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The Classical Music Festival "PLZ" has the distinction of standing on the south side of the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, the famous DMZ, a remnant of the Cold War. Souvannavong Kèoprasith / RFI

The 3rd Classical Music Festival " PLZ " is held in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, the DMZ. The concerts take place in various places of the site where the bloodiest battles of the Korean War took place, the organizers wanting, through this event, to contribute to promote peace in the world, as explained by the artistic director of the festival, Mijung Im. Interview.

From our special envoy to Korea,

RFI: Your festival is called Peace & Life Zone , abbreviated as "PLZ", an acronym that echoes the famous "DMZ" ( Demilitarized Zone , or "Demilitarized Zone"). "). On the program: Mozart, Bizet, Shostakovich and Sarasate, among others. How did you come up with the idea of ​​this annual meeting?

Mijung Im : Music and politics have long been linked. For decades, concert series have been used to pressure world leaders to change their minds and politics. For example, in 2005, the Live 8 series of concerts aimed to pressure G8 leaders to change their Third World debt policy. The link between music and politics is not new and such actions have taken place throughout the twentieth century as integral parts of social movements. [...] A true universal language, music is aimed at people of all cultures, making it a powerful means of expression and a key vector of social and political change.

We want, through our festival, which is not the showcase of a political party, but rather a social movement, to contribute to peace in the world through music. This peace must come through the end of the division of Korea and other countries in the same situation. To achieve this peace, the first step might be to replace the name of the demilitarized Korean zone, the DMZ, with the PLZ, the "Zone of peace and life," as the title of our festival indicates.

Renaming the area may not end the conflict, but it is a symbolic gesture and a strong message to the world, to say, " We can all live together. "

[Recall that, technically, the two Koreas are still at war , since no peace treaty has been signed to replace the armistice that concluded the 1950-53 conflict. A fratricidal conflict between the North supported by China and the USSR, and the South supported by the United States, which has caused the death of millions of people. Ed]

A concert in the Botanical Garden of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas during the 2019 "PLZ" Classical Music Festival. Kèoprasith Souvannavong / RFI

Your festival has the particularity to take place on the south side of the demilitarized zone, which bears its name badly, since it is actually the most militarized zone of the world. Why did you choose to perform in the DMZ, a remnant of the Cold War, one of the most militarized anachronistic sites in the world that physically materializes the partition of the Korean peninsula ?

The Korean DMZ is an ironic place. The place is considered the most dangerous in the world, but at the same time, it is a very peaceful place. As there has been no war on the spot for nearly 70 years, and as nothing can be built there, the area has been naturally preserved from human activities, becoming an ecological marvel rich in biodiversity. Today, this true ecozone contains many ecosystems, including forests, estuaries and wetlands frequented by migratory birds.

That's why our festival is called "Zone of Peace and Life". By organizing it here at the DMZ, we also hope to drive and see more events in similar areas around the world to give festivalgoers a holistic experience of music, nature and past history. , present and future.

The artistic director of the PLZ Classical Music Festival, Mijung Im. Souvannavong Kèoprasith / RFI

There are musicians from the South Korean army who come to play as part of your "PLZ" festival . What motivates their participation ?

Technically, the military can not volunteer to perform at our festival. Thanks to the support of the demilitarized zone division commanders, at our request, the military agreed to support our initiative and, therefore, to participate in the festival. This is how the military band comes to perform here, which is seen as a very encouraging effort by the military and as government support for the PLZ festival.

South Korean servicemen who have come to attend one of the concerts of the PLZ 2019 Classical Music Festival, pose with joy with the musicians. Souvannavong Kèoprasith / RFI

► The PLZ Clausic Music Festival is held until 5 October 2019. For more information: http://plzfestival.kr/eng

► To read also:

  • Korea: the DMZ, a demilitarized zone under permanent tension

  • Koreas: if the North and the South became one

  • Korea: "Reunification is necessary and will happen one day"

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), South Korean side. The DMZ, one of the last vestiges of the cold war, separates North Korea from South Korea. Soldiers on both sides look at each other in earthenware dogs, barely 10 meters apart. Souvannavong Kèoprasith / RFI