Performance: Korea. Bound to One

On August 15th, a string that was 3.8 km long connected each embassy of the two Koreas in Berlin, Germany. This was a small performance by an artist named Eun Sook Lee. An online newspaper called Voice of the People (VOP) published an article about Lee's small event to commemorate the 70th year of the National Liberation Day in the Korean peninsula after 35 years of Japanese control. According to the article, the 3.8 km that Lee walked represents the 38th parallel that divides the Korean peninsula into two. The string that connects the two embassies is to create unity and harmony between the two nations, and this also originates from one of the traditional Korean customs. 

As it was mentioned in the article, Berlin is an iconic city of unity that overcame the division, which resulted from the Cold War. Yet, the Korean peninsula still suffers from the division that was brought right after its liberation. Because of ideological differences, families and friends had to part away from each other, instead of celebrating their liberation. The fall of a common enemy created a division among themselves that continued until today. Despite the current state of the Korean peninsula, especially incidents that happened this August in both Koreas, Lee's performance in Berlin serves as a lesson that we must learn from our mistakes in the past. War is not answer. Rather than carrying weapons across the 38th parallel, I hope to see people bringing string like Lee across the border that separated us as a sign of peace and unity. I hope to see one day, where two flags will become one as we were one before. All you need is love.