By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Myrtle Iris Villaraza from the Philippines

Years ago, the idea of peace between South Korea and North Korea seemed far from reality, if not impossible. After all, the two countries have not been on very good terms for over 70 years. Now, South and North Korea will hold a summit on April 27. It is their third, and also the first one in 11 years. With North Korea expressing willingness to talk about giving up its nuclear weapons, it seems like a miracle. Some might have doubts and others might say that it’s too early to expect anything, but I am full of hope that the summit will be a huge step toward achieving peaceful unification of the two Koreas.

It was the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games that opened the door to this opportunity. I remember being so happy and excited when I learned that North Korea would join PyeongChang 2018, that the two Koreas would march under one flag, and that they would form an inter-Korean women’s ice hockey team. When the Olympics ended, North Korea and the unified Korea team were not able to take home any medals. Nevertheless, they gained another great reward: a chance for peace between the North and the South. Indeed, PyeongChang 2018 deserves to be called the “Peace Olympics.”

As a Filipino, I can relate to the pain brought by the division of the two Koreas. It reminds me of the conflict here in the Philippines, even though our circumstances differ from those of the conflict between South and North Korea. It's not unknown to many that the city of Marawi in the Philippines has recently suffered from a war, which left many of our fellow Filipinos not just without homes and livelihood, but worse, with broken hearts due to lost loved ones and crushed dreams. The five-month battle has thankfully ended, and our fellow Filipinos in Marawi are bravely getting back on their feet again. However, there is still an ongoing conflict against insurgent groups in some parts of the country, and it has been dragging on for decades already. It’s just heartbreaking to see people of one nationality being divided: in the Philippines, Filipinos fighting each other, and on the Korean Peninsula, South and North Koreans separated from each other.



That is why the upcoming 2018 Inter-Korean Summit inspires me so much and gives me hope for peace. I pray that it goes well, and that eventually, it really leads to peace between South and North Korea. I hope that the two Koreas will someday be one again, that families and friends from both sides will be reunited after a very long time, and that new friendships and relationships will be built as well. I can’t wait for the day when we’ll see a unified Korean flag that the whole country will wave, not just during the Olympics, but for all time. We may not know yet when exactly it will happen, but even now, I deeply thank and admire Korea, headed by President Moon Jae-in, for taking the lead and working hard to achieve peace between the South and North. With open hearts and minds, and a willingness to understand and help each other, healing is possible.

Along with this dream for the Korean Peninsula, I hope that where there is strife in the world, such as here in the Philippines, in other countries, and between nations, there will someday be peace, as well. Because while we are from different lands, we are all brothers and sisters and we are all connected.

While writing this article, I remembered the day in 2013 when I went to Imjingak, a park located 7 km from the DMZ. It houses memories of the Korean War and upholds hope for South and North Korea’s reunification. There, the photos, memorabilia and stories I found made me understand deeply how grave South and North Korea’s parting was, and how tragic its effects have been.

Back then, reading the stories broke my heart, wondering when things would ever change for the better and when the fences would be mended. Now, the upcoming 2018 Inter-Korean Summit fills me with hope. Maybe this time, the Korean people from the south and the north will finally meet the others’ gaze, forgive each other, and start moving forward together again.

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.