Here, Now 여기, 지금 presents publications and special materials on the Korean War (1950–1953) and the Korean Demilitarized Zone from historical and artistic perspectives. This exhibition invites reflection on the aftermath of the war and explores ways to promote peace in the present.

At the end of World War II, Korea — unified for centuries — was liberated from Japanese rule but abruptly divided. The United States and the Soviet Union, concerned about Korea’s postwar influence, agreed to split Korea along the 38th parallel latitude line: Soviet forces would accept the Japanese surrender north of the line, while U.S. troops would do so in the south. At the Moscow Conference in December 1945, the U.S., Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and China agreed to a five-year trusteeship over Korea with the intent of establishing a unified government. However, they could not agree on which Korean groups to consult. Consequently, the plan stalled. 

The U.S. brought the issue to the United Nations, and elections were proposed. However, the Soviet Union rejected the U.N.’s involvement, setting in motion divergent paths to power for the North and South. In August 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected as the president of the Republic of Korea (South), while Kim Il-sung became the supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North) in September.

Tensions continued to escalate, leading to the Korean War on June 25, 1950. The U.S. and U.N. forces supported South Korea, while North Korea was backed by its communist allies. Three years later, on July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed by the representatives of the U.N. Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. South Korea did not sign the agreement, and the countries remain in conflict. To this day, their peoples and cultures continue to be isolated from one another on either side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. 

Here, Now 여기, 지금 is on view at The Nest in Geisel Library from September 19 to December 8, 2025, during the building’s open hours. 

Organized By: Jae Hwan Lim, Ph.D. Candidate, UC San Diego Visual Arts Department and Director, Humans of North Korea; and Hyo Jin Moon, UC San Diego Library Arts and Humanities Research Librarian, Lead for Korean and Japanese

Sponsored By: UC San Diego Library, UC San Diego Transnational Korean Studies, UC San Diego Visual Arts Department, UC San Diego Korea-Pacific Program, University of Southern California Korean Heritage Library, University of Michigan Asia Library and Nam Center for Korean Studies, Storefront for Art and Architecture. 

Image Credit: Project DMZ Proposal (1988) by Craig Konyk, Donna Seftel, Stanley Stinnett