Trump's DMZ Crossing: Just a Photo-op or Opportunity for Progress?

Photo 1: On June 30, 2019, Trump crosses the raised concrete strip representing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that divides Korea at Panmunjum (the Joint Security Area in the DMZ/Demilitarized Zone), becoming the first sitting US president to step foot on North Korea.

Photo 2: Kim Jong-un crosses the same line into South Korea (accompanied by South Korea's Moon Jae-in), becoming the first North Korean leader to do so, in April 2018.

Photo 3: South Korean college student Im Soo-kyung (who went to North Korea to participate in the World Youth Festival) crosses the line, at the same location, into South Korea in 1989, becoming the first Korean civilian to willfully cross that line (and not by accident, defection or espionage) since the Korean War ended in an armistice and the creation of the MDL/DMZ in 1953.

Symbolism matters in the DMZ, like the Berlin Wall. That concrete line in the DMZ, a highly recognizable -- and painful to all Koreans -- symbol of prolonged Korean division and the last vestige of the Cold War, is now casually crossed over -- by government/military officials and civilians on inter-Korean meetings or exchanges.

And history was made this past Sunday as Trump crossed the line, symbolically as a "peacemaker" (whatever his motivation may have been) in a business suit and not wearing the usual military attire that US presidents had done when visiting the southern side of the DMZ in the past. [Trump's overall antics aside, his unprecedented summits with Kim and this DMZ crossing showed a way besides the business-as-usual approach.]

But that casual crossing has not been the case always. In 1989, Im Soo-kyung (accompanied by Father Moon Kyu-hyun) risked long imprisonment in South Korea for crossing that line (she received five-year sentence for violating South Korea's draconian and archaic National Security Law), in a brave and unprecedented action to help bring about a breakthrough for peace and reunification of Korea.

With persistent efforts and sacrifices of many civilian activists like Im, the once-impenetrable wall dividing Korea began to crack and led to a series of inter-Korean rapprochement and cooperation towards negotiated settlement for peace in Korea.

Now, the US and North Korea must transcend historical hostilities and animosities (and skepticism of cynics) and translate this historical moment into real progress towards negotiating a lasting peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula.

Congressional Resolution Calling for Formal End to Korean War

Reps. Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee and Andy Kim Introduce Resolution Calling for Formal End to Korean War

PRESS RELEASE: February 26, 2019

Washington, DC – As President Trump arrives to Hanoi, Vietnam, Rep. Ro Khanna, along with eighteen Democratic Members of Congress, have introduced a resolution calling for a final settlement of the Korean War, now officially in its 69th year.

The resolution -- which is backed by former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter and a range of Korean-American and pro-diplomacy organizations -- urges the Trump Administration to provide a clear roadmap to achieve a final peace settlement while highlighting the importance of reciprocal actions and confidence-building measures between the parties.

“Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula.”

“I commend this important resolution that will help bring this nearly 70 year conflict to a close,” said President Jimmy Carter. “I have visited North Korea several times to talk with their leadership and study the best path forward for peace. Ending the threat of war is the only way to ensure true security for both the Korean and American people and will create the conditions to alleviate the suffering of the ordinary North Koreans who are most harmed by ongoing tensions.”

Co-led by prominent progressive Reps. Andy Kim, Barbara Lee, Pramila Jayapal, Deb Haaland, and Jan Schakowsky, the resolution calls on the Trump Administration to make greater efforts to include women in the peace process, citing the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which Trump signed into law. Women’s rights icon Gloria Steinem, founder of the peace group Women Cross DMZ, published an op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday in support of the resolution.

The resolution clarifies that ending the war does not necessitate a withdrawal of US troops from Korea or an acceptance of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power. The resolution calls on the Administration to continue the repatriation of servicemember remains, and expand cooperation to achieve reunions of divided Korean and Korean-American families and facilitate people-to-people exchanges and humanitarian cooperation.

