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	Korea's Re-Militarized Zone By Declan McCullagh February 15, 1999 One phone line. Just one phone line. That's all that links North and South Korea, two countries that legally are still at war. One phone line is the only means military commanders have to communicate across the world's most heavily armed border, a re-militarized zone as ripe as a rotting melon for carnage and mayhem. Enter Y2K and the likelihood of glitches in military telecommunications systems. Could that sole, lonely link disappear? The US Army, for instance, has encountered problems with its DCASS Base Telephone Switch Program. Hardware and software upgrades are required and are scheduled to be done by September 30, 1999. There's also the possibility of disruptions in weapons systems. Did we mention that North Korea's allegedly high-tech weapons are Soviet-made, and there's no money available to fix 'em? Oh-oh. The United Nations Command last Thursday finally got the Y2K jitters. In an unusual meeting in the border city of Panmunjom, UN, American, North Korean, and South Korean commanders met to talk about ways to thwart Y2K instability. The outcome: More talks. "UNC addressed the computer system problem, Y2K, and proposed further meetings be held on this subject with the [North] Korean People's Army," Japan Economic Newswire quoted a UNC spokesman as saying. According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea seemed willing to go along with the expert-level-talks idea. (In the truth-is-as-strange-as-fiction category, one Y2K novel includes such a Y2K-sparked Asian confrontation.) Anonymous sources said the real-life Koreas were considering the unprecedented step of -- get this -- installing a second phone line. As if they shouldn't have thought of this before?		FEATURES Book Reviews Y2K already has spawned its own genre. We tell you what books are worth buying. Chip 'n Little Cartoons Chip 'n Little goes on TV Chip 'n Little visits John Koskinen Chip 'n Little saves the world Warning: This cartoon has been called "foolish and tasteless." Y2K from A to Z Y2K Haiku Traditionalists may be shocked. Mad Cow Culture What does Y2K have in common with today's Mad Cow Culture? Answer: Everything. Declan McCullagh's Y2K articles Psychology of Y2K LATEST NEWS As of December 31, 1999 Get Your T-Shirt Quick Bill Gates Does Y2K Reader Feedback A Sarcastic Calendar Cooking After the Apocalypse A Real Y2K Disaster Hitchhiker's Guide Meets Y2K