Amid all the talk of a new cold war, it is easy to forget that there are parts of the world where the cold war never ended. A couple of weeks ago I visited one of them. On the south side of the demilitarised zone that divides the Koreas, tourists use telescopes to stare into the North . A giant flag from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as it styles itself, flutters in the breeze.
The end of the cold war in Europe in 1989 inspired hope that Korean reunification would swiftly follow. Twenty-five years later, that hope has given way to weary scepticism. Few believe reunification is imminent, and officials worry that young South Koreans are losing interest in the idea. The gap in per-capita income between North and South Korea could now be 40:1, compared with about 3:1 between East and West Germany at the time of reunification. The culture gap may be even larger. Even the language has diverged; South and North Koreans sometimes have a hard time understanding each other.
In an effort to whip up a little enthusiasm, the administration of President Park Geun-hye has talked of a “reunification bonanza” — arguing that uniting with the North could give the South an economic boost by adding a pool of young, low-cost labour to the Korean economy. The prospect of a land route to Europe, across China and central Asia, is also touted as a potential benefit. But many South Koreans, perhaps mindful of what happened in Germany, suspect the whole process would be immensely costly and disruptive.