The DMZ and the destiny of a divided Korea

Abstract

This paper seeks to explain the historical pains but hidden natural environmental wealth of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The ideological split that emerged in Korea after its independence in 1945 after 36 years in the Japanese yoke led to the division of the Korean nation between the communist North and the capitalist South. A DMZ continues to demark the peninsula's division along ideological and military lines. The DMZ area has grown to be a haven for many precious ecological lives. The peaceful use and conservation of environmental assets on the peninsula depends on its peace and stability. The insecure North Korean political regime and rapidly changing and divisive politics of the South, however, render sustained stability on the peninsula highly uncertain. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.