(also published in Korea.net: Bridging Peace)
The Dorasan Peace Park has an art installation by Filipino artist, Roger Tibon. It has a small hanging bridge in the middle aptly titled
“Bridging Peace”
The art work’s description says that it “expresses mutual effort and sincere communication that put a bridge of peace and love between brothers”.
The North and South Korea are trying to cross this bridge now with their “mutual effort” and “sincere communication” and the world is looking closely and with a lot of interest. For the sake of world peace, everyone likes to see “a bridge of peace and love between brothers”.
We have every reason to expect more positive and lasting output from this summit. One, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has shown more flexibility than was first expected during the recently concluded 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He sent his own sister, the highest official in Kim Jong-un’s family to set foot on South Korean territory, to be at the event to officially represent North Korea.
Second, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and N.K.’s Leader Kim Jong-un are both new to the negotiation table (the 1st and 2nd summits were represented by N.K. Leader Kim Jong-il and S.K. Presidents Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Roo Moh-hyun in 2007 during their respective terms). Though the younger leader may have displayed some unpredictable and petrifying decisions regarding his nuclear test initiatives, he has recently demonstrated a willingness to sit down and talk and halt these initiatives.
Official activities had been very positive after the Olympics, so far and these have resulted in South Korean officials immediately flying to the United States to deliver the North Korean Leader’s message. And now, the upcoming April summit at the House of Peace at Panmunjeom is putting the Korean peninsula in the center of a major political summit, the outcome of which affects not only the people of the two Koreas but the world as well.
Political observers and ordinary folks like us could only watch and wait, as we had been doing in the past. We just hope that this time, our optimism would not be for naught.
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That’s a very interesting piece of art. And it does seem very relevant to the current situation in the two Koreas. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens between them. Thanks for sharing~
This is an especially relevant piece of artwork at the moment! While I’m still unsure of what the outcome of the current interactions will be, I hope that they will be positive and lasting. I don’t think anything will happen quickly though, but I really hope this is the start of some big changes!
I think it’s happening fast enough:-)… they just announced the denuclearization and destruction of the nuclear site and the North is inviting for it to be witnessed. That’s the main objective plus the formal declaration to end the war. Ohhh.. I just don’t want to destroy my optimism:-).
Looks like you were right, Wendy, our optimism for the April meeting of the two Koreas was not for naught! Friday marked a very historic moment and I think the news and citizens/netizens are still buzzing about it and the future. It is an exciting time to live for sure! Just remembering back in 2009, I left Korea (shortly) due to the unstable nature with the North…
I especially like the smiles coming from the man from the North. It made him more human now because he became “reachable”… and when the 2 leaders held hands… and the video of Pres. Moon obligingly stepping on the North side upon the prodding of the younger Kim… It was uhmmm… heartwarming.
This must be so meaningful especially for happened recently on the joint meeting.
A very timely post! It’s an incredible and hopeful time to be living in South Korea. Praying all turns out well!!
Interesting article, Wendy. Yes, that news is very big here, and I guess since the declaration of an end to the war, we’ll just have to wait and see what the actual results are and what they mean for everyone particularly on the peninsula.