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So there has been a lot of discussion about South and North Korea's ongoing dialectic that seems to be escalating by the day.

Before I proceed with this tale of "How this began" I assure you all that I AM SAFE and sound.

On March 26th 2010 South Korea lost a naval ship, the Cheonan, after an unexpected torpedo attack. This incident claimed the lives of 46 South Korean sailors and was tied to a North Korean vessel. Mind you that this has been the deadliest attack on this country in the last 2 decades. Needless to say that North Korea's recklessness act has upset many of the local people.

Many of South Korean individuals are insisting that North Korea issue an apology. Instead North Korea has retorted by claiming that if the United Nations continues to tighten sanctions they will have no choice but to have an "all-out war" with South Korea.

Annnnd PAUSE! Now if you read my last blog "Two Sandboxes One Playground" you can probably guess what I am going to say next. Neither I nor the people of South Korea are responsive to such a threat. North Korea is a country that needs help, economic funding and aid. Their country's cries for war are null in its potency when considering that the country of North Korea is suffering from crop failure and mass hunger.



Lee Myung-bak of South Korea (seen above) is the president of South Korea. He often comes under a lot of scrutiny by North Koreans; calling him a "traitor" and "a pawn of the hostile United States."

He really taken off the Christmas Card List when Lee recently made a statement saying that North Korea "should stop wasting money on grand displays and spend the money on its near-starving population."

There's a novel idea. Instead of using all the millions of dollars in aid money that South Korea gives to North Korea for nuclear tests, why don't you play nice and open up some restaurants? And they wonder why President Lee shut off the aid.

In the end I feel that I am directly affected by North Korea's actions. They have managed to do two things that has really rubbing me the wrong way:

1st - They have my messed around and upset my mom. You NEVER mess with a mans mom!

2nd - They broke a very important commandment: "Thou shalt not play with my money!"

After their shenanigans the value of the Korean Won has fallen. That means that when I move my money from South Korea to the U.S. I am taking a literal pay cut. SONOFABI@#$!!

Alright guys...Be Good, Stay Healthy, I'll check back in with you in a couple of days.

Joe - OUT!!

No, no jokes this time guys. I gotta play this one straight. I went to the Demilitarized Neutral Zone (hereby referred to as the DMZ) a couple of weeks ago. I just really had a hard time putting the whole experience into words. When I pull up the pictures on my computer and I get ready to write the words just never came until now. None of the pictures are graphic or anything, but they just leave me asking "Why?"

Looking back, before I had went, I really didn't know what to expect. As a Sociologist you get your fair share of watching and observing Realistic, Gritty and Violent exhibits of human cruelty and exploitation against other human beings. So I felt like I was ready...



I remember that we couldn't get directly to the DMZ but we could go the observatories and see the gate which seals off the main bridge (The Bridge of Freedom) which spans across the Han River and extends from North Korea to South Korea.

While approaching the gate you feel a sort of presence. Not very strong but you automatically feel very small in relation to your significance. I know that's not an easy thing to hear , but it's not an easy thing to say. I felt like an ant in terms of the progression and the hardships that I have endured in my life. Everywhere you look there are ribbons that have either a message written in Korean or English that expressed a thoughtful sentiment or a prayer for unification.





After taking this all in we traveled to the main observatory that hosted a film that discussed the division of the country and the current state of North Korea. And to put it bluntly, these North Koreans really need help. Their farming methods are not adequate to satiate the demand that is produced from its growing population. There are little to no irrigation systems for farming crops or producing a good yield. Hence the massive hunger crises that continue to affect them.



After the film I got up and walked silently around the theater peering out of the its glass windows. Then I saw something that will be burned in my mind forever, and I would like to share it with you. Look at the following pictures and say to yourself 'What do I see?':





- To the left I saw production, prosperity, advancement and growth.

- And to the right I saw emptiness, solitude, desolation, nothing...

Unfortunately that is EXACTLY what I see when I bring up a mental recollection of North Korea and South Korea. Or until they decide to change. That's not to say that they are not trying but I see South Korea continuously lending a helping hand however I see North Korea pushing it away. Now I can understand South Koreans disposition to love them no matter how much North Korea pushes the envelope. When they see other North Koreans they do not see them as an enemy. Instead they see them as brothers that have simply gone astray.



On the car ride back home I could see the Han River on my right. The entirety of its borders are protected by hundreds of individual watch towers that are equidistantly placed and manned by South Korean military. Not to mention their are several fences that are layered on the beaches to ensure any trespasser would have to face a formidable gauntlet. I just had vivid images of my trips to Jaurez, Mexico and witnessing the maquiladoras coming to mind. I didn't feel cold, mad or upset. I was just blank and I simply wanted to know "Why?"