Rep. Khanna has been a consistent voice for diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. Shortly after Trump threatened “fire and fury” against North Korea, Khanna was joined by over 70 Congressmembers on his bipartisan “No Unconstitutional Strike on North Korea Act”, which would reinforce existing law prohibiting an unauthorized and unprovoked strike on North Korea. He has also been critical of those in both parties who have sought to restrict flexibility in negotiations, instead urging support for the diplomatic approach of our South Korean ally and its President, Moon Jae-in.

Rep. Khanna will travel to Atlanta next week to sit down with Pres. Carter to discuss developments on the Korean Peninsula and solicit guidance from the Nobel Laureate about how the next generation of policymakers can best pursue a pro-diplomacy agenda for America.

Current original cosponsors (18): Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan, Barbara Lee, Deb Haaland, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jan Schakowsky, Raúl Grijalva, Bobby Rush, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Tulsi Gabbard, Adriano Espaillat, Andy Kim, Rashida Tlaib, Judy Chu, José Serrano, Gwen Moore

The resolution is endorsed by organizations including the National Association of Korean Americans, Ploughshares Fund, Women Cross DMZ, Korean Americans in Action, United Methodist Church – Global Ministries, Win Without War, Peace Action, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Just Foreign Policy, Beyond the Bomb, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

From Pyongyang and Washington to Hanoi

The second US-NK summit is taking place -- of all places in the world -- Hanoi, Vietnam, where the US intervened and fought a brutal war, made peace, and then normalized relations. The US fought in Korea too, more than six decades ago, but never made peace with North Korea.

We now have a rare window of opportunity to move forward with a peace settlement in Korea and new relations. A cliche it may be, but let's "Give Peace a Chance."

(Photo courtesy of Nobel Women's Iniative which sent a delegation to Hanoi in support of peace settlement in Korea.)

Korea Peace Advocacy Days

More than 60 activists from 20 states gathered in DC for Korea peace advocacy days, sponsored by the Korea Peace Network, composed of U.S. peace organizations and Korean American civic organizations — on the day of the US-DPRK Summit in Singapore, a potential breakthrough in relations between the US and North Korea. 

Activists held a day-long conference at the United Methodist Building on June 11,highlighted by a keynote speech by Congressman Ro Khanner. The group held a peace vigil in front of the White House, just few hours before the start of the Summit. Then on June 12, the participants visited the Congress to advocate for the peace process in the Korean Peninsula

Towards Peaceful Settlement in Korea

"Off Ramps to War: Paths to Building Peace with North Korea" conference was held June 13, 2017, at the George Washington University School of International Affairs, Washington, DC,
 discussing various concrete paths towards peaceful settlement and "shared security" in the Korean Peninsular, with former Defense Secretary William Perry, renowned Koreanist Professor Bruce Cumings, veterans for peace, humanitarian NGOs, UN program officer, separated families, scholars, activists, journalists and concerned citizens.

"Engaging North Korea" Publication

During the Korea Peace Network conference on June 23, 2016 in Washington, DC, the AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) released its report "Engaging North Korea: Building Toward Dialogue with U.S. Government-Sponsored People-to-People Exchange Programs.” The report is available here: https://afsc.org/document/engaging-north-korea

"Engaging North Korea: US Policies to Improve Bilateral Relations"

Engaging North Korea: US Policies to Improve Bilateral Relations


Sponsored by Korea Peace Network and Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA)
Thursday, June 23, 2016, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

The Elliott School of International Affairs, GWU, Washington, DC


Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have arguably reached historic highs in the first few months of 2016. Relations between the two countries appear deadlocked following North Korea´s nuclear test in January, the largest ever U.S.-South Korea military exercises, several North Korean rocket launches, US-led sanction efforts, vicious rhetoric and more. Further, the Obama Administration´s policy of ´strategic patience´ has not yielded diplomatic progress and both official and back-channel dialogue have reportedly ceased.


