Platoon 3

Seeing how much the war had affected these young men and women and how they were transformed into entirely different people was pretty shocking. I knew war was brutal but I totally forgot to take into account what toll it takes in civilian life. The movie was rather depressing because it shows promising young men being tortured by their mind and conscience. It showed America's bravest men snorting cocaine and mugging innocent people. But it sends a good message as well. Although it shows the hardships of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder it also shows how good direction and positive reinforcement can turn someones life around. So overall it was an eye-opening movie.

Powerful

This movie was very moving and at the same time it is very depressing. knowing that people are being tortured and murdered right now and nobody can do anything to stop them without getting killed is a saddening thing. I was disgusted to find out that some countries are even helping.overall it makes you feel like we could do moe to help than we are right now

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Reaction to Seoul Train

After watching Seoul Train my initial response to it was that I felt so guilty at how great we have it. Seeing the people trying to escape from their own country made me sick. The fact that a country is so badly governed that one would feel the need to flea is unfathomable to me. When the woman and child were being pried from freedom by grown men, trained soldiers, trained to do such a thing.

Seoul Train

Being a korean, I had no idea that in North Korea people there were so desperate to get out of Korea to go find a better life out side of their country. This documentry really showed me that even though life can seem great when your here, but in other parts of the world it is the exact opposite. People in North Korea are starving and their health was way below avarage than anyone else in the world. Heres a link i found that had the same problems where a government is cruel to their people
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2002/02/25/afghan-refugees-mistreated-exile-afraid-go-home

Seoul Train

I had no clue things were so bad in North Korea. It's crazy to think that there are countries that are still in that kind of condition. You would think that by the 2000s a lot of countries would be in better shape. I know that America is like more "advanced" and better off than a lot of countries, but it was still shocking to see how North Korea is. The Koreans don't really have any rights. I did find it interesting that the North Koreans have an underground railroad too; just like we had in the Civil War.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/all-countries/north-korea/page.do?id=1011213

That movie was pretty brutal, I had no idea that was going on in North Korea. It was frustrating that the Chinese sent the North Korea illegals back to Korea to be tortured and condemned to death.

Watching this video was really eye opening to me. I had no idea all those crucial things were happening. I feel really bad for all the people that have suffered. I don't understand why China won't let the refugees pass through to go to another country. This situation is completely unfair and cruel. After seeing the video I realized how easy Americans have it. I'm really glad I got to see this movie because it taught me a lot.

Seoul Train really opened my eyes to realize that there are still labor/death camps in the world. This makes me feel really grateful to be an American. The biggest problem I saw in the movie was China was shipping North Korean refugees back to North Korea. Their reason for that was due to the fact of international law. I think that is terrible. Wouldn't you think that China would realize that these North Koreans are being shipped back to an imminent death. China should stopped being so ignorant and realize this is an humanitarian crisis. I sure hope that this crisis will end soon.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/all-countries/north-korea/page.do?id=1011213

-Billy Braden

Seoul Train!

The documentary Seoul Train was a very surprising video. It didn't hold anything back. The said what was needed to be said. I enjoyed the video alot because it showed the insights of the activist working with the refugees. And also you got an inside look at actual North Koreans trying to free themselves. The most shocking part was the family trying to cross the border because they looked so innocent and all they wanted was freedom and meant no harm. I am now aware of the problem in North Korea and i wish more people would watch this video and learn that these North Koreans are being treated unfairly. And something more surprising is that this is not the only instance of refugees being treated unfairly, here is a link: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/international/countriesandterritories/iraq/iraqi_refugees/index.html

-Jake Nedza

Seoul Train

In the documentary Seoul Train, there was a lot of crazy things that were happening. People were getting tossed around like rag dolls and anyone who tried to escape was usually caught and could have any punishment, even death. This opened my eyes to what is going on in North Korea and South Korea. It is truly sad. I hope that in the near future we can do something to help out and get them out of this situation. Something has got to change.


http://www.nytimes.com/info/north-korea/

Seoul Train Reaction

Watching the Seoul Train video was definitely an intense experience. Sometimes it seems that living in the US puts us in a little bit of a social bubble. If we are not directly connected in some way to a global problem, we are oblivious to it. In my case, I wasn't completely oblivious to the border and immigration issues in Korea, but I had no clue how terrible it was. Seeing how families will risk their lives even for a small chance at a new life is incredible and definitely makes me more grateful and appreciative of what we have here in the US. Living in a "failed state" is really scary. Watching this video makes me want to do something about the situation in Korea. But, considering government related groups such as the UN have probably tried to step in and not succeeded, I don't know how any group of people not involved in the situation could help.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03nkorea.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

My Reaction

This movie was very depressing and I can't believe I didn't know this was going on. I don't understand why it is such a big deal for the refugees to leave the country. Obviously the government isn't helping them so why is it illegal for them to leave? Also, I think it is ridiculous how China repatriates the North Koreans. They are people too and they certainly aren't being treated that way. One day China is going to look back ask themselves: what kind of people are we? how could we do that to a human being? how could we let that go on for so long?

