Love Across The 38th Parallel

ea announced they would temporarily reunify. South Korean President Kang and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim shocked their nations and the globe w

c gamble for peace was better than the alternative - the two nations had come dangerously close to triggering World War III during heated standoffs over the North

s would relearn their shared history and work to merge their cultures and languages as well. The integration would not come easily, but

tangible hope for reconciliation since combat halted. They would undertake the ambitious social e

aders, my mother's eyes welled up with tears. A single tear

ed, her voice choked with emotion.

ould a reunified Korea look like? Our cultures had diverged so much over

ey're nothing more than

e same man who claimed that the English language originated from Korean—his evidence merely a handful of c

forehead and gave my father a pat on his back. The potent smel

er, dad. You reek." I commente

ve it a sniff. "I suppose you're righ

year immersing themselves in our culture, understanding our customs, and learning our ways of life. The hope was that this knowledge would foster understanding and empathy among the new generation of North Koreans, potentially paving the way for th

rean exchange students' orientation day. My eyes glazed over as I took in the packed a

keep up this pace all day," I mutt

ential full reunification down the line. But in their zeal to showcase all aspects of South Korean life, they s

was from my best friend Jun, who was

t the new business school now too. We'll be walking miles tomo

nts to guide through every facility, we orienta

tonight so you don't pull a muscle. Who

as cushy chairs. Maybe I'll conveniently finish

ding himself in the fancy new lecture hall,

t in this historic event for our country. Maybe reunification fever

pected me to embrace this duty enthusiastically. After all, who better to greet

somehow offended them by misspeaking or unwitti

to get mired in uncertainty. There was too much at stake for both sides. And if I felt this

ion. My role was to listen and understand, not judge. If I could forge just one genuine cross-border friendship,