Yet, despite the impasse between the two countries, there remain an array of policy options to help de-escalate tensions, increase understanding, build trust, and ultimately pave the way for a peacebuilding process. Join the Korea Peace Network and GWU´s Partnership for International Strategies in Asia as we explore a menu of policy options to build a more peaceful Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia. The all-day event featured discussions with academics, policy analysts, U.S. government officials, practitioners from across the foreign policy spectrum, and more.


9:30-10:45 Panel I
The Korea Exception to the Mine Ban Treaty & Obama´s Last Days in Office
11:00-12:30 Panel II
Remembering the Forgotten: Retrieving the Remains of US Veterans Left in North Korea
1:30-3:00 Panel III
Communication Breakdown: People-to-people Exchanges & Building Understanding
3:30-6:00 Film Screening and remarks on Divided Families
Film: "People are the Sky" - Dai Sil Kim-Gibson

Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang

Who would have thought -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un laughing side-by-side with Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls fame, at a friendly basketball match in Pyongyang. Rodman is travelling in North Korea with members of the Harlem Globetrotters and a US cable news team. And one of the first tweets coming out of North Korea now that North Korean authorities have allowed the use of smartphones by foreigners, with internet access:  "Um ... so Kim Jong Un just got the [cable news team] crew wasted ... no really, that happened" came out of the reception given by Kim to American visitors.  Fun respites amidst war games and counter threats between the U.S. and North Korea -- sort of reminds of the song by the group War, "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Google's Top Man in Pyongyang

Of all the unusual and unexpected foreign visitors to North Korea, Google's executive chairman and tech guru Eric Schmidt's visit this week to Pyongyang has raised a plenty of questions. Though this is not portrayed as a Google company trip, the very presence of high-profile Schmidt (and his interest and willingness to personally visit North Korea) highlights the growth and potentials of cyber technology in North Korea. 

Schmidt is accompaying veteran diplomat and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, on a humanitarian trip.  The trip clearly perturbed the U.S. State Department, which maintains a rigid policy of isolating North Korea as punishments for long-range missile/rocket testings. But there are also benefits to this kind of civilian-initiated diplomacy as wider contacts with North Korea will likely bring new avenues and opportunities of mutual cooperation and a path of understanding towards resolutions of contending political and military issues.

Taekwondo Bridges North Korea and the U.S.

At a time of heightened tension between North Korea and the U.S., a taekwondo delegation from North Korea toured the U.S. East Coast (Boston, New York, Delaware) recently with warm welcome from American audiences. This is second taekwondo tour; such tours help bridge the gap of misunderstanding between North Korea and the U.S. Coul such good will spill over to the political relations between the two countries?

Jimmy Carter Explains his Trip to North Korea

Though former president Jimmy Carter went to North Korea recently on an unofficial capacity, to free an imprisoned American, he did talk to high-ranking officials in Pyongyang, in a way to test the waters for a possible breakthrough in the current deadlock with the nuclear disarmament/security negotiations. In an op-ed piece in The New York Times, Carter believes North Korea is willing to come back to the negotiating table. He concludes: "A settlement on the Korean Peninsula is crucial to peace and stability in Asia, and it is long overdue. These positive messages from North Korea should be pursued aggressively and without delay, with each step in the process carefully and thoroughly confirmed."

Pork Ribs, Fishing, and Citizen Diplomacy

A bunch of South Koreans and an American gone fishing? You won't be able to tell otherwise, but these Koreans are actually the staff members of the North Korean Mission to the UN in New York City. So why are they fishing and fraternizing with an American?

The Washington Post carried an interesting story of Bobby Egan, a restauranter in New Jersey, who has befriended North Koreans (who are his regular customers), and in the process, has pursued a unique citizen diplomacy that helped bridge the gap and defuse tensions between the two otherwise hostile nations.

During the current uncertainties surrounding the success of the negotiated settlement outlined in the six-party process, this is an encouraging story that can remind the diplomats to find a resolution. By the way, the State Department must be somewhat serious about possibilities of US-DPRK normalization, as it loosened travel restrictions on North Korea's UN diplomats (restricted to immediate vicinity of NYC due to the lack of official US recognition of DPRK) to go fishing! How about a hunting trip next time?

