Closure And Opening of Borders

 

 

In the Catholic Times a Fellow of the Catholic Institute for Peace in Northeast Asia gives us some thoughts on boundaries  and  connections.

Overseas tourism, which had been limited due to quarantine issues related to the COVID-19 virus, are becoming active. Acquaintances are visiting Mt. Paektu frequently, and photos of nearby scenery are being posted on social media once every one to two weeks.

[Paektu Mountain is the highest mountain in North Korea and Northeast China. Korea and Manchu people give a mythical quality to the mountain and its lake and consider the mountain to be their ancestral homeland]

 

The routes to climb Mt. Paektu are divided into the eastern route, the western route, the southern route, and the northern route. Except for the eastern route, which passes through Samjiyeon in the north, all routes must be taken through China. So, those who have made  the trip are quite proud.

 

Meanwhile, there has been some limited opening measures between North Korea and China following the adjustment of quarantine levels in August 2023, 3 years and 7 months after the border was closed in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

 

In July 2023, Chinese and Russian delegations entered the North to celebrate North Korea's Victory Day, and on August 16, a North Korean delegation moved to China via the Yalu River Railroad Bridge to participate in the World Taekwondo Championships in Kazakhstan. Flight operations between Pyongyang and Beijing and Pyongyang and Vladivostok were resumed, and North Korean residents who had been staying in China and Russia for some time returned to Pyongyang via Air Koryo airliners.

 

Of course, it seems that it will take time to fully open the country, such as allowing Chinese tourists to enter the country or cargo trucks to operate. Nevertheless, he is envious of the official ‘opening of the border’ between North Korea and China for visits to Paektu Mountain.

 

Until now, ‘border’ has meant closure and disconnection, and the region has no choice but to be economically underdeveloped. The border between us and the North is still the same as before, but the border between the North and China seems to be one of connection, cooperation, and coexistence rather than closure and disconnection. 

 

Suddenly, he remembers a manuscript he presented at an anti-communist speech contest when he was in middle school in the early 1980s. “There is an old saying that everything changes in 10 years. However, the 155-mile ceasefire line here, which should have changed four times since liberation, remains the same... "The speaker standing here shouts loudly and powerfully that we must gather our hearts and unify."

 

Since then, the river and mountain have changed again four times. But our borders are still intact. Moreover, it is no longer a simple border between South and North, but is now the forefront of maritime and continental powers. He wants  to  empathize what people  who participated in the independence movement, would say when they see us today. “Can’t we stop now  and act differenly?” .” Wouldn’t it be like this.

 

In the Catholic Times a Fellow of the Catholic Institute for Peace in Northeast Asia gives us some thoughts on boundaries  and  connections.

Overseas tourism, which had been limited due to quarantine issues related to the COVID-19 virus, are becoming active. Acquaintances are visiting Mt. Paektu frequently, and photos of nearby scenery are being posted on social media once every one to two weeks.

[Paektu Mountain is the highest mountain in North Korea and Northeast China. Korea and Manchu people give a mythical quality to the mountain and its lake and consider the mountain to be their ancestral homeland]

 

The routes to climb Mt. Paektu are divided into the eastern route, the western route, the southern route, and the northern route. Except for the eastern route, which passes through Samjiyeon in the north, all routes must be taken through China. So, those who have made  the trip are quite proud.

 

Meanwhile, there has been some limited opening measures between North Korea and China following the adjustment of quarantine levels in August 2023, 3 years and 7 months after the border was closed in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

 

In July 2023, Chinese and Russian delegations entered the North to celebrate North Korea's Victory Day, and on August 16, a North Korean delegation moved to China via the Yalu River Railroad Bridge to participate in the World Taekwondo Championships in Kazakhstan. Flight operations between Pyongyang and Beijing and Pyongyang and Vladivostok were resumed, and North Korean residents who had been staying in China and Russia for some time returned to Pyongyang via Air Koryo airliners.

 

Of course, it seems that it will take time to fully open the country, such as allowing Chinese tourists to enter the country or cargo trucks to operate. Nevertheless, he is envious of the official ‘opening of the border’ between North Korea and China for visits to Paektu Mountain.

 

Until now, ‘border’ has meant closure and disconnection, and the region has no choice but to be economically underdeveloped. The border between us and the North is still the same as before, but the border between the North and China seems to be one of connection, cooperation, and coexistence rather than closure and disconnection. 

 

Suddenly, he remembers a manuscript he presented at an anti-communist speech contest when he was in middle school in the early 1980s. “There is an old saying that everything changes in 10 years. However, the 155-mile ceasefire line here, which should have changed four times since liberation, remains the same... "The speaker standing here shouts loudly and powerfully that we must gather our hearts and unify."

 

Since then, the river and mountain have changed again four times. But our borders are still intact. Moreover, it is no longer a simple border between South and North, but is now the forefront of maritime and continental powers. He wants  to  empathize what people  who participated in the independence movement, would say when they see us today. "Can’t we stop now  and act differently?"  "Wouldn’t it be nice to see a change?"