely be more when we are over there, but trust us when what you see on the news is more worrying than what we're experiencing over there. Most of South Korea won't even notice.

And I will still consider them to be the funniest evil dictatorship today.

Though South Korea does have a pretty rocking military themselves.