Demilitarized Zone, North and South Korea
Trains crossed the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea last week for the first time since the Korean War. Crowds cheered as a train from South Korea zoomed northward along the west coast of the peninsula, carrying 100 South Korean dignitaries and selected citizens. The scene in the North was markedly different. As a small crowd of identically dressed students waved, an old train carrying 50 North Koreans chugged southward along the east coast at a speed of about 10 mph. The South’s Unification Minister Lee Jae–Joung said the event “reconnected the severed bloodline of our people.” The journeys won’t be repeated soon, though. Seoul wants regular train service re–established, but Pyongyang is unenthusiastic.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Melania Trump's intervention on UkraineIn The Spotlight The first lady has been linked to the president's u-turn on sending arms to Kyiv
-
The Retrievals, series two: 'essential listening'The Week Recommends The second instalment of this hard-hitting podcast delves into the 'appallingly common injustice' of women having C-sections without pain relief
-
Cool off at the best saltwater pools in the UKThe Week Recommends From 1930s Art Deco lidos to 'magical' tidal pools, these sheltered spots offer a safer alternative to sea swimming
