Contrary to its name, this is one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world, with North Korean soldiers guarding the north side, and South Korean and US soldiers guarding the South. In South Korea, where I discovered the propaganda against North Korea to be as strong as that of North Korea’s against the South the DMZ is a tourist attraction – literally. Images of bountiful nature, flowers and birds and animals and shiny white tourists entering South Korean shops, while South Korean residents smile constantly and generally seem happy and contented with their fate. Our defector, like all other North Korean defector to South Korea, has a “protector” assigned to her by the South Korean government to ensure that she is not found out. A Korean journalist friend tells me that only North Korea defectors are allowed to get in touch with their relatives in North Korea.

Source: Indian Express November 09, 2017 05:22 UTC