South koreans live in the shadow of their enemy, north korea. As young people shun a life of semi captivity, its numbers are dwindling, along with the hope korea will ever be reunified. Ourjourney into the Demilitarised Zone begins at dawn. We pass checkpoint after checkpoint accompanied by commander chris mercado. Freedom main, this is freedom 6. Over. See this Kind Of Blue Archway and the white sign beyond it . Were now entering the Demilitarised Zone. This is the most militarised border in the world. Hundreds of rounds of Artillery Point in both directions, and securing this level of access is incredibly rare. To our left and to our right, we have active minefields. Theres more than two million mines inside of the dmz. Freedom main, freedom main. This is freedom 3. As we drive towards north korea, we reach a small cluster of homes. This is the village of taesung, home to 138 people, many now in their 60s and over. Kim dong rae was here long before the korean war would decide the villages peculiar fate. Translation dont get me started on what i went through during the war. It was unspeakable. We were caught in the crossfire. Both sides were firing at each other with the village in the middle. News archive communist troops have invaded southern korea. You could see the bullets flying left and right. A set of documents is signed by general harrison. When a ceasefire brought an end to the fighting, the Demilitarised Zone was created to keep the two warring armies apart. All the villages inside this 2. 5 mile wide buffer zone were cleared, but taesung was allowed to remain along with a village to the north to serve as a symbol of peace and hope that one day korea would be reunified. Dong raes husband was shot in the stomach by north korean soldiers and later died from his injury, leaving her to raise their six children in a perpetual state of high alert. There are no shops, restaurants or medical facilities here, and dong raes life has been stressful and lonely. Translation living here | in the old days was difficult. After the war, there were no cars and a bus only came once a week. And now its three times a day. What do you leave the village for these days . I have to go out to get my hair done because there are no shops here. I go once every two months. I want to do it every month. But its a hassle. The residents farm for their living. With Extreme Isolation comes an abundance of land. One day i was picking up acorns over there, and i saw north koreans. I started screaming. It was so scary. Do you pay much attention to whether relations between North And South Korea are good or bad . No. We live with our backs to each other, so i dont think about that. The village is secured by an Elite Battalion of soldiers from the United Nations command, a us led army made up of soldiers from more than a dozen countries. Theyre supported by south korean troops. Usa, numberone thats right. The villagers are grateful for their protection, and these displays of affection are common. From the roof of the town hall, we get a clear view into north korea. So from where were at right now, we can see from left to right and right to left, a heavily wooded area denotes the border between North And South Korea. There are no fences, there are no barriers, and there are no walls that separate north and south. So there is nothing to physically stop the north koreans from walking over into this village here. Except for us. Except for you. Thats right. North korea has also been allowed to keep one village inside the dmz the village of kijong. Though no one is thought to live there now. So we call it propaganda village, largely because we can observe that many of the windows and doors are actually painted on some of the buildings. Oh, yeah, you can see some of the buildings here, right . Can you . Yeah. Can you see the windows that are painted on or are you looking at a building that actually has windows . Im not sure. Its hard to tell given the north koreans have decided to abandon this village and they dont have People Living there, why do you keep People Living here at such obvious costs to you guys and such risk . Many people believe that both taesung dong and kijong dong exist in the hope of one day reunifying the korean peninsula. Failing that, perhaps one day it could pave the way for the normalisation of relations between the two koreas. What would happen if it disappeared . It would be a very strong symbol, right, that the terms of the armistice are no longer being enforced. As were preparing to move on, were alerted to a threat. We were planning just nowjust to walk up here a couple of hundred metres to a field closer to the north korean border. But weve just found out in the last half hour that a group of north koreans have defected directly down here to the south. And so weve just been told by the Security Team here that its too dangerous to go there because the north korean guards, its likely, are going to be on high alert. And it is a reminder that although in some ways this village feels very peaceful, the situation is incredibly unpredictable. Given the risks, it might seem strange anyone would choose to live here. But those who were born here, like park pil sun, have their history sewn into this land. The Ceasefire Line cut him off from his brother. Translation my brother lived to the north of the border. Then the korean war happened and the border was blocked so we couldnt visit each other any more. I havent heard from him since. Did you ever think that 70 years later, North And South Korea would still be divided . Who would have known it would last this