ADRN

The KF Korea Workshop is hosted by the Korea Foundation and organized by the East Asia Institute to promote and share understanding of Korean social, political, and economic issues among international residents in Korea.

The KF Korea Workshop visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on a two-day tour from July 13^th to July 14^th. After arriving at the Geumgangsan Condominium on the first day of the workshop, the participants listened to a lecture by Professor Chul Ho Cho of Kookmin University on “Vision for One Peace Korea.” Prof. Cho elaborated on how benefits of unification of the Korean Peninsula may outweigh the potential costs involved as well as the “synergy effect” of social and economic integration. His lecture was followed by a dialogue session with two North Korean defectors, who discussed their experiences of defecting from North Korea and adapting to the South Korean lifestyle and culture. The participants from different countries including India, the United States, Hungary, and Vietnam received their KF Korea Workshop certificates at the end of the session.

On the second day of the overnight workshop, the participants toured the Inter-Korean Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Office in Goseong. At Jejin Station of the Donghae line, the participants took time taking photos of each other on the tracks heading towards North Korea. The visit to the CIQ office was followed by a tour of the DMZ Museum, where the participants were able to learn more about the historical underpinnings and aftermaths of the Korean War. Following the tour, the participants visited the Unification Observatory, as well as the Villa of Rhee Syngman and the Villa of Kim Il-sung (or the Castle at Hwajinpo) to wrap up the two-day workshop.

The trip offered KF Korea Workshop participants a unique opportunity to learn about the reality of North-South Korean divide and gain a better understanding of Korea by visiting historically important sites.