Hannah O’Malley ’17 recently wrote about her experience visiting a UN safe-site built in the demilitarized zone that separates North from South Korea. She says:
The building was surrounded by tourists lining up to buy souvenirs like shot glasses, jewelry, and snacks from the shops. I was unnerved that the DMZ has been made into a spectacle that distracts more than it educates visitors about North Korea. My disbelief grew as we were taken to three movie theaters where we watched films about the biodiversity and history of the region and military strategies. With all of the distractions, there was very little attention given to the human rights abuses happening nearby that we had learned about through readings and in class.
Hannah traveled to Korea during May-June 2014 as a member of the Benton Scholars program. You can read Hannah’s post in its entirety by clicking here.