In this month’s NK Update, Hanna Lee, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University writes on the following issues regarding relations between China and the Korean Peninsula. Despite South Korea’s diplomatic efforts to reignite the peace process on the peninsula, North Korea has fired new long-range cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles causing concern. Regarding this, the Ministry of Unification expressed its will to reignite inter-Korean cooperation. The Chinese foreign ministry stated that it takes a principled position on the issue and that it seeks to play a constructive role. In regards to DPRK-China relations for this month, Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Kim Jong Un in celebration of the 73rd anniversary of the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a visit to Seoul on September 14-15, during which he showed support for South Korea’s efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.

The different landscapes of North and South Korea are the result of more than 60 years of separation on the Korean Peninsula. In this research review, Changmo Ahn, Professor of Architecture at Kyonggi University explains how ‘architecture mirrors the time,’ or in other words, how differences in ideologies led to stark differences in the architectures and Urbanism of South Korea and North Korea. The author claims that a study of the cities and architecture of the two Koreas can lead to practical solutions for conflict on the Korean Peninsula as architecture, a social product, contains more messages about its society than does any other field. Even if we do not directly compare and study North Korean cities, studying the traces of engraved in the architecture of Southern cities alone can still serve as a basis for creating cities and architectural models suitable for the era of peace and coexistence.