Optimism on Nuclear Disarmament Diplomacy

Followup to KR posting, "Ex-U.S. Officials Orchestrate Korea Nuclear Diplomacy"

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Donald Gregg and Evans Revere (the two are pictured at the concert with Gregg at far left and Revere next to him, William Perry is at far right), former US diplomat and now the president of the New York-based Korea Society (which helped in organizing the event), who accompanied the NY Philharmonic to Pyongyang, say that the event may have created the right atmosphere for a breakthrough on stalled nuclear weapons diplomacy.

Gregg and Revere had opportunity to talk with senior North Korean nuclear negotiator Kim Kye Kwan, as did the CNN's star journalist Christiane Amanpour, who had a rare opportunity to tour and film the DPRK's foreign ministry and the controversial Yongbyun nuclear facility.

Arirang Heard Around the World

North Korea is not an isolated, far-away place after all -- it is indeed connected to the global world. Who would have imagined this unlikely scenario a few months ago: 1) NY Philharmonic performs an unprecedented concert by US orchestra in Pyongyang, 2) South Korean television crew records the concert in HD for viewing live in South Korea and around the world, 3) Internet users pick up the show and uploads it on YouTube for more wider distribution to the world community....

Arirang is a traditional song that is sung in all parts of Korea by all generations, a true representative song for all Koreans regardless of ideology and politics. The song of Arirang, played by US musicians on North Korean soil that was heard around the world signifies the hope and efforts for peace and reconciliation of all peoples and nations affected by the Korean division and unresolved security issues.

North Korea and the US Engage in Cultural Exchanges

Consider these recent, surprising developments:

- NY Philharmonic playing Gershwin's An American in Paris in Pyongyang, with live TV coverage in North Korea and worlwide

- Rock singer Eric Clapton is considering to accept an invitation to perform in North Korea

- US media gets to tour the controversial Yongbyun nuclear plant

While the focus of US media is mainly on the impact of US cultural presence in North Korea, it is really a mutual experience, as the peoples of the two countries, reared in believing the other was the enemy, came to know each other a bit better through music and display of friendship.

North Korea and the US do not have diplomatic relations yet, but the concert had all the trimmings of a diplomatic event, with the two national flags prominently displayed together and national anthems played back-to-back. The North Korean audience probably heard the Star Spangled Banner for the first time, and likewise, American musicians playing the North Korean anthem got to hear it for the first time. While North Koreans had an opportunity to hear Americans play, the American musicians also got to see performances by North Koreans on the previous day (photo).

While this was going on, US media was allowed to tour the Yongbyun nuclear plant -- the controversial plant that triggered the nuclear crisis and multilateral efforts at nuclear disarmament-- to witness the disablement process that is being attended by --surprisingly-- American technicians.

Despite the recent snag in the implementation of the disarmament/aid agreement, these recent gestures of openness by North Korean officials seem to show their willingness to "reduce enmity between the two countries" and move forward towards the normalization of relations. Will Washington reciprocate by inviting North Korean performers to the US?

"PBS Will Broadcast Concert From North Korea"

Followup to KR postings: NY Philharmonic's Concert in North Korea To Be Seen Globally

"NY Philharmonic's N. Korea Visit Is Diplomatic Triumph"

"The New York Philharmonic's concert in North Korea on Feb. 26 will be broadcast that evening on WNET, Channel 13, and distributed two days later on PBS, broadcast officials said Wednesday. In an unusual arrangement, ABC News will cooperate with WNET, New York’s public television station, to produce the broadcast." More news

Looks like the historic concert will be shown on a national television network in the US. Perhaps this first major cultural exchange between the US and DPRK will foster lessening of mutual distrust and animosities. The experience will be especially eventful and emotional for the Korean-American players in the NY Philharmonic who will be visiting the forbidden half of their homeland for the first time.

[Followup News: North Korea will broadcast this concert live on its television network, enabling people in North Korea to see this historic event in totality.]

