By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Wendy Palomo from the Philippines

The Dorasan Peace Park has an art installation by a Philippine artist, Roger Tibon. It's made up of a small hanging bridge with a gap in the middle, aptly titled “Bridging Peace.” The work's description says that it “expresses the mutual effort and sincere communication that put a bridge of peace and love between brothers.”

North and South Korea are trying to cross this bridge nowadays with their mutual effort and sincere communication, and the whole world is looking closely on with a lot of interest. For the sake of world peace, everyone wants to see a bridge of peace and love between the two siblings.

We have every reason to expect more positive and lasting output from this summit. First, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has shown more flexibility than was first expected during the recently concluded PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. He sent his own sister, the highest official in Kim Jong Un’s family, to set foot on Korean territory to be at the Games to officially represent North Korea. Second, Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are both new to the negotiating table.

The first and second Inter-Korean Summits were represented by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Korean Presidents Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Roh Moo-hyun in 2007 during their respective terms. Though today's younger leader may have displayed some unpredictable decisions regarding his nuclear tests, he has recently demonstrated a willingness to sit down and talk and to halt such initiatives.

Official activities have been very positive after the Winter Olympics, and these have resulted in Korean officials flying immediately to the U.S. to deliver the North Korean leader’s message. Now, the upcoming April summit at the Peace House in Panmunjeom is putting the Korean Peninsula in the center of a major political summit. The outcome will affect not only the people of the two Koreas, but the world as well.

Political observers and ordinary folks like us can only watch and wait as we have been doing for many years. We just hope that this time our optimism won't be for naught.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.