DMZ peacelife forumby | 12-08-2013 03:07 |
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   This forum was directed to educating students about the DMZ and the current issues related to DMZ. The first part of the forum consisted of lectures from prominent figures and selected presentations made by students. The student presentations were very interesting. Some students argued that there must be a proper term defining North Korean defectors in Korea. Some were concerned with the peace park that was to be constructed within the DMZ. Some introduced methods to increase public awareness of DMZ. The presentations were extremely informative and enthusiastic. I have never knew that North Koreans were sensitive to how they were being named. Also, I became acquainted with the problems of the current peace park. Overall, I loved the presentations. In the second part of the debate were heated debates on several topics. There were topics on whether Korea should reunite independently or with the help/intervention of other countries. Even though students did not have enough time to prepare their statements, I was impressed by how logically they persuaded the audiences. The audiences were also required to make comments and ask questions. There was a student who stated that the government, not private companies, should protect the DMZ. I made a question reminding her of how much the government collaborate with private organizations. Even our Ecology Research Institute which is a private organization has made extraordinary contributions to protecting the DMZ. The DMZ peace-life forum was directed by the DMZ youth explorers. It was our first time to ever direct a forum so we were often caught in a quandary. We had to hold meetings for hours in order to settle disputes and make the overall blueprint for the forum. Although it was hard, I am happy that the forum ended successfully and that many students were able to learn from this forum.
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