In ancient China, the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 B.C.)experienced constant territorial disputes between the feudalstates Yu and Rui. One day, their leaders decided to callon Zhou, another feudal state, to appeal for mediation bythe Viscount of the West. Upon entering Zhou, however, theybecame convinced of their own fault and returned to theirrespective states. What they had witnessed in the Zhoucountryside was the customary practice of farmers sharingthe banks between fields with different owners.

Included in the “Records of the Grand Historian” (Shiji)by Sima Qian, in his praise of the Viscount of the West,posthumously called King Wen of Zhou, this anecdote providesa glimpse into the agricultural wisdom and customsof ancient Asia. The story describes the concept of the socalled“in-between field” or “fallow field.” The “Great Commentaryon the Book of s” (Shang shu dazhuan)by Fu Sheng, another ancient Chinese scholar, edhow territorial disputes would be resolved by designatingthe borderline area as an in-between field. The “Garden of Stories” (Shuo yuan), compiled and annotated by the Confucianscholar Liu Xiang, defines a fallow field as a “buffer zone thatbelongs to neither party.” The “Book of Rites” (Liji), a collection oftexts on etiquette and ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty, callsthis type of land a “vacant field,” which belongs to no one, like themoon in the sky and the trees in the mountains.

Now, there certainly seems to be a clear difference between aDMZ and an in-between field. While the former is produced at thenegotiation table in consideration of human life on the simplest,most functional, and most interest-oriented level, the latter was thealchemy of concession, moderation, and tolerance, based on thepractical interests of the parties concerned.

Nonetheless, DMZs have proven to be a relatively successfulinvention. They have been effective in mitigating conflicts, albeittemporarily, in various war-torn parts of the world, and have alsoserved well for scientific research and exploration in remote areaslike the South Pole. However, their efficacy seems very limited whenthe opposing parties are inclined to engage in an arms race to protecttheir own values and interests. For instance, the DMZ betweenthe two Koreas, defying initial intentions, has become a heavily fortifiedarea where some 1.5 million troops and varied weaponry aredeployed. For more than 60 years, a state of confrontation, with thepotential to renew hostilities, has reigned over this lengthy stretchof land.

If you believe that big international organizations, governmentthink tanks, or prominent political leaders can bring peace to theKorean Peninsula, I may as well stop right here. Instead of thosebureaucratic efforts, I would like to talk about something that mightseem trivial — like people who clear trails of overgrown brush,widen roads to schools, and transplant unknown flowers into theirgardens. Although they live beyond the civilian control line of theDMZ, they are no different from other Koreans in that they endureand make sacrifices for the sake of a better life. I find in these peoplea capacity topeace, for surely the notion of in-betweenfields would have been conceived by such an attitude toward life.

The Punchbowl area in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, wasthe scene of ferocious battles that is never overlooked in discussionsof the Korean War. It was a highly strategic area that had to besecured by all means, because its loss would endanger Chuncheon,which in turn would leave Seoul vulnerable to enemy attack. Out ofthe nine major battles fought in the Yanggu area, four took place inthe Punchbowl area, including the Battle of Mt. Dosol, which eventuallygave the ROK Marine Corps the nickname “the invinciblemarines,” and the Battle of Gachil Peak, a cutthroat struggle to controla strategic vantage point, which changed hands six times in 40days.

Kim Eun-suk (right),a forest tour guide onthe DMZ PunchbowlTrail, explains thegeographic features ofthe surroundings.

The basin surrounded by mountains rising over 1,000 meters inheight came to be known as the Punchbowl thanks to a foreign warcorrespondent; this nickname caught on with Koreans as well. Formallycalled Haean Basin, the area was home to a small mountainvillage nestled in the basin d by rock weathering and erosion.After the armistice, the devastated village was relegated beyondthe civilian control line. The government started to relocate peoplethere in 1956, and the village is now a small township with a populationof about 1,700. At a time when the nation’s per capita incomewas less than a hundred dollars, the settlers risked their lives tocultivate the land strewn with landmines, up to the hillside as highas 600 meters. Recently, when the Korea Forest Service had theground plowed for afforestation of Mt. Wawu, two large sacks ofshell casings were collected here, bringing home once again whathappened decades ago. Even today, the tracts of land that the residentshave not cultivated are either minefields or restricted zonescontrolled by the military.

As she guides tourists,Kim Eun-sukemphasizes that thePunchbowl Trail is aspecial forest pathwhere you can take awalk contemplatingwar, peace, and themystery of nature.

The DMZ Punchbowl Trail, a trekking course, was opened in thisnorthernmost village in the autumn of 2011. The first priority in creatingthe trail extending beyond the civilian control line was demining.The military would not have allowed civilian passage otherwise.In addition, every tour must be accompanied by a certified guide forsafety.

Kim Eun-suk, 56, is a forest trail guidewho has led tours along this trail for fiveyears. Managing the trail and carryingout ecological surveys are also part of herduties. Kim sees her job as one of the benefitsof having grown up in this remote area.She and her husband had engaged in farmingfor their livelihood and to raise their twochildren. But they found it harder every yearto deal with the laborious work, while cropprices continued to drop. The opportunity towork as a trail guide came at a time whenshe was looking for something else to do.

The trail runs through an area that Kimused to wander about with her mother collecting linden tree bark and wild greens to help their family survivethrough the lean times in spring. She never imagined that thenames of the trees and herbs that her mother had told her long agowould be so useful today. Of course, the fauna and flora is not exactlythe same today, due to the disappearance of some native species— the medicinal herb Arnebia euchroma, marsh cudweed, Seemann’ssunbonnet — and the addition of other exotic ones.