NY Philharmonic's Concert in North Korea To Be Seen Globally

"The Star-Spangled Banner" playing in Pyongyang? Is this a prelude to a warmer US-DPRK relations? Perhaps it will warm the recent chill in the six-nation talks. The concert will take place a day after Lee Myong-bak's inauguration as the president of South Korea. It is unfortunate that the arrangement for the broadcast in the US, where it would matter the most, is not confirmed yet.

News report from the AP — The New York Philharmonic's concert in North Korea next month is to be broadcast live worldwide, the orchestra announced Wednesday. The Feb. 26 concert in the nation's capital is to be conducted by the orchestra's music director, Lorin Maazel, in the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre.

The program will include the national anthems of both North Korea and the United States; the Prelude to Act III of Wagner's "Lohengrin"; Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," and Gershwin's "An American in Paris."

The telecast is to be produced by the New York Philharmonic, EuroArts Music International, ARTE France and South Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Company. The European Broadcasting Union will also join the effort. Details of the broadcast in the United States have yet to be announced.

The Pyongyang concert is the highlight of the orchestra's two-day visit to North Korea, from Feb. 25 to 27, following the Philharmonic's trip to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.
The Philharmonic will perform in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 28.

US Film Festival to Showcase Films from Both Sides of Korea

In another example of growing cultural engagements that will showcase reconciliation between the two sides of Korea and between North Korea and the US, a film festival called Korea, North and South: A Cinematic Perspective will be presented Jan. 25-27 at the University of California, San Diego.

The three-day event is the first North American Korean film festival dedicated to films from both sides of Korea. Moreover, a representative from the DPRK Mission to the United Nations in New York City, in a rare visit outside NYC (North Korea's UN diplomats can travel outside the NYC area only with special permission from the US State Department due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries), will be joining ROK Consul General in Los Angeles as guest speakers.

Previous attempts to introduce North Korean films to US audiences were often met with opposition and demonstrations from Korean-American anti-communist organizations, but now with the backdrop of expanded inter-Korean cultural exchanges and cooperation, this event will signify yet another sign of the thawing in US-DPRK relations, as the American general public will have more cultural access to North Korea.

Photos from American Travelers in N.Korea Reveal Candid Life

A softball game in Pyongyang (did you know that North Koreans play softball?), with players smiling casually for an American photographer? (check out the jacket with English words) A smiling and trustworthy-looking North Korean soldier holding an American baby for a sightseeing photo, at the DMZ/Panmunjeom area? What would South Korean and American soldiers looking with binoculars on the building (the southern side) in the back make of this?

You won't see these kinds of photos in the mainstream mass media where old stock photos of marching soldiers and military parades tend to predominate, which reinforce only the perceived martial nature of the DPRK society onto the viewers.

Obviously, there is the human/casual side of North Korea that are mostly hidden from us. It takes amateur photographers and global travellers to reveal these candid images. These are from the photo-sharing website "flickr." See more photos of North Korea on fkickr's photo group on North Korea. As more and more Americans and foreigners travel to North Korea, more so recently in the Arirang mass game tour package, they are bringing back candid images of ordinary North Koreans and sharing them with others. And by doing so, they are perhaps fostering better understanding of the North Korean society and its people and leading to people-to-people reconciliation, in conjunction with the official governmental approach towards normalization of relations between the US and DPRK.

"NY Philharmonic's N. Korea Visit Is Diplomatic Triumph"

News Item: "America and South Korea have scored a diplomatic triumph with the agreement that the New York Philharmonic will go to North Korea in February, the first major cultural contact between the U.S. and North Korea."

Commentary: The NY Philharmonic's plan of unprecedented performances in Pyongyang has been confirmed, thanks to Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill's recent visit to DPRK and the blessing of the Bush administration. As stated previously in this blog, cultural exchanges such as this one will help defuse tensions and mutual suspicions between the US and North Korea. Reciprocal visits by North Korean performing groups to the US, if granted by the Bush administration, will further promote people-to-people exchanges and foster reconciliation.