While the world nervously monitors the stream of nuclear threats from North Korea, one of the greatest displays of international unity will take place a mere 50 miles from the heavily guarded communist country’s borders—the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

It may seem illogical that a location dangerously close to a nuclear-armed, dictator-led nation has been selected to host an international sporting event. After all, games organizers put a capital “C” in PyeongChang to help travelers avoid mistakenly boarding flights for North Korean capital Pyongyang.

But being chosen as the venue for the games is emblematic of South Korea’s rise to prosperity in the 20th century after enduring decades of occupation, war and division from its northern neighbor.

Sometimes called “The Land of the Morning Calm,” the nation is known for its majestic high mountains and clear waters.

Yet it is also hyper-modern. The Republic of Korea, its official name, is the world’s seventh largest advanced economy and fifth largest exporter. Its major companies include technology giants Samsung and LG, as well as car companies Hyundai and Kia. The capital, Seoul—a city with more than twice the population of Los Angeles—has the fifth largest GDP among world cities.

South Korean culture is steeped in tradition. Rice, fish and other seafood are staple cuisines, and kimchi—pickled vegetables—is a popular dish in the country and worldwide. One day a year, citizens are encouraged to wear hanbok—a traditional Oriental dress with vibrant colors and patterns still worn for formal occasions.

Modern Korean culture, however, is heavily influenced by the West. K-pop music became well-known when the singer Psy topped charts with “Gangnam Style” in 2012. Soccer and baseball are the most popular sports among Koreans, and smartphones are in the hands of 85 percent of the population.

South Korea’s glitzy cities stand in stark contrast to North Korea’s underdeveloped state. Nighttime satellite images of the Korean peninsula show a well-lit South next to a pitch-black North, besides a faint patch of light coming from Pyongyang. Also, a study by South Korean researchers found that the average North Korean 18-year-old man is 5 inches shorter than South Koreans of the same age, as a result of malnutrition.

As many as two-thirds of the South’s citizens are hopeful for reunification. But amid North Korea’s nuclear scare, the only hope seems to be that the Olympics will showcase to North Korea what it is missing.