The DMZ Punchbowl Trail is a trekking course stretching 73 kilometers,divided into four sections: Forest of Peace Path, Oyu FieldPath, Mandae Plain Path, and Meonmet Hill Path. Although theMeonmet Hill Path that leads to Baekdu Daegan (Great White HeadRidge) is also quite impressive, Kim’s favorite course is Oyu FieldPath. Unlike the mountainous, mine-strewn areas around GachilPeak and Mt. Daewu, this path is relatively flat with diverse sceneryof red clay roads, valleys, and reservoirs. Above all, this area iswhere she lived as a child, cooking for the family “squatting besidethe stove on top of a wood-burning furnace” because she was toosmall to reach the stove top.

Her parents’ graves lie at the entryto the path, reminding her of her farmer father, who would alwaysdress in a traditional high hat and long outer robe when he wentout.

As she guides tourists along the path, she is often tricked intothinking she is combing the woods to collect wild herbs with hermother, especially when looking upward through gaps in the treetops at the blue sky dotted with white clouds. Once, while guidinga group of elderly marine corps veterans who had fought in theBattle of Punchbowl, she sensed the same feeling in their eyes.Perhaps, somewhere along the trail, they had seen young soldiers,as defenseless as small children, sitting on the ground and fallenasleep leaning on their rifles.

Once, while guiding a group of elderly marine corps veterans who had fought in the Battle ofPunchbowl, she sensed the same feeling in their eyes. Perhaps, somewhere along the trail, they hadseen young soldiers, as defenseless as small children, sitting on the ground and fallen asleep leaningon their rifles.

The Korean Peninsula has long been an ideal wintering groundfor migratory birds from Siberia and northeastern China. However,rapid urbanization and increased reclamation of wetlands haveturned many of them away. The Cheorwon Plains is one of the fewremaining places on the peninsula that still offer a sanctuary forwintering birds. Early flocks of wild geese and cranes start to arriveeven before the fall harvest is done, followed by countless others,practically blanketing the October sky. Joined by mallards and Baikalteals a short while later, millions of migratory birdsamagnificent spectacle on the plains.

Uncovered in 1990 within theDMZ northeast of Yanggu, the4th Infiltration Tunnel is part ofthe Security Tour Course in thePunchbowl area. It was dug byNorth Koreans for intrusion ofthe South.

The birds make the Cheorwon Plains their first stopover becauseof the warm streamlets of about 15 degrees Celsius flowing overthe plateau of lava d by Mt. Ori. The warm streamlets andfertile soil of weathered basalt make these plains the best granaryarea in Gangwon Province. Just as people visit this place beyondthe civilian control line for the clean natural environment, migratorybirds also come here looking for grains scattered over the rice paddiesafter the harvest, grasses, and caterpillars of all kinds, as well as fish under icy surfaces.

The plains were also one of the bloodiest battle grounds duringthe Korean War. Called the Iron Triangle, this zone linking Cheorwonwith Pyonggang and Kimhwa counties was a vital strategicarea which had to be secured to maintain control over the centralfront. Up until the ceasefire agreement, the United Nations forcescontinued to exchange fire with the Chinese communist army here,which resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.

In December 1992, a guard in the Cheorwon part of the DMZspotted a crane standing still in the snow-covered fields for anunusually long stretch of time. The bird was found in the sameplace almost a week later, fallen on the ground beside the carcassof a male crane that apparently had died a while earlier. The story ofthe crane grieving over her dead mate and the soldier looking afterthe exhausted bird soon spread among the villagers.

Thanks to the soldier’s devoted care, the widowed crane cameback to life, and the villagers released the bird on a northern lakesurrounded by white birch trees. A ring was attached around herankle, so that they could recognize her when she returned. Overtime, the Odae Rice from Cheorwon became a nationally famousrice brand, prized for its clean growing environment. Although therehave been no accounts about the crane’s return, the locals tend tothink of her as a harbinger of their good fortune and thus make aneffort to feed the migratory birds that return to the area every year.

Some areas around the civilian control line, including JangdanPeninsula, Imjin River, and Togyo Reservoir, are well-known winteringplaces for eagles. Two or three decades ago, large eagles startedto show up at neighborhoods in these areas, often starved andexhausted. Since then, the residents have made it a point to leavefood for the starving eagles, providing much-needed sustenance fortheir winter sojourn. Around 2,000 or so eagles visit these placesevery winter. By picking clean the carcasses of animals discarded bylivestock farmers, the birds help to protect the natural environment,representing yet another model of coexistence between humansand wildlife.

Woljeong-ri Station in the civiliancontrol zone in Cheorwonis a whistle stop opened in1914 along the Seoul-WonsanLine. The remains of a train carbombarded during the KoreanWar are on display under a signreading, “The iron horse wantsto run again.”

After the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)proposed creation of international peace parks in 1979, variousresearch and investigation efforts have been conducted by diverseinternational organizations, as well as the Korean government andmedia, to advance the concept. Based on the outcomes, South andNorth Korea have signed several agreements that call for peacefulutilization of the DMZ, but there has been little progress in implementingthem. This is because the agreements essentially requiredpeaceful bilateral relations.

In his poem “Flower” which is widely beloved for its impressiveopening line, “Flowers bloom along all borders,” the poet HamMin-bok warns: “On the day tears dry up / and fail to pass betweenmoonlight and shadows / the fence of flowers will wither / and allthe borders between me and the world will give way.”

A guard post in the civilian controlzone overlooks the autumnscenery of the Cheorwon Plains,beyond which lie North Koreanfields and mountains.