A Short Review: The DMZ

ok...its not really a review. The DMZ isn't like a show you go see in the West End. In fact, it was one of the most intense places I have ever visited. And the most dangerous. But also...probably one of the coolest.

The Demilitarized Zone is the 4km wide strip of land that divides North and South Korea.

Today Lana, Steve, and I traveled all the way to the Military Demarcation Line--to the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. This is the place where the North and South Korean Soldiers stand face to face. Sometimes quite literally. I would like to say that Lana and I took all of these pictures ourselves. This time, none have come from the internet (well, except the map).

We were up at the crack of dawn...well actually quite a few hours earlier. At 4:30 we were up and out the door by 5am to start our Journey to the USO base in Seoul. From there we took a bus to Camp Bonifas where we were handed over to US MPs who gave us a tour of the JSA. After a short presentation (where we signed our lives away--coolest document I've ever signed by far) we were off to Freedom House and the UNCMAC Conference Building--where talks take place between both sides.

At Camp Bonifas with our special badges

 In Freedom House

Lana holding quite possibly the coolest and scariest document she's ever signed.

The tension could really be felt. The group (mostly Americans) went from laughing and joking on the bus, to forming tight single files lines behind our Military Escort through Freedom house and to Conference Row. We were not allowed to make any contact with the North Koreans from where we stood--verbal or non-verbal. We could see Panmungak from where we stood, and North Korean Soldiers.

 Panmungak from Conference Row.

 North Korean Soldiers. 

The concrete divide on the MDL

Inside the UNCMAC Conference Building we saw the ROK Army up close.They have some great uniforms. They wear the helmet and the aviator sunglasses (specifically) so the North Korean army cannot read any emotion on their faces. They also have ball bearings sewn in the hem of their pants--the jingling sound makes it sounds like 1,000, not 100, soldiers are charging towards you.

Awesome ROK. He's there to protect us, but could also take us out if we messed about. That door leads in to North Korea.

Sooo...technically I went in to North Korea today. Inside the conference room, once you cross the table, you are in North Korea. You can see from my photos that we have crossed the concrete slab border.

Technically I am in North Korea while taking this picture.

Steve's in the south. I'm in the North.

I think this is an appropriate moment to point out that I turned to Lana and said "This shit just got real."

From there we got back on our tour buses and went to a Checkpoint where we could see Kijong-dong, or "Propaganda Village" on the other side of the DMZ. That flagpole is 160m tall, and the flag itself weighs around 600 pounds. It has to be a really windy day for it to fly. Yeah, it was that windy. and that cold. Until 2004 they played propaganda over massive loudspeakers trying to get the southerners to defect. Our MP said they could hear it on the base of Camp Bonifas at night.

 Propaganda Village

We also went past the sight of the Ax Murder Incident and The Bridge of No Return. But we could only snap pictures from the bus.

The Bridge of No Return. Note: no footprints on the bridge, only leading up to it.

Later on in the tour we went to the Third Infiltration Tunnel, where we were not allowed to take pictures. Then the Dora Observatory.

We actually spotted a person walking around Propaganda Village--very surreal. Also, we weren't allowed to take pictures past a certain line.

Finally, we ended the day Dorasan Station, which housed the railway that took South Koreans through to North Korea to visit until an terrible incident in 2008 shut the station down completely. It still sits there, and you can get a commemorative stamp (which cannot be put on your passport). It was only open about 10 years ago, and it sits there almost waiting for a day when people can travel between the two sides peacefully.

Rice grown in the DMZ for sale.

Oh did I mention that the DMZ is basically a wildlife preserve? Huge eagles (we saw flying). Vampire Deer. Seriously. that's what they're called. Look it up. (Real name: Siberian Musk Deer. We did not see).

All in all, it was a day that I think the three of us are still fully processing. Not many people make this tour--and only a certain amount of people are allowed per day. Besides our tour and Military Escort (both US MPs and ROK soldiers), the JSA was deserted. As was Camp Bonifas. As was the DMZ. So strange that such a quiet place is the source of so much tension. It doesn't seem like it can be real...but there it is. We started at 5am and ended at 5pm--back in the apartment trying to warm ourselves up after a long day out in the freeeezing cold. Emotionally drained, happy we went to go eat some cookies.

If you ever have the chance to visit South Korea, you absolutely cannot miss this tour. It is both a part of our history, a part of Korean history, and something both epic and very sad. I know I'll never forget the experience...and that's what really counts when adventuring, right?

xoxo,
Antonia

btdubs, more pics of Seoul, and the DMZ now online:

Korea