1 (and/or) 2
Where are you
from ?
I’m from Korea.
From South-Korea
or North-Korea ?
I’m from the
South, I don’t know anyone from North-Korea; do you know someone ?
Yes, i met 2 or
3 maybe.
Really ?...
« a conversation
between a South-Korean with French people in Paris »
I would like to organise an
exhibition bringing together South Korean, French, and German artists who live
in France. Due to their regional proximity, people from South and North Korea
coexist in Paris. North Koreans think of Korea as a single country whilst South
Koreans don’t. Typically, a man (South Korean) who has tasted the capitalism
does not want to meet his ex-girlfriend (North Korean).
The song called « Our Wish is Reunification » has not been heard in a
long time. It gradually receded to the past. We are now indifferent to
reunification. However, more and more North Koreans have been able to leave
their country and are scattered all over the place including South Korea. In
this fast changing globalized world, people seem to have difficulties to orient
themselves how to think about this matter of the two Koreas. Everyone knows
that there are two Koreas. But which one of them has promoted Korea better to
the world ? South Korea’s K-Pop ? Its economic
development ? International sports competition ? North Korea’s
nuclear development ? Poverty ? Dictatorship ? Good Korea or
evil Korea ? There cannot be a simple answer. And the world does not know
much about North Korea.
Historically, several
kingdoms such as Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, Gaya, and Balhae co-resided in the
peninsula. It has been unified since AD918 by the Goryeo dynasty, where the
name “Korea” origins from. Today, the division of the country is the result of
the World War II, when the Soviet Union and the United States military came in
to north and south part of the peninsula to dis-arm the Japanese colonial
government in 1945. The Korean War started in June 1950 and ended in July 1953
when the United Nation’s commander-in-chief, Mark Clark, his counterpart in the
Korean People's Army, General Commander Kim-Ilsung, and China Commander Peng
Dehuai reached a cease-fire agreement. (Formally therefore, the war has not yet
ended !)
Since then, the cease
fire line was drawn across the map, and a demilitarized zone of two kilometers-width
on each side was created where military deployment or any kind of activities
have been prohibited. Yet, around this 4x250 km2 zone of nature
there are still high-voltage wires and thousands of hidden mines. This
geological boundary separating the divided country is called the DeMilitarized
Zone (DMZ), but paradoxically is the most militerized zone with concentrated
firepower in the whole world. Contrary to the tension generated by human beings
mountain goats, wild boars, deer and other wild animals, along with various
kinds of rare plants are cherishing their lives free from human activities. Two
ironic theories are thus being neutralized in this very place: the
Demilitarized Zone makes the boundary of ‘One (and/or) Two’. On the one hand,
South Korea (and/or) North Korea, Republic of Korea (and/or) Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea : can be thought of together as a single country. But on the other hand, a concept of two different separated
countries, but originally one country, realization of the reality, co-exists.
In other words, Korea can be two but also can be one.
How would it be like if
the exhibition and cultural performances were done together with North Korean artists? I am
designing this exhibition waiting for such a moment of togetherness.
