Choi Si-han et al.: Song of the Jo River

Water gathers, meets, and flows in harmony until it finally reaches the sea. [… …] The Han River passes through Seoul, meets the Imjin River again at Gyoha (the old name for Paju), and heads west; it meets the Yesong River once more north of Ganghwa Island. The meeting of these rivers, which has continued in the waist of the Korean Peninsula for immeasurable ages, has given birth to vast lands and abundant life, enriching the lives of the people. Even as history swirls and civilization becomes more turbulent, that flow has never stopped. _From the text_ On April 27, 2018, the meeting between the two leaders of the North and South across Panmunjom seemed to usher in an era of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. However, with the collapse of the Hanoi summit last February, inter-Korean relations cooled rapidly and remain at a standstill to this day. Amidst such rapidly changing circumstances, there is a river that flows silently, waiting for the day of peace and the day of reunion to arrive. That river is the Jo River, located in the center of the Korean Peninsula. The Jo River, located in the border region between the South and the North, is another name for the "Han River Estuary" that was lost after the division. Although it holds historical significance as a place "fought to be occupied by the Three Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje" and a waterway leading to "Gaegyeong (Kaesong), the capital of Goryeo, and Hanyang, the capital of Joseon," it faded from our memory after the Korean War. Now, *The Song of the Jo River*, a book focusing on this very area that had been outside our attention, has been published by Munhak & Jiseongsa. This book allows us to rediscover the Han River Estuary by restoring the forgotten history and culture of our people intertwined with this river.

Korean title: 조강의 노래

Korean author: 최시한 외

Korean publisher: 문학과지성사

ISBN-13: 9788932035901