Background
Despite pressure from the US, China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea to dismantle its nuclear program, North Korea claimed to have successfully conducted a nuclear weapons test on October 9th, but the Gaesung Industrial Complex (GIC) project which is co-sponsored by South & North Korea together is coming along very well.
One problem that still exists is establishing a peaceful system even though the Korean peninsula is stabilized as seen on the world stage.
So, I thought the GIC is not just an economic cooperation, but a symbol for peace. With its precious property, the GIC will brighten the road for peace between North and South Koreas.

Complication
I couldn't sleep well because I was so excited about going to North Korea. So, I went to the city administration building with a throb in my heart. When I got up I went to Daegu city hall. People from the Citizen's Organization for Peaceful Unification were assembled there by 4:30am and we left for Seoul at 4:40am.
While we were on move, we were educated about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and things not allowable to carry to enter the country. A representative added that we must not take pictures near the military boundary line, reminding us of a past experience when they had to stop off in North Korea for 2 days.
By 9:30, we were at the border of North Korea going through the exit of South Korea. We became more and more nervous and were all flushed with serious tension. There was something strange about the radio broadcast we listened to in North Korea. It reminded of anticommunism posters that I saw as a child. Due to the propaganda coming from the speaker and a stiff faced soldier nearby, I felt very strange. However, immediately following that, the soldier smiled when he found he didn't know how to deal with my camera, saying "It doesn't work well..."
After we passed by, we were eventually able to visit the GIC and I was surprised that many products made in North Korea are being sold in South Korea. My heart was so full of joy from seeing their hard work.
At about 11:20 we moved to Bongdong-gwan to have lunch. Bongdong-gwan has been a very popular restaurant inside the GIC since Kim Geun-Tae, the head of the URI Party, performed a scandalous dance there. We ate sea food in that restaurant.
As there were not enough seats for me and one of my travel companions, we had to go to another room where we had an interesting experience. We joined North Korean representatives and ate together. I tried to make a joke to break the ice. I said "Because North Korea is very cold even crabs have fur." Everyone laughed and we had a good time.
While we were enjoying the meal, I introduced myself as a student studying political science and diplomacy. Our conversation turned to a somewhat serious topic. When they asked my opinion about "strong property and great-power chauvinism" and "precedence of a military regime" I was a little embarrassed and I didn't give a very good answer. However, when they praised their system and asked agreement for their communism, I expressed my thoughts with objections and even tried to persuade them.
Finally we changed the topic, proposed a toast and finished lunch together. I thought about many things. I found that their language and ours are not so different and we don't have many difficulties communicating with each other. But to be honest I think there is a profound ideological gap between us and them when I listened to their thoughts.
Next, we visited Hyundai Asan Corporation where many North Korean companies such as Wooribank, Family Mart, Green Doctors, Gaesung Hospital, and Korea Electric Power Corporation are located. Each company's sign was marked "Gaesung Complex Branch". I hope those companies will be successful in their business in the future.
After we took a group picture, we planted a maidenhair tree as the main event of our visit. Visiting groups planted trees in order to make a forest of peace, unification, and pride and hope to the two nations.
In addition, we need to recover our national identity by exchanging ideas with each other. I made a wish for practical actions which might lead to unification, by hanging my name card on the tree and hoping for a peaceful unification in the near future.
By 16:00, we arrived at the office of inspection to pass to North Korea and went through the procedure. The soldiers of the North reinspected us with body searches that were not so bad, and checked photos from our digital cameras. After that, we had a conversation with them and promised to meet some day with a warm handshake. I hope that this comes to reality soon. We headed to South Korea and finished our short journey.

Resolution

Visiting the GIC was a really good experience to help me to understand North Korea. The GIC is one example of how we can survive and develop together and it represents a peaceful reunification.
Although we've been separated for half a century, I truly felt their warm hearts of a single family and I realized that unification is not too far off. Moreover, it made me feel that unification is right around the corner. So the GIC is not just an industrial complex but a symbol for peace.
I think the GIC will be an advanced unification base for South and North Korea. I hope that many undergraduate students can participate in this event in the future to feel the brotherhood and have the same feelings as I had.