Some members of the Penn State student community are still feeling shock waves from North Korea's Oct. 9 nuclear weapon test.
Charley Yang (senior-journalism) is one of many students who has close ties to the region. Yang's first reaction to the news, he said, was that of disbelief.
"I was so shocked," he said. "All of my family is in Korea."
While news outlets reported the blast was minor, Yang said he didn't see why the size of the blast mattered.
"It's a small country. Even a small nuke would do lots of damage," he said.
Not only does Yang have family in the region, but he also has many friends currently serving in the South Korean military, he said. He spoke to one friend shortly after the news of the blast was released to the public.
"A friend called me and said that North Korea just tested the bomb," he said. Confused about what would happen in the future, his friend told him to "be safe and take care," Yang said.
The recent alleged nuclear test carried out by North Korea has many countries in the region debating what to do about a possible newly nuclear neighbor. Responses range from a Japanese ban on North Korean imports and a ban on North Korean ships in Japanese ports to China's endorsement of limited sanctions, the Associated Press reported.
Other students with ties to the area expressed less concern about the recent test. Kyung Chae (freshman-electrical engineering) was not overly worried about a nuclear North Korea.
"I think North Korea is just trying to scare people around and hopefully get something out of it like they have been doing for many years," he said. "I just feel sad for North Koreans."
Chae said North Korea's most recent provocation was nothing new.
"Lots of things happen between the Koreas. The North gets benefits and doesn't care about the reactions," he said.
The Associated Press reported that North Korean troops in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas have been more boldly trying to provoke guards on the other side since Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, claimed to have detonated a nuclear bomb, a U.S. military spokesman said.
Another student following the events unfolding near her native country is Erica Kim (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management), president of the Penn State University Korean Undergraduate Student Association (KUSA) and a native of Seoul, South Korea.
"When I first heard about [the test], I was worried because my family is living in Seoul," she said.
Kim said KUSA would wait to see what happens and possibly host a debate on the subject in the future.
Despite the recent events taking place near her home in Seoul, Kim said she still plans to visit this winter. She said although many younger Koreans are scared as she first was, "most people my age are not as concerned because we've been through so much before."
