With the looming of a new and suspect war, the constant fear of terrorism and of the use of weapons of mass destruction, it seems the world has become a bleaker and tenser place. Every day powerful world leaders dig their ideological trenches deeper and refuse the pleas of an increasingly nervous populace, knowing to back down means their nemeses and their global allies win. China's HIV-infected population is predicted to increase 10 times in the near future, and the World Wildlife Fund's prediction of a dead and exhausted earth in less than 50 years goes largely ignored. But no matter how dark the looming clouds are, one can only turn to soccer to find that silver lining.
I am not referring to soccer in general, but one soccer game in particular: Last Saturday, the soccer teams of North and South Korea met for the first time in 10 years at the Sangam World Cup Stadium. The two teams competed in front of 60,000 spectators cheering \United Fatherland"" and waving countless blue and white unification flags. For many, the game was seen not as a chance to prove which side was athletically and morally superior, but an opportunity to bring two disparate countries and their champions together. Just like in 1992, the match itself ended in a draw, a score that seems like the perfect metaphor to describe the relations between the two countries themselves.
For those who require a quick refresher in modern history, the two Koreas have been at war ever since the two countries were divided at the 38th parallel immediately following World War II. The Korean War was fought with assistance from the United States the United Nations, the Soviet Union, and China in a proxy battle of democracy and communism. The war was one of the grimmest in the 20th century, and only by a small miracle were nuclear weapons not used. Even now, the divided countries serve as an ugly reminder to the politics and policies of the Cold War. Although North and South Korea have, for the most part, resigned to an uneasy peace since their cease-fire agreement in 1953, the demilitarized zone and relations between those two countries still remain extremely nasty, dangerous and heavily guarded.
Unification is the ultimate goal for the two Koreas, but it has been slow going. The progress, the talks and the reunification are all part of a fragile process, that falls into hiatus whenever it hits a snag or international politics, such as President Bush's infamous ""axis of evil"" speech, flare up old hostilities. There still remains a slow but steadily growing movement towards a future and one Korea: The leaders of the respective countries, Kim Dae Jung of South Korea and Kim Jong Il of North Korea, have supported reunions of families that have been separated from each other for more than half a century, along with a plan for a railroad to run from each Korea across the demilitarized zone. The day after the soccer game, a permanent family reunion site was set up at the foot of North Korea's Mount Kumgang. The steps are small, but they are still steps in the right direction.
North and South Korea have still many problems and issues to work out before they can safely say that the horrors of the 20th century are behind them, but this is all a start. With the right attitude and the support of the international community, the two Koreas can successfully bury their dead and try to make the new peace. Although the end still remains out of sight and much work still needs to be done on both sides of the demilitarized zone, these first cautious steps speak volumes about the inevitability of peace and brotherhood between hostile nations. Just like the two soccer teams, there will be days of victories, losses and grudges for each side. Hopefully at the end of the day, the teams and their respective countries will shake hands and call it a day.