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=374

Devastated

I was devastated by what the Chinese government was doing to captured run aways, knowing that they would be beaten, raped, and executed, but still sending them back to North Korea to face the punishment. What person with moral standings would let another human being face such a horrendous future? I can still remember the look on the girl's face - distressed and desperate. She was crying while saying, I only want to go to South Korea so I can be free. Watching that, tears sprung into my eyes and I could feel their pain and frustration and hopelessness. I felt like no one was doing anything to help them and I was just so frustrated!When the man said that after 10 years when North Korea is no longer a closed off country, we will go in there and find millions of dead bodies and we will ask ourselves " Why didn't we do anything?" And while he said that, I sensed the truth in his words. Sure, we are balming the government for not doing anything to help North Koreans, but it's our responsibility too. What they do now will only last for one lifetime, barely anytime to solve this crisis. If us students want a change, we have to take the reigns because we will be the ones who are going to decide what happens in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/asia/10koreans.html?pagewanted=all <--- this is pretty interesting stuff.

Seoul Train Reaction

This movie definitely opened my eyes to something I had no idea was even going on in this world. In a way it made me upset to know that this is happening and essentially theres nothing we can really do about it. I always knew North Korea wasn't necessarily a very good place, but i never knew it was to that big of an extent. The one thing I'm confused on is that I don't know how to feel about the people who were attempting to escape. I want to praise them for taking a stand and trying to get themselves and their families away from that situation, but in the back of my mind all I can think is how bad could it possibly be for people to do that knowing that if they are caught they will tortured and beaten until death. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this movie and I got a lot out of it and was able to learn a lot. It feels good knowing that now I am just a little bit more educated on this problem in the world and that I have some background knowledge even though it isn't a topic you want to believe is actually taking place.

Seoul Train Reaction

It was very difficult to watch that movie and not be motivated to write a letter to our government asking "Wht can't we help"? The faces of those people suffering, just trying to get out was very heart-breaking. This movie also taught me to be happier that I live somewhere where getting enough food is not an issue, to be happier I live somewhere where I am not afraid for my life every waking moment. This movie teaches you what you should be thankful for. Freedom and food. Two very simple ideas made possible to us in the US, but that is not the case for the North Koreans. As previously stated the movie made me want to get up and do something! Maybe I will. Even one baby step can help.
The link I found was about the watch on North Korean military:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5j9_vM79-k

This movie was very hard to watch considering i had no idea what to expect. I did not realize that the situation was bad as it was shown in the video. Realizing what was going on in this country made me go on youtube and watch other videos about the terrible situation. In the video they mentioned the tunnels that the North Koreans built but were later found by a South Korean Farmer. What really surprised me throughout the movie is how everyone who tried to get out ended up getting arrested and having to go back to North Korea. Many of them had great determination to get out and even if they knew they were going to get arrested they still gave it a try.

http://www.nytimes.com/info/north-korea/

This movie was very hard to watch. It is so sad to see what the people of North Korea have to go through everyday of their lives. It is the 21st century and yet things like that are still continuing to happen. The people in the movie risked their lives just to escape the horrors of their country. It is so great to see that there are people out there that notice the cruelty and they try to improve the situation by helping out others despite the harsh consequences. I think it's important for people to be educated and informed about things like that. Hopefully as time goes by peoply will begin to act on a bigger scale to save these innocent people.

Anti-Freedom?

My "favorite" and I use that term loosely , part of the Seoul train video was the protest they shot in Warszaw Poland , partially because I'm polish and I understood what wasn't translated into English . Also I understand why things like this matter in my country . We were once refugees too many fleeing through Germany to France , a lot like North Korea through China into Mongolia . Recently my friend asked me why I care about what happens outside of the US , she thought it was stupid that we HAD to learn about this because "It's not like affects us." and people wonder why the world thinks Americans are snobby and ignorant. It affects us all , countries in Europe are more interconnected with world events world history and current world events are a mandatory class . It's something you are tested on before you can graduate people know more , reach out more simply because they know they've been in those situations before and feel the need to help the people who are going through what they've been through.

