tagged w/ North Korea and South Korea
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A 13-year-old American boy intends to share his ideas for helping children and bringing peace to North Korea with that country's leader, Kim Jong Il.
Born in South Korea and raised in Mississippi, John Lee is proposing a "Children's Peace Forest" in the dangerous demilitarized zone dividing North and South Korea.
The demilitarized zone is one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world.
John Lee's mission, he told the Associated Press, is "Above politics, above borders, above conflicts, above idealogy. It's about giving hope to the people and children all over the world."
Wanting to help the environment and people at the same time, Lee's peace forest would be "one in which fruit and chestnut trees would be planted and where children can play."
The teen's parents were a little shocked when they first heard of his desire to travel to North Korea.
Having grown up in South Korea, his father is aware of the danger. When he was young, he was told not to associate with people from North Korea.
Despite his parents' hesitation, John's persistence and passion convinced them to travel to a country that the U.S. has—at best—strained relations with.
Given permission to visit by the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations, Lee and his family are expected to fly Thursday from Beijing to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
If a meeting with North Korean officials doesn't happen, or if he never gives his letter to Kim Jong Il, this brave teen has still done something extraordinary.A 13-year-old American boy intends to share his ideas for helping children and... more
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