The day we visited North Korea (DMZ Tour)

In South Korea, foreigners can visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is a 4km wide, 250km long buffer of land between the two countries. The border sits in the middle of the DMZ and there are 2km on either side. Filled with landmines. It is the most highly militarized border in the world and at the height of the North Korean threats this spring, we decided it would be a good time to visit (hey! you never know when it will be gone!).
 
The tour starts in Seoul, so we took an early train to town. It's about an hour drive north of Seoul to get to the entrance to the DMZ, Unification Bridge. Our guide explained that the founder of Hyundai was born in North Korea and his family was very poor, with only one cow. During the war he came to South Korea with this cow, sold it, and from that money was able to start his now international company. Once he became rich, he built this bridge and sent 1001 cows across the bridge to the village where he grew up. Unification Bridge is often referred to as Cow Bridge for this reason.

McDonald's Breakfast!

Unification/Cow Bridge

 Next, we headed to the 3rd Tunnel of Aggression. This is an underground tunnel that North Korean dug secretly, after the armistice (stop war) agreement, to invade Seoul. There are 4 known tunnels and up to 20 more are believed to exist. This tunnel was discovered in 1978.

Safety first kids!

Tunnel

Dynamite Holes pointed in the direction of SK

 

We then went to a look-out where you could see North Korea from across the DMZ. Soldiers here were very strict about not taking pictures. You had to be behind a certain line, and could not take any pictures of South Korea. They don't want information about their military weapons, etc., getting out.

North Korea

Gary checking out the enemy territory

Next was the Dorasan train station. This is a Korail station that is ready to be connected to PyongYang (the capital of NK) should there ever be reunification. You can buy souvenir train tickets with commemorative stamps to PyongYang from the ticket booth.

 

We had lunch at a traditional Korea restaurant in a town near the DMZ. This was included in the tour.

Imjingak was our next stop. Koreans are not allowed in the DMZ, so this memorial park was built as a place where Koreans can go and pray for reunification and as a memorial for the war. This was also the site of a vicious train derailment at the start of the war. The train was attacked and riddled with over a thousand bullets. They left the engine of the train in place as a memorial and to show how brutal the times were. At this location, we could also see Freedom Bridge, a bridge that was built to free the 12,000 prisoners of war in 1953.

Bullet holes

Freedom Bridge

 

Messages of hope on ribbons

 

Finally, we went to the Joint Security Area (JSA) or Panmunjeom, a military base of sorts that sits right on the border. There are North Korean soldiers on one side of the village, and American soldiers on the other (not South Korean - something to do with when the armistice agreement was signed, it was the USA who signed on behalf of South Korea). As one can imagine, in such close proximity, there have been a few "occurrences" where NK and USA soldiers have fought, for instance, there was an axe murder incident in the 70s over the cutting down of a tree that blocked the view of a NK outpost.

Being here was the most interesting part of the tour. The tension in the air was palpable. Buildings are colour coded for which side they belong to. There is an actual LINE drawn through the village to indicate the north and the south side. No pointing allowed, no yelling. Pictures were allowed to be taken in the direction of the North, never facing the South. Some poor folks unintentionally did this and a soldier boomed over and made them delete the photo on the spot. We entered the room where the armistice agreement was signed in 1953. There is a table in the room that literally sits on the border. Thus those who sit on the north side of the table are in NK and those on the south side are in SK. The actual building belongs to the south, so we were allowed to roam around the room and take pictures (sort of) freely.

Declaration we had to sign before entering the JSA.

High security! Actually this means I'm a civilian and the NK soldiers should not shoot me.

In Panmunjeom! Going to enter the room where the armistice agreement was signed in 1953.

The table where the agreement was signed.

United Nations

       

Standing in North Korea!

Gravel = SK side, pavement =  NK side. This was a cement border. Other places in the village had a painted line.

 

Blue buildings are SK, white buildings are NK

South Korean/American Soldiers keeping an eye on the North Korean building

Zoom in and North Korea is looking right back! A lone soldier stands guard.

The Bridge of No Return. If you cross, North Korean soldiers are waiting to grab you.

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was worth the money and provided a good history lesson and a very eye opening experience as to the severity of the war and the current situation on the Korean peninsula. South Korean life is very cushy compared to that of its neighbour. Even with all the hype about NK threatening SK and telling the foreigners to leave, South Koreans have not even been phased. In a few weeks, this will all blow over ... unless of course it blows up. Joking!

Love from the south side,

Team JMS