(From world press)

Despite facing many troubles such as 24/7 propaganda loudspeakers, Taesung villagers also enjoy many benefits when living close to North Korea.

North Korea’s national anthem echoes across the rice fields surrounding the village of Taesung, South Korea. The propaganda sounds broadcast 24/7 are so loud that houses in this village have had to build thick walls to insulate them from sound.

Also known as “Freedom Village”, this is South Korea’s only residential area located in the 258 km long and 4 km wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), dividing North and South Korea.

At the nearest point, this village is just over 450 meters from the North Korean border.

There is always a tense atmosphere in this village whenever North Korea tests missiles, or calls out on loudspeakers to attack and criticize South Korea and the United States.

Ms. Cho Young-sook, owner of a restaurant in Taesung, is one of 197 Koreans living here. She moved to this village 38 years ago, after marrying a local man – the only way to be allowed to settle in this special community.

She is quite worried about the stress. “We find the situation worrying. We lock our doors at night, something we didn’t do before,” Ms Choo said.

Propaganda war

The propaganda war between the two Koreas has never been quiet. In addition to setting up loudspeakers aimed at each other’s territory, over the years, the two countries have also had a competition over the height of the flagpole.

North Korea is winning with a 165 m high flagpole – one of the tallest in the world.

It was built in the North Korean village of Kijong in the DMZ. People in Taesung village said they sometimes see many people coming to Kijong village but it is not clear whether they are civilians or soldiers. South Korea also has a propaganda speaker system aimed at North Korea, but the volume is not as loud.

Taesung is a rice growing area that has existed for many generations, but since 1953, when the Korean War ended, the Korean peninsula was divided into two separate countries, and people in this village live together. with a constant threat that is changing every aspect of their lives.

Farmers here need South Korean soldiers to escort them every time they go to the fields because if they take one wrong step, they can stray into North Korean territory. A stream between rice fields marks the actual border between the two countries.

Residents must comply with a midnight curfew and their homes are subject to nightly inspections by soldiers. They also have to go through security checkpoints every time they enter or leave the village. There is a bus that comes to pick them up twice a day.

These are not useless precautions because there have been two incidents where North Korean soldiers captured people in Taesung village. In 1997, a mother and son in Taesung were captured by North Korean soldiers while picking acorns. They were released 5 days later.

In 1995, a 20-year-old farmer was also arrested. North Korea said that this person intentionally crossed the border to enter North Korea, so it has not yet been returned.

Along with risks, people living in Taesung also enjoy many benefits. Because this village is under the control of the United Nations Command, not the South Korean government, residents have at least 240 days a year tax-free and exempt from military service.

Few people want to speak on camera and some don’t even want to talk to the press. They worry that anything they say or do could be misunderstood by North Korea and would expose them to unwanted attention.

“We just gathered and watched TV because there was a lot of news related to tensions with North Korea. We felt a bit worried at this time,” Ms. Cho said.

Outside Cho’s restaurant is a reminder of the constant risk villagers face: a bomb shelter stocked with gas masks and emergency supplies. Villagers also regularly participate in evacuation drills.

However, Mrs. Cho never intended to leave Taesung. “Unlike other villages, young people here don’t leave, and the community spirit is also very good. That’s why I like this place,” Ms. Cho said.

‘Dream Making zone-DMZ’

Taesung Village also boasts a school here. The school has 12 teachers teaching 35 students, is equipped with new tablets, and has better facilities than the average elementary school and kindergarten in Korea.

The three letters DMZ are mounted on the classroom wall, but it does not stand for the phrase Demilitarized zone, but rather stands for the phrase Dream Making Zone.

The students here are more interested in making felt bags than worrying about the neighboring country. When asked if they felt afraid living near North Korea, some said they were afraid, others said no.

Principal Jin Young-jin said teachers no longer describe North Korea as an evil country.

“We emphasized the importance of unifying the two Koreas. Many students hope that South Korea and North Korea will unify in the near future,” Jin said. here the danger is clearly understood but this does not seem to affect their hopes and dreams.

A poster on the wall lists the careers the students want to pursue when they grow up.

The wish that most children choose is to be a baseball player, followed by a football player, a nurse, an engineer, and only one child wants to become a soldier.///