Sound of peace and life resonating in DMZ

One can enjoy the beautiful melody of classic music resonating in nature at the “Peace & Life Zone Music Festival (PLZ Festival)” to be held in the five DMZ areas in Gangwon Province, which are also known as “five peaceful counties.” The event, which will be held from September through November in Goseong, Inje, Yanggu, Hwacheon, and Cheorwon, will be an opportunity to ponder over the proposition of the current times – inter-Korean division and ecological preservation – while listening to music.

This year marks the second event of the PLZ Festival. Last year, the event was held at the Yong swamp, which is South Korea’s first Ramsar wetlands, and the Naerin river in Inje, and Punchbowl and Park Sugeun Museum in Yanggu. This year, the event has expanded with the participation of Gangwon Province, Inje, Yanggu, Goseong, Hwacheon, and Cheorwon with over 30 things to do and see, such as live performance.

A variety of music, including piano, violin, clarinet, and harmonica, will be offered at the festival, as well as vocal music, tango, and orchestra performance. The event venues include a museum, observatory, community flower festival, and small church, which are the places that allow honest stories about each region’s history and environment. Visitors can select a performance for a desired schedule on the PLZ website. Admissions are free but pre-booking is required.

The event that Director Lim holds dearest is a quartet of piano, vocal music, and string music, which will be held at the site of the waterworks bureau in Cheorwon on September 19. The site, which served as a water supply source during the Japanese colonial period, has a painful history in which North Korean soldiers retreating north during the Korean War massacred anti-communists. “A concert of consolation and healing will take place there,” said Lim.


Mi-Kyung Jung mickey@donga.com