The North-South Divide.

It’s not the best picture in the world, but above is a picture of The Statue of Brothers from the Seoul War Memorial of Korea. In my defence though it was a really sunny day, and I never claimed to be the new David Bailey!

Here is the text describing the statue.

"The Statue of Brothers is an 18 meter wide and 11-meter high symbol of the Korean War. It consists of the upper part, lower part and inner part. The upper part of the statue depicts a scene where a family's older brother, an ROK officer, and his younger brother, a North Korean soldier, meet in a battlefield and express reconciliation, love, and forgiveness. The lower tomb-shaped dome was built with pieces of granite collected from nationwide locations symbolizing the sacrifices made by our patriots. The crack in the dome stands for the division of Korea and the hope for reunificiation. Objects inside the dome include a mosaic wall painting that expresses the spirit of the Korean people to overcome the national tragedy and a map plate of the 16 UN Allied Nations that dispatched troops to the war. The links of iron chain on the ceiling signify the unbreakable bonds of a unified Korea."

When I was preparing to come to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) I would just say I was going to Korea when people asked where I was going. I got asked a number of times-notably by the nurse giving me my vaccinations and the Post Office clerk sorting out my currency-“North or South?” To think, I get annoyed when Americans, and even my fellow Brits, can’t tell where I am from-add “Oh, you’re from Australia right?” to my list! I just wanted to provide some information to explain why I am not in North Korea.

North Korea or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is still under Communist rule, and as well as having one of the most oppressive regimes in the world, the nation also has nuclear capabilities, and a completely ruined economy. It has been estimated that up to two million people have died in North Korea since the mid-1990s due to famines caused by natural disasters and economic mismanagement. On top of this, the country relies on foreign aid to feed millions of its people. This aid comes from China, America and even South Korea, not that the people of North Korea are made aware of this. Kim Jong-il’s totalitarian state has also been accused of systematic human rights abuses. Reports of torture, public executions, slave labour, and forced abortions and infanticides in prison camps have emerged in recent years and a US-based rights group has estimated that there are up to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea (0.85% of the population). There is no press freedom in North Korea, with government stations constantly pumping out propaganda, largely anti American in tone. The propaganda also displays South Korea as a puppet of the United States. Plus, to sustain faith in the Communist regime a cult of personality has been built up around Kim Jong-il, and no mention is made of the economic hardships and famine.

With the stark divide between the two halves of Korea it’s impossible to tell if there will be a Berlin Wall moment any time soon, particularly since North Korea has recently stopped its nuclear disabling. As part of the six party deal reached in February 2007, North Korea said it would scrap its nuclear ambitions in exchange for aid and diplomatic concessions. In June 2008 North Korea provided a list of its nuclear capabilities and began the dismantling of its nuclear programmes. Part of the deal was that the U.S. would remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Unable to verify whether or not the North Korean report is accurate due to the secretive nature of the Communist regime has left the United States with no real choice but to keep North Korea on the list. But the truth of the matter remains, children in North Korea face a bleak future of malnutrition and famine, and families torn apart by the Korean War in the 1950s won’t be having a “Statue of Brothers” moment for a long time.

For more information, see the BBC, Guardian and Amnesty International websites.