Did You Know?

Did you know that the North Koreans are on average only consuming half the calories they need daily? Did you know the Korean War is referred to as a "war for the liberation of the motherland," not a civil war as Americans and most South Koreans view it? Did you know that one of the most famous mountains in Korea is called "Baekdusahn"? And did you know that during 1998-2000, 50,000 youth volunteers used manual tools and removed soil by carrying it on their back to build the "Youth Hero's Road" that stretched from Pyongyang to the western port of Nampo in 700 days?

My friend Sun shared those facts with me after she returned from her 12-day trip to North Korea with a peace delegation. We know so little about the culture of North Korea and its struggles because U.S. mainstream media only report bad news. If North Korea is the axis of evil, as Bush called it, how come it doesn't have military bases occupying American soil? How come the U.S. government continues to interfere with the reunification and reconciliation between the Korean people who live on either side of the 38 parallel?

Let's learn about the beauties of North Korea! Let's stop the war and promote peace! Let's stop the hate and spread the love!