When her teachers cancelled afternoon maths classes because of North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island last month, Yoon Na-ru, a high school student in Seoul, suddenly felt very scared.
Like many young Koreans, the 16-year-old had been sceptical about the government’s account of the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46 sailors. “But this time the North Koreans definitely attacked us. It was a reminder that North Korea is really dangerous and has got bolder,” she says.
Although many South Koreans dismiss the risk of open conflict, Miss Yoon’s fears have been echoed across Seoul. South Koreans are reassessing their perception of the danger posed by Kim Jong-il after being faced with unsettling television pictures of North Korea’s first direct bombardment against civilians since the 1950-53 Korean War.