DMZ to reborn as green belt, connecting both Koreas

Green Asia Organization (GAO) and Gangwon Province held a joint event of “Let’s plant trees together and make DMZ of green life” on Friday at Peace Culture Square in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. Commemorating the 71st Arbor Day, some 300 attendees including GAO representative Kim Dong-geun, Gangwon Province Governor Choi Mun-soon , Cheorwon Mayor Lee Hyeon-jong, local residents and soldiers planted about 2,752 trees including oak trees. Cheorwon is one of the candidate cities for DMZ Peace Park, the Park Geun-hye administration’s core pledge toward North Korea.

Baengmagoji Station where President Park took part in the restoration work for Gyeongwon Railroad last year is in the neighborhood of DMZ Peace Culture Square. “The number of trees planted is 2,752, which was drawn by dividing the population of the Province (682,501) by the length of DMZ (248 km). It signifies that every single resident is participating the event. We hope that as these trees in Cheorwon, the closest place to North Korea, grow, our aspiration of reunification is realized,” Governor Choi said. “Although the current inter-Korean relations stand poor, today’s event has a meaning to make preparation for possible business opportunity with the North. Those trees will serve as a backbone in Korean peninsula that connects the South and North and resources for healthy green belt,” Kim said.

The Dong-A Ilbo and GAO have carried out a tree planting project of “combined agriculture” in an effort to solve foods, fuel and environment issues of North Korea for the three years. In October 2015, some 28 container boxes of seeds and seedlings are first delivered to Sariwon area in North Hwanghae Province to create a combined agricultural complex. “Even if the support has stopped at the moment, the project will be the first thing to resume as the inter-Korean relations thaw since President Park has high interest in the project,” Kim showed his expectation. Kim is also serving as a member in economic subcommittee under presidential Unification Preparatory Committee. For more information on “One more tree, greener Korean Peninsula” campaign, visit the website of GAO at www.greenasia.or.kr.

철원=조숭호기자 shcho@donga.com