Under The Gun

When Czech pianist Hana Dvorakova sat down to play Tuesday, she was just 100 feet from the most militarized border on Earth, the line that has separated South and North Korea since their 1950-53 war. Dvorakova said she was “very honored” to be playing in the truce village of Panmunjom, which sits squarely in the middle of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. On the South Korean side, about 250 foreign diplomats, businessmen and government officials listened enthralled as Dvorakova played selections by Beethoven, Dvorak and Smetana. From North Korea, she was watched through binoculars by North Korean guards and a handful of what appeared to be tourists. “I hope they will continue to hold concerts here and bring more understanding in this part of the world,” Dvorakova said of her performance in South Korea’s Freedom House.