The stark contrast between two lands

Families were reunited over the weekend, albeit briefly for two hours, as almost a hundred North Koreans sat down with some 400 South Koreans at Mount Geumgang Resort. From The New York Times to The Straits Times to vernacular media in Korea, reports carry how the participants prepared and more importantly, felt about meeting their long-lost family members. While some might think that I'm dramatizing the event into a tear-jerking movie from what is merely an routine political activity, I can’t help but think of the feeling of the participants involved. Political agendas aside, whoever created the concept of such reunions should be highly praised for breaking down geo-political barriers and reiterating the fact that all Koreans on the entire peninsular are brothers. After all, countries/nations are simply social constructs aren’t they?

I’m not expert on inter-Korea relations, and while I know that such reunions, having conducted countless of times before, are not a novelty, it is still heartening to read that families were being reunited. Even if you doubt both governments’ decision to conduct such an event, the tens of thousands of Koreans in the waiting list, the efforts behind the preparation (eg. recording clips of family members who can’t attend the reunion, bringing of extra clothes and money, etc.), and the tears of joy are no doubt very real. Imagine meeting someone whom you last saw was 50 years ago when you played together in the backyard or were walking back from school.

And so it was very ironic and of course, disappointing, when things were not as rosy domestically over last weekend, especially when we were trying to celebrate my mom’s birthday. A major rift was created and a permanent divide was drawn. I learned that it's impossible for the involved parties to ever have a normal relationship(s) and there is no longer any love. We are only together because we were bound by society's definition of us as a nucleus, hence the responsibility to do so. I shan’t share much of the unhappy event on public domain but by writing this, I hope to remind myself (and to anybody who happens to chance upon this) that loving your partner, your kids, or any other family member should be selfless. If not, don't even bother because everything would be pointless.

More importantly, I feel utterly sorry to Hyeyoung - that she has to bear these flaws which are beyond my control. I cannot change what I'm born with but I hope, when given a chance to have a future together, I can have a go at making sure nobody has to go through what I'd gone through. Simply because nobody deserved to, especially if I had chosen to bring them into this world.

For now, I shall leave you with images of the reunion. Maybe one day we all can learn to love each other like how they had, despite being physically apart from each other for decades.