Reflection

Reflection

My home country, Korea, wasn't always divided. However, since the war, the demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel has marked the barrier between North and South, a division that shows no signs of ending anytime soon. So for many, it's a place of sorrow. A place that enraptures the history of division, war, and violence. But for others, especially ecologists, it is a place of opportunity. An adventurous opportunity for the experience of an untouched and ecologically sealed forest for years. For me, with a grandfather who is a Korean War veteran and a lifelong interest in exploring forests, it has always been both. Yet I would've never imagined that this special place was slowly deteriorating due to the very humans that created it. The endangered plants, the migratory cranes, and the vast landscapes that I cherish are being endangered further by invasive species and seasonal disruptions (i.e. earlier springs) driven by climate change. "A DMZ Reverie"–or "A DMZ dream", expresses this bittersweet feeling. When composing, I tried to capture the memories with my friends that I spent in this forest, the apprehensiveness of the future, yet the will to stand strong and do all I can to protect it. It first starts off with a adventurous and hopeful motif that resonates with what I've felt when I first entered the forest and witnessed the wildlife. Then, the climax highlights the peril that the forest is placed in due to climate change. Lastly, the third theme (the best part!) is representative of the efforts that we can hopefully make to sustain the forest. As we transition into the final section, the first motif is recapitulated as the entire piece ends on a grand finale, conveying our hopeful attitude towards the moment that the forest's beauty is unveiled.