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DMZ Youth Camp on Peace and Unification

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A guided tour of the border where one could see the short distance to North Korea, a visit to the Underground Tunnel and the Peace Observatory, and a North Korean defector talking about the reality of life in the country he fled.

These were some of the highlights of the “Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Youth Camp on Peace and Unification” that took place in early August 2019. Organised by Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Korea and the Play Seed School, the camp consisted of a three-day program exploring the three cities of Cheorwon, Yanggu and Goseong in Gangwon province.

College students who participated in the camp visited the regions along the border, shared their thoughts on peace and unification, and undertook missions. One of these, for example, was the media mission where participants constructed sentences that symbolized the DMZ, took photos of security or unification, and posted them on Instagram. The staff members scored and evaluated them.

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Work with North Korea

Experts and historical commentators accompanied the participants throughout all the activities, providing educational information and insights in every place that was visited. These included Dootayeon, the Eulji Observatory and the Goseong Unification Observatory, where participants could witness still vivid legacies from the Korean war 1950-1953.

Moreover, Tim Brose, FNF program officer on North Korea, gave a lecture on “How to work with North Korea in North Korea: The experience of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.' He explained various challenges that FNF faces while conducting programs in North Korea and why is it still valuable to work with NK despite all the difficulties.

At the closing ceremony, held at the DMZ Museum, awards were given to the best team and the best individual participants based on the scores of personal tasks.

“FNF Korea enjoyed the exchange with the students and it was a great pleasure to hear so many thoughts,” said Sungeun Lim, FNF Program Manager. “We are looking forward to further engage in discussions in the future and to hear the views of the younger generation.”