In a May survey conducted by the National Unification Advisory Council, nearly half of the 1,200 participants aged 19 to 39 described North Korea as ‘hostile’.
Just a short distance from the barbed wire and minefields dividing the two Koreas, thousands gathered over the weekend for a music festival celebrating peace in a location renowned for conflict.
The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival, named after the demilitarised zone that has separated the neighbours for seven decades, brought together performers and fans from across the globe.
This marked the seventh edition since the debut festival in 2018, held under the theme: “Let’s dance for a world without borders!”
“It may be unrealistic to become one nation … but I hope we can at least make progress by easing that tense environment and fostering more peaceful interactions between us,” said Jo Seong-bin, a 20-year-old student who attended to mark the end of his midterm exams.