long . Why have you stayed living in the village all these years . Im not a well educated man. Im not sure what id have done for work if i had left. All i know is farming. My wife has alzheimers, so i cant go anywhere. She doesnt let me leave at all so we just watch tv together all day. The villagers are under no obligation to live here. Habit and necessity are the reason so many have stayed put rather than a belief in the role theyre playing. Once the risk from the defection has gone, were taken out to the fields bordering north korea. This is designated a high risk field, meaning these armed soldiers must stand guard while the resident harvests the last of his seasons rice. The village mayor takes us as close to the border as we can get. Translation if you look there, you see the sign i where the border is. Beyond that is north korea. Threshing, Humming Sound whats that we can hear now . That sound . Thats north korean farming equipment. It looks peaceful now, but underneath this, theres an eeriness. People here carry a bit of fear inside them. The residents are on the frontline of escalating tensions between the north and south. Earlier this year, north korea branded the south its number one enemy and said reunification was no longer possible. Both sides have increased their Military Presence inside the dmz, meaning the villagers are offered some serious perks to persuade them to stay here. They dont pay taxes or rent or serve in the military. Translation it isnt a stretch |to call this paradise on earth. | Kim Kyung Rae fought to save this land at the age of 16, but his six daughters have all left the village, bound for seoul. Sleepy taesung can no longer compete with the Bright Lights and opportunities of modern day south korea. Yoon kyung is mr kims third daughter. She left as a teenager to go to school and never came back. This is a photo of my wedding. And my youngest daughters wedding. Has it been sad for you over the years having all six of your daughters leave the village . I was most heartbroken when i had to send my youngest daughter away. For years, women have been at a disadvantage here. While men were allowed to marry outside the village and bring their wives in, women were not, forcing them to leave to find love. In the past decade, the village has shrunk by a third as the old die and the young leave. As darkness descends, the threat from north korea rises. Dog barks the soldiers go door to door to check everyones safely inside. The villagers need permission to leave their homes after seven oclock. Dog barks this curfew is the most restrictive part of village life. As a young couple with two small children, the shin family is unusual. Mi sun met gyung ho at a party, and he convinced her to move in. Translation when my parents visited for the first time, dont interrupt that programme to take you live york. The Liberal Democrat leader ed davey is about to give a speech at the partys Spring Conference in york, you can see him on stage waving to the delegates in the hole at the york barbican. During his speech, he is likely to say that he wants Liberal Democrats to make the general election what he will call a once in a generation election. He is also expected to focus on the nhs. Lets have a listen into his speech. It focus on the nhs. Lets have a listen into his speech. Listen into his speech. It was 9 35m listen into his speech. It was 9 35pm on listen into his speech. It was 9 35pm on thursday listen into his speech. It was | 9 35pm on thursday evening. Listen into his speech. It was 9 35pm on thursday evening. 25 minutes to close of polls. I was still knocking on doors, trying to convince just a few more voters to get to the Polling Station and vote Liberal Democrat. Applause it was 1997 and be won by 56 votes. Cheering and applause we werent meant to win that seat. We werent meant to win that seat. We had no right to win it. But with a great team working incredibly hard, we did. And because we won, because of those 56 votes, we have been able to help Tens Of Thousands of people across Kingston And Surbiton, found homes forfamilies in fear of homelessness, saved the local nursery and Daycare Centre people rely on. Brought together families cruelly ripped apart by the home office. And, yes, cleaned up sewage from the local river. Friends, we have changed so many lives for the better in Kingston And Surbiton thanks to that unlikely 56 vote breakthrough in 1997, a once in a generation election. Now, a generation later, we have the opportunity to do it again, to get more Liberal Democrat mps elected, to change the lives of their constituents for the better, to kick the conservatives out of number ten and transform our country for good applause of course, we dont yet know when election day will be. We dont know because it is in the hands ofjust one man. It is pretty much the only thing left that rishi sunak controls. Laughter he certainly doesnt control his party, certainly not his cabinet, certainly not the Health Care Crisis or the economy. In fact, the Prime Minister sounds like he has given up. The budget revealed he is already planning for life after Downing Street. He says he wants to turn the uk into a new silicon valley, just to save him having to commute to california. Laughter i call that Career Planning on the taxpayer. Butjust picture rishi sunak now as he sits at his desk in Downing Street, coke in one hand, crystal ball in the other, trying desperately to predict the day of least catastrophe for tory mps like the conservatives very own nostradamus. Who knows, maybe despite what he says, rishi sunak will call the