For the first time since the inception of the country called North Korea in 1948, its leader has set foot on South Korean soil, and for a good cause to boot—to bring about an official end to the Korean war and to work with his South Korean counterpart to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons.
The true nature of what North Korea has been over the seven decades it has existed remains somewhat of a mystery to me, as it does for most people. When I lived in South Korea in the late 1990s, I got the general impression from Koreans that, while some were wary of North Koreans (placards alerting citizens to report suspicious activity/spying were ubiquitous in the subway system), by and large most Koreans I spoke to felt that the two Koreas were one people who had been divided due to the conflicting interests of superpowers China, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
Theatrical Tool
In the years since, I have observed the machinations about war and nuclear weapons on the part of the North Korean leader as some kind of theatrical tool being used by one or more of the superpowers to vent their geopolitical tensions by proxy, to issue threats to one another, to create an overall mood of alarm and fear for their own purposes, or even perhaps as a distraction from other events that were to be kept hidden.
Consequently, I don’t believe that the brotherly encounter at the border village of Panmunjom came about from simultaneous lightbulbs going off in the minds of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and the South’s president, Moon Jae-in. Just listen in on a tidbit of their scripted conversation:
Kim: “I heard you had your early-morning sleep disturbed many times because you had to attend the N.S.C. meetings because of us. Getting up early in the morning must have become a habit for you. I will make sure that your morning sleep won’t be disturbed.”
Moon: “Now I can sleep in peace.”
Mainstream media would portray these two leaders as adults who have finally decided to bury the hatchet. But such a sudden and swift about-face from a history of tension and harsh rhetoric smacks of fledgling actors following the instructions of their respected director—albeit revealing some genuine joy at having finally been given a more promising story to tell the world.
Regardless, this is very, very good news. Just ask Donald Trump:
KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018
And here is the reason it is very good news. It tells us that these two states may now be under the influence of more benevolent forces, or at minimum that previous masters like the Deep State–who used North Korea time and again for their political and perceptual purposes– may have lost power over the area. After all, a denuclearized, unified Korean peninsula living in peace is certainly of no use to the Deep State’s usual strategy of maintaining war and conflict around the world as much as they can.
Despite the incessant geopolitical conflict that seems to come across our airwaves these days, there have been a growing number of signs that those who favor peace in our world are gaining a foothold. Though it may perhaps be a bit early to celebrate, this news of reconciliation between the two Koreas, and the hope of an eventual reunification, is certainly promising news. These times are changing.
This may also have something to do with the shift in consciousness we are experiencing. Watch our documentary about that here.
