Image of The Border Peace School

Ten years ago, the Border Peace School, dedicated to cultivating individuals who would work for South-North Korean peace, opened its doors. Founded by someone who studied peace studies in England and returned to Korea, the school was established in the remote border region of Cheorwon, where there were no prior connections. Initially, they miraculously secured the DMZ Peace Culture Center, owned by Gangwon-do, and used it as the school's classroom. While it was fortunate to have a building with such symbolism, there were many challenges. Located within the Military Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the school had to obtain permission from the checkpoint at the entrance every time they wanted to enter. Due to restrictions on entry and exit times, conducting classes and peace programs was difficult. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, access to the Peace Culture Center became completely impossible.

The Border Peace School decided to build its own school. When they announced plans to construct a school building with the support of peace-loving citizens, many doubted its feasibility. However, a supporter stepped forward and donated land for the school. Hearing that the donor had taken out a loan to purchase the land and would be repaying it for the next ten years was astonishing. Thanks to this generous act, the construction of the peace school could finally begin.

With the land secured, the more significant task of building the actual school remained. The construction was entrusted to someone who understood the spirit of the peace school. A campaign was launched to encourage 10,000 citizens to donate the equivalent of one brick each. On August 15th last year, the groundbreaking ceremony was held, and that night, I cautiously posted on Facebook, asking, 'Can you spare a brick for peace? Not a virtual brick, but a real one.'

The response was overwhelming. Many people donated, and the construction steadily progressed.

Today, May 5th, the Border Peace School is holding a completion ceremony with construction committee members and local residents of Cheorwon. On June 6th, a ceremony will be held to celebrate the completion of the school with the citizens who donated for the bricks. It will be a festive occasion where 10,000 peace-loving citizens will come together to sing songs of peace in the DMZ.

At the groundbreaking ceremony last year, the school's principal remarked, 'Today, we begin the construction of a peace school in a border village of a divided country where war has not ended. It is like planting a small seed of life. Although our efforts may seem like a single drop of water in a vast ocean, as they carry the seed of life, I believe they will bear fruit tenfold, a hundredfold, and even a thousandfold in the future.'