election tomorrow, or next week. I certainly hope so. The country cant wait a moment longer to see the back of this terrible government and as we have shown this weekend, we are ready. We are up for the fight. We have our amazing candidates already being local champions for the area. We have the right people. We have all of you. The strongest Campaigning Force in British Politics today. Cheering applause Liberal Democrats, i am so proud of everything we have already achieved together and im so excited for what is coming next. So come on, rishi, get that podium out in front of number 10, get that podium out in front of number10, time to get that podium out in front of number 10, time to go to the palace, the british people are ready and so are we applause but maybe he will drag it out until the autumn. We heard this week that some tory mps are pinning their hopes on england winning the euros this summer. Somehow thinking that will send voters flocking to the conservatives. Now, far be it for me to give the conservatives advice on their electoral strategy but i think it will take more than harry kanes right foot to make voters forget about years of economic chaos, rising nhs Waiting Lists and sewage in our rivers. And, yeah, rishi sunak is still there. And yet. Squatting in Downing Street while his government limps on feebly. Following more videos for his tiktok account and picking more poisonous culture war fights. The account and picking more poisonous culture warfights. The Prime Minister was right to warn about the dangers of extremism and division in our great country, but the conservative party needs to take a big, long look in the mirror. Applause the party that brought us boris johnson, Suella Braverman and lee anderson, proudly funded by a man who made the most appalling, racist and sexist comments. The conservatives no longer represent British Values of decency, tolerance and the rule of law. Applause the truth is, this Prime Minister is now so weak he will say anything to stop his own right wing mps from kicking him out before the british people get the chance. He is outrageously running down the clock, enjoying the trappings of office for a few months more while the crisis facing our countryjust gets worse and worse and worse. Conference, that shouldnt even be an option for a Prime Minister. And, really, it is a Prime Minister. And, really, it is a small but telling example of what is wrong with our broken political system and the two big parties who pp system and the two big parties who prop it up. The only reason rishi sunak gets to pick a date of his choosing is because two years ago, the conservatives passed a law taking that power away from parliament and handing it solely to the Prime Minister. While Liberal Democrat mps stood firm and voted no, labourstood democrat mps stood firm and voted no, labour stood back and let it pass. A Shameless Act of conservatives rigging the system in their favour conservatives rigging the system in theirfavour again but aided and abetted by labour in the hope it may one day benefit them, too. Never mind the damage it does to public trust in our democracy, never mind the chaos and uncertainty it causes for business, never mind all that. The only thing that mattered to the conservative and Labour Parties was their own narrow self interest. Applause and Liberal Democrats, that is what sets us apart from the other parties. We dont ask how we can benefit from the Current System, we ask how we can change the system to benefit everyone. We dont see politics as a game of accumulating power for ourselves, politics as a game of accumulating powerfor ourselves, we politics as a game of accumulating power for ourselves, we see politics as a game of accumulating powerfor ourselves, we see it politics as a game of accumulating power for ourselves, we see it as a chance to put real power in everyones hands, to give people a fair deal. Because the mess our country is in demands not a plan to tweak things, but a plan to transform everything. When i travel across our great united kingdom, when i hearfrom families across our great united kingdom, when i hear from families struggling to make ends meet, Small Businesses crushed under the weight of conservative red tape and crippling energy costs, patients waiting months or even years for the treatment they desperately need. When i see how so much in our countryjust isnt when i see how so much in our country just isnt working when i see how so much in our countryjust isnt working the way it should, from crumbling schools to sewage in our rivers, simply cant understand how the other parties dont seem to get it. Steady as she goes isnt going to cut it. The same old answers will only leave us with the same old problems. Tinkering around the edges wont come close to solving anything. And yet, that is what both the conservatives and labour are offering. They are both trying to cloak themselves in the costume of change, but they are both really saying, keep things the same. But, friends, our country needs change real change across the board, from our economy to our nhs to our environment. On issue after issue, problem after problem, the Liberal Democrat approach is so different because we dontjust want to change things on the surface, paper over the cracks and leave the foundation to crumble underneath, we want real change that makes a real difference to peoples lives. But that change will only happen if we change our political system, too. Applause if we are going to stop the chaos and corruption, if we are going to stop and put an end to scandals and sleaze, if we are go