The Dream of a United Korea

A divided Korea is a sadness Koreans have to live with and have been doing so from the time of the Second World War. The United States and the Soviet Union were to temporarily occupy the two parts of Korea, the North and the South, divided at the 38th parallel, until a free and independent Korea could be established; unfortunately, we're still waiting for that day. 

The Peace Weekly, reporting on a forum conducted by the bishops' Committee for Reconciliation of the Korean people, noted that the topic under discussion was, "How  can the country be united in a skillful way?" Also noted was the overwhelming desire of the Korean people to again have a united Korea. One participant used the German unification as an example to imitate.

The Germans of the East and the West also desired unification. There was  a long period of exchanges between the two, with the East finally realizing that with unification they would be free and have a better life, which gradually enabled the East to be absorbed by the West.

The speaker was suggesting that if  we act as if we had unity, in fact, by the interchange of money, workers, skills, visits to the North,  this will mean that the political and structural unity will only be a formality when it comes, for the spirit of unity would have preceded. This is the way to erode the structures of the North.

In looking forward to a peaceful unification, however, we don't want to prepare for it by using force. This does not mean, he says, to accept all that the North are doing, but to continue communicating. The change of the structures in the North will ultimately take place. Exchanges and cooperation is the best way to ease into final unification. Another participant agreed that exchanges and cooperation are the best way to lessen the possibility of military confrontation. But to do what Germany accomplished in a peaceful way will be difficult, he said.

Our policy for the last 10 years has been to help the  North with capital and technology, said another,  but it is doubtful how much that has increased the chances for unity.  However, he agrees that it will have to come from the bottom up.