Korea, giant Christmas Tree returns to border between North and South
Seoul (AsiaNews) - After months of controversy and judicial appeals, the government has granted the Christian Council of Korea permission to rebuild the huge Christmas tree on Aegibong peak. The hill, which is directly across the border with the North, is 165 meters high. Considered by some as a tool of "psychological warfare" with the North, the metal shaft and the cross that surmounts it will be visible to North Korean people living up to 10 kilometers from the border.
The official
announcement was made this morning by the Seoul Ministry of Defense, who also guaranteed
"protection" to the Christian faithful who will gather for the lighting
ceremony. The dimensions of the structure are still not clear, "between nine
and 35 meters high." Seoul has not yet decided whether or not to allow the
Christian group to restore the original giant tree, demolished in November
after 43 years.
For officials of the Park Geun-hye government the destruction of the old tree was
"motivated by security reasons. The frame was old and dilapidated. We have
not decided if the new can be as high as the original one or whether it will be
smaller". The lighting ceremony is scheduled for 23 December, when the
members of the Council will gather for a church service and the singing of some
Christmas hymns. The tree will remain lit and visible for two weeks.
Built in 1971 - at the height of tensions between the two Koreas - the huge frame was switched on or off according to the highs and lows of political relations between the neighbouring nations. In 2004, to great fanfare, Seoul declared that the tree "would be lit up again" because "an agreement had been reached" with Pyongyang. However in 2010, after the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan which killed 43 people, the Christmas lights returned.
.png)
12/02/2016 15:14
