The Korean People - Part III (The 50 Year Standoff between the North and the South)

In Part II of this series, I briefly mentioned the relationship between the North and the South. As a result of Korea's (as a whole) Confucian way of life, the country has been loyal and hopeful of their severed family's return (regardless of the North's misconception).

In Part III, I'll be discussing the peculiarities of the North-South standoff.

I recently made a trip to the border between North Korea and South. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) really is peculiar. While thousands of visitors to the South file into the depths of the tunnels hollowed out by North Korean emissaries, another thousand North Korean and South Korean soldiers stand with grave solemnity and military rifles pointed at each other.

After Korea was divided in two (The North with the Communists and the South with the Capitalists), the 38th parallel became one of the most heavily armed areas in the world - and has been so for over fifty years now. In those fifty years, the South (Republic of Korea - ROK) has discovered a number of tunnels that have reached unbelievably close to Seoul. In these tunnels, ROK soldiers found dynamite lodged into the walls. When confronted about this breach in agreement, the North replied that these tunnels were rich in coal - they were simply mining for natural resources. Later, ROK soldiers found that the stone in these tunnels were painted black. Now, tourists from all over the world can see the holes where dynamite was placed, see the paint on stone, and even drink fresh DMZ spring water in the tunnels.

Above these tunnels, a large "camoflauged" military lookout was built - mainly for tourists. On a clear day, it's possible to see "the largest flag pole in the world" with a North Korean flag on top. It's also possible to see a propoganda village where there are normal houses, soccer fields, and people riding on their bicycles - much of which was probably paid for by the South Korean government.

Amidst this severance between the two countries, there is a significant and hopeful point of unification along the border - Dorasan Station. This subway station was disconnected after the Korean War. It was recently reconnected in hopes of better relations between the North and the South.

Not only is the opening of this station a sign of peaceful relations between the two countries, Korean companies are investing more in North Korea.

While these might be signs that North Korea will open its borders, there are still doubts that the two countries will be unified any time in the near future.