By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korea said Friday that it will not stand in the way of a group of prominent women when they plan to cross the inter-Korean border later this month.
North Korea had already offered its blessing to the 30 activists from 15 countries -- among them are renowned women’s rights advocate Gloria Steinem and Nobel Peace Prize recipients Leymah Gbowee and Mairead Maguire.
On May 24, which marks International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, the group will make their way from the North to the South across the so-called Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the Koreas.
The DMZ has provided four kilometers of buffer since the end of the Korean War in 1953 -- but it is still heavily protected on both sides by hundreds of thousands of troops, barbed wire and landmines.
Seoul’s unification ministry made the announcement that South Korea would allow the activists to cross the border.
“The government plans to recommend them to use the western corridor along the Gyeongui railway,” the ministry said, according to local news agency Yonhap.
An obvious alternative to that western crossing would be the truce village of Panmunjom, where tourists flock to witness the ongoing infamous standoff between soldiers from the North and South.
Last month, Seoul had been keen to insist that the group not allow their plan to be politicized. The women are hoping that their walk will raise awareness of issues between the two sides, including the separation of families by the DMZ and longstanding military tensions.
The United States, which has nearly 30,000 military personnel stationed in South Korea, has advised its citizens -- including 81-year-old Steinem -- not to make the trip.
