Not long after, the scene we had been anticipating begins to unfold.
The presence of government officials, accompanied by military personnel, starts to permeate the town. Their mission is clear: to inform the residents of the government's directive to relocate to Busan, where shelters purportedly await them. The soldiers, armed and vigilant, underscore the seriousness of the order, yet their demeanour suggests a commitment to peace; their weapons are a precaution, not a threat.
As this exodus begins, a surprising number of people emerge from their hiding places and homes. It's a significantly larger crowd than the one drawn out by the traders' last visit. There's a palpable sense of hope among them, a collective belief that this move to Busan might represent the first step back towards a semblance of the normalcy that was lost. The promise of government-built shelters offers a beacon of hope, a tangible goal in a world that has been devoid of such for too long.
