The DMZ as a symbol of peace

A civic group kicked off yesterday with the aim of promoting the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula as a national brand that represents a clean, well-preserved environment.

The group called DMZ Future Union said that it will study and preserve the ecosystem within the military buffer zone between the two Koreas and will introduce the area as a peaceful symbol overcoming the last state of conflict after the Cold War.

The strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula - 248 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide - is considered the most heavily militarized border in the world, and was created after the 1950-53 Korean War.



Thanks to the natural isolation in the past half-century, the area has become the precious habitat for rare plants and animals.

"The DMZ has created a natural reserve for endangered species at the cost of the tragic war," said Lee O-young, professor emeritus of Ehwa Woman`s University and an advisory member for the group.

"We have to make the DMZ a symbol for the so-called Natural Capitalism, a new trend that avoids over-production and over-consumption."

Gyeonggi Governor Kim Mun-soo asked for the group`s efforts in order to preserve the area`s cultural and historical meanings.

The group plans an orchestra performance themed on world peace next year near the Peace Dam on the Bukhan River, which was built in 2005 to prevent possible flooding of North Korea`s Imnam Dam.

The 2010 DMZ Peace Forum is also scheduled in August next year, the group said.

(jylee@heraldm.com)



By Lee Ji-yoon