 So, for our next speakers, I'm very happy to welcome Caroline Mürk and Zoom. They will both present to us what they experienced and how they hacked and tackled the Korean militarized zone, the zone between North and South Korea. Caroline is a Franco-Korean anthropologist and an artist who graduated from Chelsea College of Arts in London and he has in Paris. And Zoom is a Korean artist who graduated from art school and sub in 2006. So, I'm very happy to welcome you and we're now very eager to hear your talk. Thank you very much and thank you for joining us. My name is Caroline. Thank you. I'm speaking to you from Paris right now and Sang is speaking to you from Seoul. So, we are very happy to give you this talk about the DMZ. So, our topic is about hacking the DMZ but in artistic way and for that we want to give you an insight of the Korean culture right now. So, that's why Sang will give you some information about what's happening in Korea. So, I'm an anthropologist and I'm an artist. So, meaning that I study people and the way they live and I try to understand why they think the way they think, why they act the way they act. As an artist I try to express my vision through different artistic medium and through creativity. So, I started to work on the DMZ in 2012 and in 2013 I had the chance to paint the Berlin Wall. And so, I did that during the night so that was very quick. And what I wanted to represent was the fact that Korea and Germany have a similar history, especially after World War II and during Cold War. So, on the wall I painted two faces, those two faces are Korean masks. And those masks were used during popular theater and the popular Korean theater was a criticism of the ruling and governing class. So, on the next slide you can see me painting the wall during the night and there were two kids like looking at it and they were saying, oh, the faces you're painting, it's anonymous. And I was like, no, it's not anonymous, those are Korean masks. Then the next day in the morning I went to see if my graffiti was still on the wall and it was still on the wall. And I was very happy to see that people were taking pictures of it. So, well, this was my vision of DMZ at the time like almost a decade ago. So, Sang, can you tell us about you and about your work as an artist? Okay, thank you. Hi guys, I'm Sung, I'm a visual artist and I'm living mostly in Seoul. And in my artwork I've been concentrating on collecting data. And for example, as you can see here, I've grown up a plant and I collected data through sensors and the data goes into computer to make a 3D-shaped sculpture. And I print them out and stick them together and made this kind of sculpture in digital way. So basically that's what I'm doing. And in my work I've been applying many different kinds of techniques such as robotic movements. You can see here that the body movement of the audience can control the robotic sculpture, for example. And some performers use the robotic sculpture as a tool. And also some interactive animation mapping techniques that I'm using. And the audience can enjoy the animation by the motion of the audience. So like this. And also I've been experimenting some interesting animation and we can enjoy that with some Google in VR mode. And also I've been practicing some live performance with interactive audiovisual. So which means there's some performer making some sound and sound effects, sound control, or make changes of the animation in the world. So my project, my code with the title Prometheus 3, the image you can use here is the recent version. And you can find more details on my website or you can ask some questions through my email. Or even through this link you can check documentation video. Thank you. So about hacking the DMZ, for people who work in information security or cyber security, you might know the subnetwork to protect your internal network. However, I'm not going into technical details about that, but I will explain what inspired this subnetwork. So what inspired this subnetwork was the border between the two Koreas. So the DMZ, the Demilitaries Zone, was built in 1953 after the Korean War. As you can see on the map it's a border and the length is 250 kilometers and it's four kilometers wide. At the border there is this place called Panmunjeon and it's a joint security area where all the official negotiations take place. The official negotiations between North Korea, South Korea, the United States and the United Nations. So when you visit the place you can see many flags. So at the north of the border you can see the North Korean flags and at the south of the border. You can see the South Korean, the United Nations and the American flag. So it's a very international place and because it was built after an international conflict. So about the DMZ history, this was a battlefield. So this was a battlefield between the communists in the north and the capitalists in the south. And from the archive, from the audiovisual archive I found, I decided to make some paintings just to express my feelings about this atrocious place. So I used Chinese ink and I just drew what I felt about what I saw and what I experienced when I visited the place in 2012. So it's a sad place. I mean, it was a sad place but now it just became something different. And what is the DMZ now? So can you show us the slide? So the DMZ is more like Disneyland. Yes. And it's what I call the military turn into Disneyland. So you can take pictures with soldiers like South Korean soldiers and you can buy some North Korean wine if you want. If you want to visit that place, you need a guide and all the guys tell the same thing. If you visit the place from South Korea, so you will hear a lot of propaganda against North Korea. If you visit the place from North Korea, you will hear a lot of propaganda against South Korea. And so it's a bit overwhelming to visit this place because it comes from a very sad moment in Korean history. So it turns into like a market where you can buy some patch and you can buy many goodies about the DMZ. So the other thing which is very interesting and which is known by the scientific community is that