From Korea Report: "We Are One!"-- Really?

Korea Report posted a segment on April 1st titled "We Are One!" Here's what it says:

"We Are One!"

The phrase in this large banner that unfolded in the inter-Korea, pre-World Cup soccer match in Seoul says "We are one!" -- indicating the desire for the Koreans to be reunified, despite the current chill in inter-Korea relations. To Koreans, although these inter-Korea sporting matches lend themselves to international competitions with fierce rivalry, they also provide opportunities to ponder the need for reconciliation and reunification of Korea. [Photo from The Voice of the People]

I wanted to stay clear of this, but this one, I just could not stay away. The above posting says "...indicating desire for the Koreans to be reunified..." Let's stop and think for a moment what this posting is actually saying. I have no doubt that both North Koreans and South Koreans would like to have an unified Korean Peninsula; however, I have grave doubt that those who live north of the DMZ see themselves as being one people with those who live in the South. It leads me to wonder...did anyone from the South ask a North Korean lately if he/she feels like they are one people (off the TV cameras and away from the media, I mean).

South Koreans tend to look at North Korea with feeling of nostalgia and have a misplaced belief that North Koreans are long lost cousins who have lost their ways who needs saving from the South. They do not recognize North Korea as a separate entity, and tend to be more emotional rather than rational (of course, I can understand why that would be).

North Koreans, on the other hand, see themselves as their own people, with their own unique history, heritage, and culture. When North Koreans talk about North and South Koreas, they talk about them in terms of two completely independent countries with two completely different forms of government that happen to share a common language and history prior to 1948.

Looking at the inter-Korean relationship from a third-party point of view, it is easy to see why South Koreans can never be in the "driver seat" when it comes to the inter-Korean issues. Inter-Korean relationship and policies can never achieve their desired effects as long as the South Koreans insist that North Korea is a long lost part of themselves and insist on dealing with the North with emotion rather than rational thoughts. Faster the South Koreans admit to themselves that the North and the South is NOT one (and that North Korea does not see itself as being a cousin/brother/friend of South Korea); that they have vast gaps in all areas that they have to work out before they can ever become one; faster it will be for South Koreans to be able to start examining critically the issues related to the future of the inter-Korean relations and begin working toward solutions that will be beneficial over the long term for both sides.

I guess the Korea Report posting on this subject is correct about one thing after all -- It did give me a chance to stop and think, albeit for a very short period of time, about the future of inter-Korean relations and the future of the Korean peninsula.

Now, as for the media outlet cited by the Korea Report (The Voice of People), that is a whole different subject that will require too many alcoholic beverages to be consumed before I would even want to touch it. So, you'll have to find out on your own about what kind of outlet it is for now (the outlet's web address is on the photo).