Of divided nations

By Jesse C. Nelson

With North Korean uncertainties, one can always hope for changes favorable to a possible reunified Korea. With this in mind, I thought of other once and still divided countries.

Vietnam was divided from 1955 to 1975. After World War II, Ho Chi Minh petitioned the U.S. to support an independent Vietnam. This was ignored, as France sought to reinstate colonial rule. The U.S. eventually supplanted France in the war that followed. By 1975, the war was finally over and Vietnam was one country. I spent a month in Vietnam in 2009.

A difference still existed between the south and north of Vietnam. Hanoi was a stark contrast to the places from Hue southward. Hanoi had far more hustle and bustle. Tourists were more likely to be scammed. Other travelers had the same experience as me. I even met someone from Saigon while waiting for a flight to Laos. “We also get stressed when coming to Hanoi,” he said.

Germany was divided from 1949 to 1990. When speculating on possible Korean reunification, Germany is often used as a model for comparison. I first visited Germany in 2003. The only places that I saw that were once part of East Germany were eastern Berlin and Dresden.

Parts of eastern Berlin did seem a bit drabber than the western half. But even then differences were steadily being erased. As for Dresden, it was a pleasant smaller city that I toured by bicycle. To this day, different areas of Germany do retain a strong distinct identity. Bavaria, whose main city is Munich, comes to mind. The culture does vary from Prussia, for example.

Ireland's division began 99 years ago. Northern Ireland has much Scottish ancestry. Persecuted by the English, the Scots were encouraged to migrate to Northern Ireland. In many ways they became a colonial power over the Irish. No other place forces one to choose a side like Northern Ireland, where calling a certain city Derry or Londonderry reveals a bias. I visited Ireland in 2006.

Northern Ireland was full of negative energy. Unbeknownst to me, four Protestant teens had beaten a Catholic teen to death with baseball bats. Fourteen years later, I wonder about Northern Ireland's future, where the Catholic birth rate out-paces that of the Protestants, and dissatisfaction over Brexit has placed Irish reunification on the table as an option.

Returning to Korea, I wanted to visit North Korea. Two arguments against this are “you won't see the real North Korea” and “you shouldn't support an authoritarian government.” But I still have a desire to see it with my own eyes. I planned to visit Gaeseong in 2008. But that summer, the death of a South Korean woman in North Korea ended the tours. So my time in North Korea is relegated to under a minute, when I walked around the table in Panmunjeom where the Korean War ceasefire agreement was signed. Who knows what the future holds for the Korean peninsula, but I remain optimistic.

The author (razoripress@yahoo.com), currently teaching at Dongseo University, is also a freelance writer and avid traveler, who has visited 104 countries to date.