Korean Nationalism

“Contrary to conventional wisdom, ethnic unity has not produced the peaceful coexistence of the two Koreas, but instead has provoked a half century of intense conflict and tension” (Shin: 156). This is very obviously shown in the movie Welcome to Dongmakgol. One scene to back this theory up is when the soldiers from North and South Korea first met each other in the village of Dongmakgol and the tension created between them. Although the soldiers are both from the peninsula of Korea, have the same ancestral background, look alike and speak the same language, this intense conflict created by the politics of North and South Korea made the soldiers very hostile towards each other. Because of the difference of their uniforms, they did not want to live together or work together. However, as the soldiers passed time in Dongmakgol, they began to separate themselves from the antagonistic war between the North and the South, gradually realizing that they are one and the same. For this reason and with the help of the villagers of Dongmakgol, it caused the five soldiers to work together in the end as one team to save Dongmakgol. This proves a point: hostility and division are not really ignited by the soldiers themselves and has nothing to do with the nationalistic belief; the opposing North and South Korean governments propagandize everything and it is them that create opposition. Perhaps many soldiers of the Korean War do not know what they were fighting for; maybe they did not even understand the concept of nationalism and were forced to stand in battle. Eliminating the outside influence, North Koreans and South Koreans can still work towards the same goal and fight for the same cause. Ethnic unity should be divided into two aspects: the unity of government and the unity of the people. Welcome to Dongmakgol proves to us that without government control. ethnic unity is not only possible, but also a powerful force.