North Korea: As North Korea Tensions Rise, Farming in the Demilitarized Zone Goes on

Apr 20, 2017 | Motoko Rich, New York Times
View Original

Taesung is a real community, albeit one with strict limits on who can come and go. The residents are mostly farmers from families that have lived here for generations. They cultivate fields inside the demilitarized zone, most of them growing rice sold under a special DMZ brand. Their plots — about 17 acres per family — generate about $80,000 a year, much higher than the average farming income in South Korea. But they must live in the shadow of two armies locked in an increasingly tense standoff.