Barbed-wire fence

By Nam Sang-so

South and North Korea have the world's longest barbed-wire fence along their border. Some 248 kilometers of the Demilitarized Zone across the Korean Peninsula is fenced in both sides of the border which is 4 kilometers wide. Some areas have double or triple fences and concertina wire.

Inside the DMZ, there are 1,292 stakes indicating the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Of them, 696 were planted by the United Nations Forces and the rest by North Koreans in July 1953 when a truce was signed after three years of conflict.

Military installations and some facilities of the U.S. Forces Korea are also surrounded by barbed-wire fences. When Camp Humphreys was called K-6, the perimeters had been mostly surrounded by concertina wire laid on the ground to save costs. When I was involved in the construction of the wire fences, it reminded me of the Cartwright family's difficulties to keep their Ponderosa ranch, which was 1,000 square miles, in fighting off the aggressive land invaders in the NBC Western television series “Bonanza.” The Cartwrights seemed unable to afford to fence off the vast land.

The fences surrounding the U.S. military facilities are not just security lines laid out casually, but they were established through land surveys. The boundary establishment projects were performed jointly with liaison officers from the defense ministry of South Korea.

Barbed wire is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges arranged at intervals. A person or animal trying to pass through or over the wire will suffer discomfort and injury. It is simple to construct and quick to erect.

Razor and concertina wire, which were introduced in Korea sometime in 1970s, are now more often used than the sharp-edged wires.

The barbed-wire fence is a symbol of division, separating us from others.

The rusty barbed-wire fence along the border erected decades ago is still dividing the Korean Peninsula. People in South and North Korea use the same language but think and act differently. They often regard each other as the enemy.

Still Koreans want reunification. Before that, they must get rid of the barbed-wire fences separating the two Koreas. Some people believe it's time to remove the fences at the DMZ. But we must ask ourselves whether we are prepared for it. There will be a lot of problems if we tear them down without preparations.

The writer (sangsonam@gmail.com

) is a Korean War veteran who worked at K-6 (Camp Humphreys).