After hearing news that the United States was planning to deploy additional long-range bombers and an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, Mr. Kim, 34, who lives in Astoria, Queens, quickly called his family in Korea. “I wake up numerous times during the night thinking about a possible outbreak of war in the Korean Peninsula,” said Kim. He also expressed his anxiety about the possible war against Iraq.

With the war on Iraq seeming more and more imminent, especially after Secretary of State Colin Powell’s address to the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5, the anxiety among the Korean-American community seems to have risen.

The Korean-American community is worried about the negative impact of the possible war on an already stagnant economy, coupled with concerns about the escalating nuclear crisis with North Korea.

As a result, international calls to Korea have suddenly increased during the evening hours; relatives are inquiring about the well-being of family members living in Korea. In extreme cases, anxiety-ridden Koreans are seeking psychiatric treatment.

Shin, who has invested in the technology sector said, “Stock prices are already in a slump and if the war begins I will be penniless. I’m unable to focus on work and I have lost my appetite and am seeing a doctor for this condition.”

Suk-Joo Kim, chairman of the Korean American Association of Greater New York, said, “The war with Iraq and the North Korean nuclear crisis is causing a lot of concern in an already tough business environment for Korean businesses.” Chairman Kim added, “To lessen the Korean community’s concerns, The Korean American Association of Greater New York is urging U.S. government officials to reach a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis.”