(Q1) Have you ever heard of a DMZ?
(A1) Yes.
(Q2) Great! Would you be able to explain what it is?
(A2) It’s some line in Korea that keeps the North part and the South part divided. It cuts the country in half so that the North one can’t attack the South one. You can’t keep your military in there.
(Q3) Did you know there are other DMZs in the world?
(A3) I only heard about that one.
(Q4) Would it surprise you that space is a DMZ?
(A4) Yeah, that does make sense. But they have satellites in space that they can use to attack with. So does that really mean that there is no military in space.
(Q5) Why do you think DMZs need to exist?
(A5) Because when two countries fight each other a lot of people will get hurt. People will die. Also people’s living situation can get really bad. It’s really sad. So when you make a DMZ you can stop them from attacking each other and it makes things more safe.
(Q6) Did you know that a lot of animals come back to live in DMZs?
(A6) No, I did not.
(Q7) Why do you think they would go to the DMZ?
(A7) Probably because there are not as many people. So they can live there and not be disturbed.
(Q8) Do you think DMZs are effective?
(A8) I think it depends. It helps create some space, so people need to talk. I think that aspect is definitely very good. But if two countries hate each other they will still find ways to attack each other even with an are that is no military allowed.
What I learned:
So, I interviewed my mom (who is not an expert in DMZs at all) to see what people know about the topic of DMZs in general. Like me, she didn’t seem to know much beyond the basics. It just shows how niche some of these issues can be on a global scale but how vital on the local scale. I’m sure if I interviewed anyone in Korea about the DMZ they would have strong opinions and know a lot more about it’s structure and history.