On Saturday I visited the Korean Demilitarized
Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea near the 38th
parallel. In length the DMZ is
241km and in width extends 2km into both countries. It is one of the last
living remnants of the Cold War. Two
coworkers and I attended a USO tour which transported us about 50 km from Seoul
to four different locations in the DMZ.
Upon telling my mom that I was visiting the DMZ I left out the whole
tour part, which may have caused some anxiety…
The first stop was a tunnel dug by the North
Korea toward Seoul, discovered in the 1970s. There are four known tunnels, but it is likely there are more
yet undiscovered. After a very
steep decline to the tunnel, we were able to walk through the cold and wet
granite tunnel and look through a peep hole into the North Korean side of the
tunnel.
The second stop was to an observatory that
looked out into North Korea. Looking
into North Korea was pretty incredible.
The view was beautiful, but more than that, it was sad to look into a
country where many of its people are suffering and starving. How simple it seems to just tell the
governments how silly this whole thing is and that they should just get
along. From this vantage point we
could see the both North and Seoul Korean flags flying. When South Korea constructed a taller
flagpole, North Korea had to top them, giving them what I believe is the third
tallest flagpole in the world. At
the observatory there were many pay-to-use binoculars and a line from which you
had to stand behind to take photographs.
However, no one seemed to follow this rule…
The third stop was to Dorasan Station, a train
station that used to run to Pyongyang.
For a while it had been taking a daily load to North Korea but I believe
the station is completely shut off now.
It is now more of a tourist destination, where for about $5 you can buy
a ‘ticket’ to North Korea and get a ‘passport stamp’. My passport may or may not have a stamp that says I went to
North Korea…I hope that won’t be a problem!
After lunch, we made our fourth and final stop
at the Joint Security Area (JSA), also called Panmunjom. This was definitely the most serious
part of the tour, as US Military officers checked our passports and debriefed
us. There was even a certain dress
code. The JSA straddles the
demarcation line and is where, in theory, negotiations between the North and
South take place. Unfortunately,
there has not been too much negotiating.
Two large buildings face each other, one on each country’s side, and in
between are blue, barrack-type buildings where discussions take place. We were monitored and instructed that
we may only take pictures of the North Korean side. In the JSA we saw about a dozen South Korean soldiers and
one North Korean soldier at his post across the way. We entered the blue building where negotiations take place,
which is recorded 24 hours a day.
Since half of the building is on the North Korean side, I guess I can
say that I have been to North Korea.
Since the DMZ is uninhabited, it has become
quite the ecological preservation for animal and plant species alike. There are even ecological tours of the
DMZ. Many hope that in the future
the DMZ will become a peace zone and remain a safe-haven for various threatened
species.
Overall, the trip to the DMZ was an interesting
and information experience, and not at all scary. To be honest, sometimes it didn’t even seem that
serious. The DMZ has actually
become somewhat of a tourist destination.
In fact, in each of the four places we stopped, there was a gift
shop. DMZ t-shirts, coasters, key
chains, postcards, you name it.
Reconciliation between North and South Korea is
a question that always seems to linger.
Our tour guide generalized by telling us that the older generation tends
to want reconciliation, as they have been disconnected from family members for
many years, while the younger generation does not seem to care as much. In fact, if reconciliation were to
occur, South Koreans would take on an economic burden.
An example of what I mean by touristy...
Observatory view into North Korea, although the picture makes it look farther away
than in actuality. If you have eagle eyes, maybe you can spot their flag.
At the JSA, the North Korean building across the way and
blue building on the left is where negotiations should occur
South Korean soldier, technically in North Korea
Hi Allie,
ReplyDeleteI've just discovered your blog of your journey and I am loving it. Wish I had explored the world more like you are doing back in the day. Can't wait to follow your adventures! Think of me with your next glass of wine! Have fun! Corie
Wow! Lisa and I are fascinated by North Korea and the way the regime holds power over the populace. Such a different place from the rest of the world. The closest we have come to visiting is a layover nap at the airport in S. Korea. After takeoff I tried really hard to see into North Korea but I couldn't tell. I do know that we took a ridiculous loop around N. Korean airspace. Sounds like you're having a great time. Good luck with everything!!
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