At the UN General Assembly last week, President Moon Jae-in proposed turning the heavily-guarded Demilitarized Zone into a global landmark of peace.
And a small town within the DMZ is trying to do just that,... becoming one of the world's first villages to run on the 5G mobile network.
Oh Soo-young has more.
This is perhaps one of the most secluded and heavily-guarded villages on earth.
Past the barbed wire fences and military checkpoints,... Daeseong-dong Village lies within the four kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone that splits the two Koreas.
But it has undergone a transformation, becoming one of the most connected, high tech places,... running on the 5G mobile network and state-of-the-art IT infrastructure.
Traditional telescopes gave you a limited view of North Korean towns across the border. But using this augmented reality touchscreen, you can see the streets, and buildings up close, and even watch people riding their bicycles all in real-time.
Earlier this year, KT Corporation launched its 5G village solution developed for isolated communities.
Despite enjoying a high level of income and exemption from taxes and military duties,... the 197 residents live under a strict curfew,... and are required to stay in the village for most of the year.
Inside the village's solitary school,... some 30 students now learn by using some of the most advanced smart gadgets and software on the market.
These also help them to overcome their physical limitations.
"I developed a VR program that gives you a tour of Daesung-dong. I want other people to enjoy our village, as they can't get here easily."
Coding artificial intelligence programs is one of the new classes offered on the school's curriculum.
Sensors and IoT gadgets provided by KT are applied in other classes too, such as gym class, allowing students to interact with children from other schools.
The village is also overcoming physical restraints in farming its main source of income.
A smart farm solution allows them to monitor their crops and water them remotely through 5G.
"We used to be escorted to the fields by a soldier, but now I can control the switches or just look at the crops from home or outside the village without going through that process."
Other smart solutions include sensors to boost energy efficiency, and air quality,... as well as an emergency response system that connect all of the village's 46 households.
"The smart LED light doesn't just turn on and off. It has a speaker that gives announcements and disaster alerts. So if there's an emergency, we can respond quickly. It gives us a peace of mind."
The Moon Jae-in administration hopes to transform the DMZ from a symbol of division to a landmark of peace,... to break the decades of deadlock following the Korean War.
"I think today all of us saw what could be the future. A technology-based, human-friendly village that people can use effectively and for peace."
Just 400 meters from the border, the road to peace and prosperity and one