the DMZ is now has grown its own unique biodiversity between landmines. Because you have to know that this border and four kilometers wide you have many landmines and it's the no man's land, no one is crossing. So vegetation, plants and animals came to make their own home in this border. So you have eagles, you have deers and I heard that you also have a Siberian tiger there. So the scientific community come to observe the animals, come to observe the plants and what the South Korean government wants, they want to preserve this place. So they ask the UN, so the UNESCO to label this place as you know like World Heritage, but it's still in negotiation right now. What else? So a song about biodiversity has made an art, has got this project of an art installation. And both of us we would like to make an art installation like the DMZ. So we're calling all the artists, all the tech people who are interested by this issue to join us and maybe we will be able to make something beautiful there. Because what do we want? We want peace in Korea. Peace is not, I mean there's the armistice, but the peace agreement is not signed. And what we will talk in this presentation is how it's supervised by the US government. So Sen, can you tell us more about the plant you collected at the DMZ and your project about it? Okay, Caroline. So before I talk about the project for DMZ, I'd like to explain a little bit more about the basic idea of my project. So my project called Prometheus String Project has this, as you can see, this basic process. So there's some data collected from Living Creature. And there's this artistic concept of data reflection, which means, for example, there's sunlight. And when the sunlight passes through a prism, it makes this beautiful rainbow. And I've got this idea that if I can change the data as numbers and pass through this data reflection concept, and it becomes a totally different visual or even the sound or movement. So that was the basic idea of the project. And this is, you can see a little bit more detail about the Prometheus String Project. So there's a plant that was with the plant that was our first version. And there's some sensors, connected sensor, analog sensor or temperature, humidity, UV sound, so about the details about the environment of the plant's growing process. And it makes, it decides the sculptures, shape, size or position, some details. And also the altitude or longitude of the project space can affect the deformation of the sculpture. And you can see how it becomes in shape. And these images are the images from the process. So on the left, you can see the serial numbers coming into the computer in real time. And those numbers decide the shape in every 30 minutes. So I've got different shape in every 30 minutes. And on the right on top, that's the image how the sensor or computer see the plant. And the last image is for preparation of 3D printing. And this project, Prometheus String Project had some evolution. Because I started this project in 2016. So for five years, the project reached seventh version. And during this evolution, I've been applying various techniques, such as robotic movement, audiovisual performance, et cetera. And also, I've been trying to match with some social issue on my work. Because what I wanted through my work is not just some demonstration of certain techniques or certain scientific theory. I wanted my artwork reflex where I live or where we live. So on third version, I've tried to match this project with some social issue. So I was invited from exhibition in Kwanju. And Kwanju was this very important city for its uprising for democracy in 1980. So I tried to talk about some subject of this movement on my work. And also, in 2018, I've got this idea of talking about DMZ. Because it was just right before the summit of two Koreas presidents. So presidents from North Korea and South Korea. And so I decided to make some project concerning of this event. So I've got the idea of collecting the plant around DMZ and make use it for my project. So this image explains a little bit more about how I can finish my project. So you can see here DMZ zone. And there's a Panmunjeon which Caroline explained. So the image is very small, but you can still see the two Korean president shaking hands that happened in 2018. So I make my work in Seoul. And it was 2018. I was making my sculpture. And it's 58 kilometers from Panmunjeon. But on the same direction to North and on the same distance. There's some train station in North Korea. So I've got the idea, this idea that I can finish my project by installing my sculpture around this train station. Hopefully, but DMZ zone or getting into DMZ zone or into North Korea as a South Korean. Still is impossible. So hopefully I'm hoping that one day I can install my work in North Korea. That was a brief explanation of my project. So perhaps the best place to make your installation would be the joint security area. Hopefully. So you talk about the train station at the DMZ. There's a train station, a ghost train station that is not functioning anymore. So in 2002, George Bush, the president George Bush came to visit that train station. And he made a discourse, which is very famous because he said that North Korea was the axis of evil. So he didn't plan for the reunification or the peace agreement at all. However, the train station is very strategic. So right now, like the North Korea and South Korea are talking about making a railway between the two countries. So because what you have to know is South Korea is like an island, you know, it's totally isolated from the rest of Asia. And you can only access South Korea by plane or by boat. So what would be like the impact of having a railway going from South to North Korea? Can you tell us about it? Yeah, so you see the image and the picture, there's the George Bush. And on the right side, that's our former president. So it was 19 years ago. And we were trying to connect or reconnect this two railway, and now it's cut. But after 19 years, so now we are in 2021, 21st, and what happened during that time? Honestly, nothing, because of the political reason. And so, but