I felt like I was watching a modern version of WW2 concentration camp refugees.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-north-korea.html

Seoul Train Reaction

This movie was extremly overwhelming, to see what good people have to go through everyday reall opens your eyes to see how good we really have it. We take for granted what some people never get to fully experience. It was good to see that some people actually took charge and attempted to take a stand and escape. I waqs hoping they would have been able to escape, but they were atleast brave enough to try to and thats enough. All in all, i really liked this movie for a couple reasons, it opened my eyes to how good I have it and it was a good movie.

Seoul Train Reaction.

It was morbid and sad to say the least.Especially since most of the stories were about failed escape attempts with many pictures of results from brutal punishment.I freaked out a little bit during the scene of the Han-mi part when the chinese guards tackled the mom and kid to the ground.

Seoul Train Reaction

I thought it was shocking. I knew it wasn't the best place in the world but I never thought it was that bad. I felt horrible for all of the lower class, who risk their lives to get across the border, so that they may have the most basic of human rights. The fact the the country doesn't give food often to the lower class people was shocking to know. It was extremely sad to watch the children pick bits of food off the muddy ground. It was sad to know how much suffering there is in North Korea.

Here is the link I found about people who are starving in North Korea and how China views the people escaping to their country:
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt05/2005_7_refugees.php

Seoul Train Reaction

To be completely honest, I really didn't have any clue that this kind of stuff was still going on in the world. I knew that North Korea wasn't the best place, but the stuff that is still going on there after all this time is incredible. I don't know how they get away with what they are doing to these people. It was so sad to watch this and know that nobody has been able to make a difference even thought they have tried so hard. The North Korean people deserve help more than anyone. They are human and they are being treated inhumanely. Children should not be eating crumbs off of the mud and parents should not have to watch their children live as bad of a life as they had. It's just sick and wrong. I hope that someday someone will figure this out and North Korea will not have to live with this evil.

This is an article I found on from Time magazine about the North Korean people and their attempts to escape.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,131024,00.html

Seoul Train Reaction

Watching this video personally made me rethink how lucky i am not haling to worry about getting food or getting beaten if I go to jail. I was also appalled by the fact that China would not help the refugees that came to them for help, but instead sending them back to North Korea where they know they will be putt in jail and beaten or worse for trying to leave the country. I cant understand how people like us or China could just stand by while these innocent people are begging for food and are constantly being watched and having absolutely no freedom to do what they please. I also dont like how authoritative it is a country cant just be run by one leader something clearly needed to be done. It is not ok when almost everyone that lives there is trying to flee the country and hundreds of people are starving and dying.

Seoul Train reaction

watching this video made me realize how lucky we are to live in a place like this. Seeing little kids looking for food off the ground, made me realize how not only me, but the whole U.S. lives in a bubble. It's shocking to see that I had no idea that something this bad was going on in the world. Someone in the world needs to step up and help the North Koreans that are in need for help.


http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/08/20/life/srv0000008825568.txt

Reaction to Seoul Train

This video shocked me as we were watching it. I though it was so sad to see what happened to all of these people when all they wanted was freedom. Its crazy to know that Americans don't have to face any issues like these. We don't realize how terrible it is to be in other countries. When we were watching the video, the most surprising thing to me was all of the children that were eating food off of the ground. It made me feel terrible about myself. I always complain about what my mom is making for dinner, or I never eat it all. These kids haven't even gotten a meal in who knows how long. I think something needs to be done about all of this. If they want freedom, they should be able to have that right.

http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/

Seoul Train Reaction

The video "Seoul Train" shocked me. The fact that the Chinese government would deport helpless refugees back to North Korea, back into certain punishment, with the excuse that they are economic immigrants is ludicrous. Just by talking to the refugees, they would find out the oppression and hardships the refugees went through back home and see that they are not escaping into China simply to earn better money. Joel Charny from Refugees International traveled to China to interview North Korean immigrants and this copy of his speech to the Congressional-Executive Commision on China provides more information about the state of North Korean refugees in China. http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/nk-ref-report.pdf
But the part that was the most shocking was the episode of the MoFA Seven. These seven people were not doing anything illegal. In fact, instead of trying to stay in China "illegally" or journey through to Mongolia, Laos or Vietnam they were trying to go through the official channels to attain refugee status. The government could have handled it so much better by simply granting them refugee status. This would encourage more North Koreans to go through the MoFA and reduce deportation of "illegal" immigrants, not only being humanitarian, but also reducing the criticism that the UN and various world governments are heaping on them.