Julie_Kim's Blog

The New York Philharmonic gave a monumental performance in North Korea Tuesday. The fact that the Communist country opened its gates to roughly 300 musicians and journalists is huge and many are hoping it signifies something more, maybe a bridge to unite families.

During the Korean War conflict, millions of North Koreans fled to the South. You Myung Sook ended up there as a nurse with the North Korean army....The army told her to stay in Pusan, that they'd be back in a week. One week has turned into so long. She is now 80 years old and doesn't know what has happened to her mother, father, grandfather, sisters and brothers. Speaking to her today was emotional for me. I can't imagine living in the dark, yearning for answers, a reunion, a word, a letter from relatives for SIXTY years. It breaks my heart and makes me want to weep.

I am fortunate that all my family were already in the South. As a first generation Korean American, I have always been intrigued by the reunions that started happening around the year 2000. I assumed that many families would get a chance. I was wrong. Korean Americans are generally left out of the diplomacy. Technically, North Korea and America are at war so diplomacy is difficult.

The fact that North Korea allowed so many to come in, with what appears to be very little political propaganda could mean the isolated country is ready to become less isolated. It would mean so much to hundreds of thousands of Korean Americans who are still waiting. Sadly, many of the Koreans who left North Korea are dying. The average age is over 80 years old.

I hope. I hope there is something that happens soon. I hope I can do something as well.