DMZ Museum: From symbol of division to symbol of peace
- 6 years ago
The Demilitarized Zone has separated the two Koreas along the 38th parallel for several decades.
However,... amid the thawing relations between the two Koreas, the DMZ has garnered attention as a tourist hotspot.
Our Kim Hyesung dropped by the DMZ Museum, where you can learn all about the DMZ's long history,... but also sense the renewed hope for peace on the Korean peninsula.
Let's take a look.
Established in 1953, the Demilitarized Zone runs across the entire length of the Korean peninsula.
The 248 kilometer belt that separates the two Koreas has long been an all too real symbol of war and division.
But just ten kilometers from the heavily armed border, in Goseong County, stands the DMZ Museum.
Here you can find all kinds of historical records and artwork related to the DMZ...from the outbreak of the Korean War and the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement in 1953 to landmines and propaganda leaflets exchanged between the Koreas over the past several decades.
"There's also a section showing the records of the fallen soldiers from the Korean War, the family pictures they kept with them, and their unsent letters."
"The generation before me experienced the Korean War firsthand. I never did and it's even harder for my kids' generation to grasp the meaning of the war. With the recent thaw in inter-Korean relations, I wanted to bring my children here and help them understand the history and pain of a divided nation."
The museum says the number of Korean and foreign visitors has jumped 50 percent between May and June compared to the same period last year following the inter-Korean summit and the North Korea-U.S. summit in Singapore.
"Like the Berlin Wall which was a product of the Cold War, the DMZ is a legacy of the Korean War. It's of the past. But it exists in the present and in a way it also extends to the future as its meaning evolves. We hope to capture that change and meaning as the DMZ garners even more attention as a magnet for tourists."
That different meaning can be seen by the flourishing wildlife in the DMZ, which has been a human-free haven and is estimated to be home to over five thousand different animal and plant species.
Pictures of previous inter-Korean business projects like railways that once crossed the DMZ, connecting the two Koreas, show the possibility of closer economic ties.
But there's even more to the museum than that.
On the second floor stands trees decorated by visitors themselves,... a special touch presenting their hopes on the future role of the DMZ.
From teenagers to 92-year-old Mr. Ryu, who fought in the Korean War, details differ, but broadly...there's renewed hope for peace and a fresh start
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.
However,... amid the thawing relations between the two Koreas, the DMZ has garnered attention as a tourist hotspot.
Our Kim Hyesung dropped by the DMZ Museum, where you can learn all about the DMZ's long history,... but also sense the renewed hope for peace on the Korean peninsula.
Let's take a look.
Established in 1953, the Demilitarized Zone runs across the entire length of the Korean peninsula.
The 248 kilometer belt that separates the two Koreas has long been an all too real symbol of war and division.
But just ten kilometers from the heavily armed border, in Goseong County, stands the DMZ Museum.
Here you can find all kinds of historical records and artwork related to the DMZ...from the outbreak of the Korean War and the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement in 1953 to landmines and propaganda leaflets exchanged between the Koreas over the past several decades.
"There's also a section showing the records of the fallen soldiers from the Korean War, the family pictures they kept with them, and their unsent letters."
"The generation before me experienced the Korean War firsthand. I never did and it's even harder for my kids' generation to grasp the meaning of the war. With the recent thaw in inter-Korean relations, I wanted to bring my children here and help them understand the history and pain of a divided nation."
The museum says the number of Korean and foreign visitors has jumped 50 percent between May and June compared to the same period last year following the inter-Korean summit and the North Korea-U.S. summit in Singapore.
"Like the Berlin Wall which was a product of the Cold War, the DMZ is a legacy of the Korean War. It's of the past. But it exists in the present and in a way it also extends to the future as its meaning evolves. We hope to capture that change and meaning as the DMZ garners even more attention as a magnet for tourists."
That different meaning can be seen by the flourishing wildlife in the DMZ, which has been a human-free haven and is estimated to be home to over five thousand different animal and plant species.
Pictures of previous inter-Korean business projects like railways that once crossed the DMZ, connecting the two Koreas, show the possibility of closer economic ties.
But there's even more to the museum than that.
On the second floor stands trees decorated by visitors themselves,... a special touch presenting their hopes on the future role of the DMZ.
From teenagers to 92-year-old Mr. Ryu, who fought in the Korean War, details differ, but broadly...there's renewed hope for peace and a fresh start
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.