hopefully, in the recent condition of politics between two Korea, we are re-beginning of talking about this connection of two railway. But if it happens in real, you can see on the right side, you can see on the map, even from Europe to the extreme Asia, everything can be connected by train, by unland. And even we can transfer everything we want. And it costs much cheaper. And ecologically, it consumes at least the fuel. So it's a really good, not just in political reason, but economical or ecological reason. This is a big event. This will be a big event. And thank you. Can you show us the next picture? Yes. So imagine if all the Asian railways were connected, that will be huge. So let's talk now about some stereotypes and why and how they're made. I think stereotypes, Western stereotypes of South Korea and North Korea is because of the Western press and also we always hear things from the US viewpoint. So I guess there are some truths behind stereotypes, but today we're here to explain more what's behind those internet memes, for example. So we know that there are some hackers in North Korea, the cybersecurity community in the United States were attacked. And but we have also the K-pop, South Korean K-pop, and we have also the South Korean gamers. But behind those people, there are politics and Sung is going to explain what's behind it. So you have to know that the United States of America have a huge power on Korea, Penang Sula. So on those pictures, we can see Trump and Kim Jong-un and the South Korean president. So can you tell us about those pictures, please? So I remember that was 2018, just right after the United Team during the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. And there was the summit between two Korean leaders and they agreed. So just between North and South Korean prisons, they agreed for the end of the war. Because in Korea, we are still in the war, but just we are getting some polls. So that's why around the frontier, there are so many military units and this impossibility to go and come. But in 2018, so two countries tried to end this war. But unfortunately, we need agreement of United States presidents for this contract or to sign up. So Trump, former president of USA, made some good mood for that, to sign that. But just right before the meeting in Singapore, he changed mind so they couldn't sign on the paper. So we just signed on a paper that North Korea had this plan to open their door to the world. Then they removed all the militaries around the DMZ or frontier. But we couldn't do that because of the United States president's changing mind. So that's what happened in 2018. So as you see, we need only one signature from the US president to have peace in Korea. So the question with Biden signed a peace agreement, we don't know, but we would like it. So you talk about the military power of North Korea. Can you tell us about this tradition before every election in South Korea? So the missiles, so North Korea signed missiles before every election in South Korea. Can you tell us more about it? Yeah, it becomes like almost you mentioned the tradition, but yeah, this is a silly thing. For South Korea and more for the old generation, the communist or communist government is still main enemy. So they like to use in politics. So just right before the important election like a presidential election or election for a deputy, they call North Korean government to launch or to start some experimental launch of missiles. So most of young people know about this details, but it still works for all generations. And we are right now, even right now, we are just several days before the election day. And it was, I remember it was last week or two weeks ago, there was a launch of another missile in North Korea. So it's like fireworks, you know, you are now huge of it. It's still working. It's crazy. Okay, so about South Korea now, we all know Samsung and the Chibol power, but I didn't know that South Korea was making an artificial sun. So that could be like an answer for the climate change, maybe? Yeah, I've known this news from the newspaper and I read some article about that on that. So Korean scientists succeeded this artificial sun for more than 20, around 20 seconds. So that was the first time in the world that an artificial sun last that long. So that was that is a really good sign for the new energy to make energy. Because actual nuclear power plant, it makes a lot of, you know, a lot of waste. And it's contagious and it's very dangerous because of this possibility of explosion. But in this making some way, so making the sun, the artificial with this technique, it doesn't produce any danger or waste, nuclear waste. So it can be really a good chance to have the clean energy. No, so that's great. And, you know, South Korea is very, is very interested by, you know, preserving the biodiversity as we could see at the DMZ, you know, the South Korean government as the UNESCO to preserve this border as it is now with all these animals and all the plants. And because it's Easter weekend, so every April 5th in South Korea, there's a national event called Shinmugil. So and it's a very, it's an ecological movement. So can you tell us what is it exactly Shinmugil? It's just simply a planting day. So you plant everywhere. But so I remember when I was a kid, you know, in the schools, in the school that we went to the mountain and practicing this planting the trees. And the Korean government is also helping in Mongolia, because, you know, in Mongolia, there's some, some desert is expanding. So and it influence it makes, you know, the very huge dust wind and it reaches to Korea until Korea. So Korea government went to Mongolia to plant more trees. So Shinmugil, you know, become a national day after the Korean War. Okay, because we they were not enough trees in the mountains. So they asked the population to participate in this national effort. And now we have a very nice forest. And yeah, bamboo forest. Sorry. Because, you know, when the Korean Korean people started this Shinmugil day, they, you know, when I see when I see the old really all the photography of the landscape in Korea, for example, like and around the end of the chosen dynasty. You know, every mountain was, you know, no tree, you know, it was like just, you know, some hill, we can see. But now in South Korea is everywhere is covered by trees. And so now we even talk a little bit more about this even this planting day, because, you know, now we have enough trees, I think. Okay. And people love hiking, you know. So thank you, you know, for listening, if you'd like to join our art movement to get a peace agreement in Korea, we would love to hear from you so you can either write to us, either write to me or write to Sang. So we are very pleased to give you some information about our country. And we'd like to hear your questions. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Thank you very much for your presentation. Information for the people on the stream, if you have any questions, then you please write them into the questions pad. The link to the questions pad is on the talk side. It's a bit hidden between your two bios, but it is there, I can see it from here. You can link and put your questions there. And we can start now with the first question that has been there for almost all of the talk. Maybe you can answer that individually. Did you ever cross the border? No, no. I did my military service for two years and I did some training, military training inside of DMZ, but it's highly prohibited and it's secured by a lot of military troops, so it's really difficult. But you can reach it to some tourist sites. I did not cross the border yet, but I hope one day I will. But recently, it was just last year, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un mentioned, that was for the first time by a North Korean leader. He mentioned the beloved South Korean. He used love, which means he has this will to open. We are not yet talking about reunification, but at least ending war. We just crossed the border and it needs just the signature signing by American presidents. Okay, let's see. So there is the next question is a longer one. I hope that I get it all. How can we explain the discrepancy between Western media perspective that focuses on the DMZ and the Ganghwa Peace Observatory where Koreans send wishes for unity of Korea? Which perspective is more Korean, DMZ or Ganghwa? Can you repeat again, please? Yes. How can we explain the discrepancy between the Western media perspective that focuses on the DMZ and the Ganghwa Peace Observatory where Koreans send wishes for unity of Korea? Well, about the DMZ or future of the DMZ, two governments have had this plan to preserve the DMZ as it is. And try to develop the tourist side or the research facilities in a minimum way. And also from many countries, the researchers are coming to the DMZ side to do some research already. But the DMZ is not an issue, a well-known issue. It's not yet in the Western country, I think. Yes, I think the question ends a bit about maybe also where's the difference between how Koreans, I mean you as a South Korean have a South Korean perspective and how the Western media looks at it. I mean, for myself, I basically know that the DMZ exists and through this talk I learned a lot. But how is the Korean perspective maybe different? No, I think we are just focusing on that land untouched during more than 60 years. So absolutely we often say that absolutely we make nothing inside. So that's the main idea and the South Korean government is keeping this idea for the future. So there will be so many researchers of the biology or some other scientists will rush to DMZ in the future if we finish the world. And the thing is the DMZ is controlled by the UN and the US. So that's why we all get the Western perspective because it's the Western powers who govern this place in a way. Yeah, the funny thing is when South Korean government or some association, private association try to support some food or some materials for North Korean people, they need permission from UN to cross the border. And in many times UN denies because in United States policy they forced to block North Korea in total way. So it's even not possible to help them. That's the actual condition. Yeah, and that's the question about crossing the DMZ. So there's this woman association which was funded by a Korean American woman and they managed to cross the DMZ with other Korean American women but they were Americans. So they had the authorization by the UN and by the US government but inside South Korea or North Korea is very difficult to get the authorizations. So I think that explains how this is this place the DMZ is really an international hotspot regulated by external powers. So for the very last question, I guess you heard that before but the asker is saying this sounds like propaganda. How do you feel about that? The propaganda from North Korea you mean? I think it aims at South Korean propaganda. It doesn't say but it sounds like it. You mean the last recent event maybe? It's the rest of the question. Yes, I guess they are aiming at that. Because around the frontier from both sides we put these huge speakers for the propaganda or some people send the balloons with some propaganda papers or some cars from both sides. But recently with the political good mood we stopped it for a long time but a few years ago in political way and we had a different situation with former president. For instance, they restarted these stupid actions but in South Korea some people, especially the refugee from North Korea, they have this association and they still continue to send something to North Korea but it's very bad seen by the rest of the Koreans. South Korea. It looks like a game now. All this propaganda from North Korea and South Korea is becoming a game. The missile or the balloons or the speakers. Of course there is propaganda from South Korea of course. In a way an art installation if you want. Yes, absolutely. Okay, thank you very much. We've run out of time. I guess people can contact you still via email and from the slides I think the contact is there. Thank you very much for your talk and for the Q&A and yes I wish everyone a pleasant event. Thank you very much. Thank you.