A Trip to the DMZ

We finally did it. Since Nathan and I came to South Korea, we were hoping we'd get a chance to do a tour of the Demilitarized Zone of these two countries who are still technically at war. Today was that day.

We started the tour at a military base in Seoul and joined others for the tour and headed by bus up to the DMZ. Our first stop was to watch a short little video giving background and overview of the border line that now stands as the division between the North and South at the 38th parallel (MDL). Next, we ventured deep underground to what is referred to as the "Third Tunnel". South Korea has discovered four tunnels since the Armistice Agreement (peace treaty) was signed in 1953. South Korea estimates that there are possibly 20 undiscovered tunnels that North Korea may intend to use for a future attack. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos inside the tunnel; however, it was a good little hike down to a very muggy, wet, and narrow rock tunnel that had been blasted through with dynamite.

After the tunnel, we went to the Dora observatory to see what we could of North Korea. Unfortunately, it was a rather foggy day, so we didn't see much at this time. Apparently on clear days you can see a statue of Kim Il Sung, the propaganda village, and military checkpoints. Even though we couldn't see much, it was still pretty unreal that we were looking over into North Korean territory. We then went to the Dorasan train station, which is the last subway stop before North Korea. They hope to one day repair the railway between the North and South, but that day is not yet.

Last, but certainly not least, we arrived at Camp Bonifas. This is the called the JSA (Joint Security Area), which is also referred to as Panmunjom. At this time a US military officer took over the tour due to the high security and restrictions that must be followed. We transferred over to a military bus and rode up to the Freedom House, which is supposed to serve as a safe zone for North and South gatherings, but from what I understand, the North has refused to come. Just outside of the Freedom House is the Conference Row. This is by far the most intense and interesting aspect of the tour. We had to stand in single file lines and be very sure to not point or do any kind of gestures since the North Koreans are monitoring our every move. We stood from the South Korean side and faced the soldier on the North Korean side. Apparently, this North Korean soldier is out there 24/7 looking toward the South Korean soldiers who also face toward the North. It's a basically a never ending stand-off. You could just feel the tension and the focus that these soldiers had. They've been trained to show absolutely no emotion and to not let tourists come in contact with them, so we had to be a bit careful to not get a good elbow nudge as a warning that we were too close. We even got to go inside one of the buildings that the North and South still share as a place for their meetings.

We concluded our trip with viewing a few other important sites in the DMZ, including the 1976 Ax Murder site and the Bridge of No Return (you can just google those ones). Since the fog had cleared a bit by this point, we got to see the propaganda village that North Korea had set up in the 1950's to make it look like an enticing place for people to come see. Rumor has it that they only do upkeep on the sides of the buildings that face the South.

Our trip to the DMZ was certainly a highlight of our time in Korea. It felt surreal to be touring around an area that still today has so much tension and holds the possibility of an outbreak. We knew we were safe, but it still felt like a big deal that we were in the middle of two countries that were still at war and have had many incidents since the peace treaty was signed.

Our first stop of the DMZ just outside the Third Tunnel.

Nathan the DMZ Tourist.

Random statues.

We thought this was a cool image with Korea inside and the people working to push the two halves back together.

"End of separation, beginning of unification."

Dorasan Station, the last stop before N. Korea.

Bought a souvenir ticket to Pyeongyang (N. Korea's capital).

Well said.

Standing on the tracks that once led to N. Korea.

The most photographed North Korean soldier.

This is at the Conference Row. You can see two of the South Korean soldiers to the left and the North Korea soldier way in the back.

This is in the room where the North and South have their meetings. The soldiers must wear these glasses, show no emotion, and stand in a tae-kwon-do ready stance at all times. We also weren't allowed to stand too close... as you can see the awkward distance.

This is the propaganda village of North Korea. Their flag is one of the tallest in the world.

The 1976 Ax Murder site where one of the famous incidents occurred after the agreement was signed.

The Bridge of No Return. In 1953 the North and South prisoners of war were given the freedom to choose a side, but could never return back (hints the name). This reunited some families and divided some.