Unfriendly neighbours and people power

WHAT a difference a year makes. Last December, when friends were told I was off to Busan, South Korea, they asked in jest if I was taking the train, in reference to the hit Korean zombie movie.

Last month, I was scheduled to visit Seoul for work. But instead of jokes, family and friends asked rather anxiously if it was safe to visit a country that seemed to be tottering on the edge of war.