The DMZ

A week or so before my dad arrived, he suggested that while he was in Korea he would like to visit the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, straddling the border between North and South Korea. Nate and I have had this trip high up on our 'to-do' list since arriving and figured that this would be as good of a time as any to go.

Our Tour Bus

Having researched the variety of tours available, as entrance to the DMZ is simply not possible by oneself, we concluded that the one operated by the United Service Organizations, or USO, was by far the best. Forwarding our names, nationalities and passport numbers to a USO agent I was able to book three seats on the Wednesday morning tour.

USO at Camp Kim

We were instructed to meet at the USO office on the grounds of U.S. Camp Kim by 7 am. Roy managed to beat Nate and I there by quite a bit and even had time to grab a real American cheese omelet for breakfast at the Camp's canteen! By 7:30 am we had boarded the bus and were headed north. Our Korean guide offered a sort of informational tour explaining the sights we passed along the way although I took this valuable time to sleep considering the majority of what he said was lost somewhere in Kronglish land. . .

The further north we went the more sparse civilization became and the more aware we were of the levity of the situation. At one point we crossed over a bridge that had barricades every hundred yards or so on alternating sides. As a result, any vehicle making this trek is limited to a top speed that allows it to maneuver the relatively sharp turns. Surprisingly our bus took on this challenge at perhaps a greater speed then I would dare in the Bonneville. . .but then again the driver's probably used to the fact that going over the edge means death by land mines!

Outside the JSA

An hour after pulling out of Camp Kim we arrived at Punmunjom – the only place in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where visitors are permitted, as long as they provide passport and meet strict dress code requirements: no sandals, jerseys, shorts or "gangster" clothing! Pulling into Camp Bonifas, the northernmost base in the U.N. operated Joint Security Area (JSA), our bus was boarded by a U.S. soldier, (forgot his rank, sorry dude) Ash, who verified everyone's passport.

Our Soldier Escort

Entering the JSA

We were then transferred to a new bus, seemingly operated by JSA staff, and luckily Ash took over as our tour guide. This left our original guide with the only the responsibility of rounding everyone up at the different sights by declaring, "U.S.O. Eets time to Go! U.S.O. Eets time to go!" The first stop on our JSA tour was at Ballinger Hall where we each were asked to sign a document declaring our understanding that we were entering a hostile area and then accepting the possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action. . .hmmm

U.S. Soldiers in Formation at the JSA

Inside Ballinger Hall we were shown an interesting and informative slide show that presented the history of the Korean War and more so the establishment and relevance of the DMZ.

Ballinger Hall

History Lesson

What was the Korean War? In 1950 Kim Il Sung launched an attack against South Korea, taking over Seoul in 3 days. Americans quickly entered and bore the brunt of the war losses relative to other U.N. participants. China then entered the war with support from Russia and, over 3 years the control of land moved north and then south and then north again. Finally, a cease fire was established at the 38th parallel. The war ended in 1953 but it sure looks like the conflict is not over. More than 3 million Koreans died and 35,00 Americans died.

The DMZ is a strip of land about 2 miles wide that stretches 150 miles from the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan. This is the area that was established at the 1953 cease fire at the end of the Korean War. It is said to be one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world with watch towers, barbed wire, and continual monitoring by high-tech cameras, sound sensors, and rocks placed into chain link fences every few feet so that if a rock has been disturbed it means someone has likely tampered with the fence. There are anti-tank obstacles and thousands of active land-minds in the zone. For further reading. . .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone

Standing over a Minefield on the Southern Side of the DMZ

At the end of the presentation we were instructed not to communicate in any way with the North Korean guards that we would likely see and that if any incidents should occur to remain calm. They mean business at the DMZ!

ROK Ready at the Freedom House

The Peace Home

From Ballinger Hall, safe in the heart of the JSA, we were driven up to the Freedom House that stands as a meeting point for North and South officials. Here you are literally on the front line of the most heavily guarded border in the world. . .which we would soon cross!

Looking out across the MDL at the North Korean Panmon Hall

We were again warned against communicating with the North in any way and told not to lag behind as stragglers could cause serious accountability issues that could lead to unnecessarily heightened alert! Walking through the Freedom House we emerged less than a stones throw away from the North Korean border, lined with long shed like buildings. South Korean soldiers stood guard at these barracks staring down the North Koreans, hiding three-quarters of their body behind the wall in order to more likely survive hostile action. . . .Intense!

Standing Guard

With Ash escorting us, we entered one of the blue U.N. buildings where the armistice agreement was signed. Inside the building we were protected by several South Korean soldiers standing ROK (Republic of Korea) Ready. This modified Taekwondo stance (notice the clenched fists) and the mirrored sunglasses are not simply for show but are literally used as an intimidation device against North Korean troops!

Standing ROK Ready, Me in North Korea, Nate in South

A ROK Soldier Guarding the Door to North Korea

On the center table was a U.N. flag and several microphones which, we were told, are always on and recording everything that is said in the room. The microphones also marked the Military Demarcation Line which stands as the exact political border between the two countries. In turn, the building that we stood in was half in South Korea and half in the North. We were given five minutes or so to literally cross the border into North Korea, widely regarded as perhaps the most reclusive country in the world!

Hey Ma, Look, I'm In North Korea!

Straddling the MDL

We were permitted to take photographs with the ROK soldiers but warned against touching them or crossing their paths as they would not hesitate to stop us using force. . .this sounded like a pretty reasonable request!

Outside, on the other side of the U.N. buildings were North Korean officers watching us through a binocular-like camera, taking high resolution pictures of each one of us, to be used for propaganda purposes according to Ash. Although out of sight, we were told that more photographers were at work and North Korean troops were standing ready and waiting!

Smile for the Propaganda Posters!

From here we also saw the 600+ pound flag at the top of a North Korean 60-story high flag pole near a village where house-size speakers broadcast propaganda messages for much of the day. Another tall tower in the distance jammed TV and radio signals from South Korea to keep the North in the dark about reality.

North Korea's Masterpiece

The tour is very controlled. We were told when we had to remain seated in the bus, when we could take pictures, when we were not allowed to take pictures or even have a camera with us. We were not permitted to have a bag or even a purse or anything carried in some areas.

North Koreans who manage to book a tour from the north are shot if they attempt to defect and run to the south. It has happened! The main objective of the DMZ is to maintain the peace but it looks to us like the primary objective of the 600 U.N. forces there is to stay on alert and watch for efforts from North Korea to attack the South.

Driving past the Special Forces First Response team barracks about five minutes up the road we were made aware of just how alert these troops actually are. Our guide explained to us that should any incursion occur at the JSA that these troops would be the first on the scene and could be onsite, combat ready in under a minute. In fact, the current record is 43 seconds. When asked how this is possible, Ash replied simply that they live, eat and sleep in their gear. Now that's a response team!

We saw the “bridge of no return” where after the Korean prisoners of war were given the opportunity to go north or south on the bridge but once they crossed one way or the other they could never return.

The Bridge to Nowhere

We also saw the site where the famous axe murders happened when North Korean officers attacked U.N. forces who were going to cut down a tree that blocked a view between two outposts. Nevertheless the tree was eventually cut down, in Operation Paul Bunyan, under the supervision of the maximum number of U.N. troops allowed in the JSA by the armistice, supported by bombers and fighter planes over head while backed by an aircraft carrier in full attack mode just off the shore. Since that time no security troops from either side have been allowed to cross the MDL into what was once shared space.

Site of the Infamous Axe Murders

Further along on our journey we stopped at an overlook that offers one of the best views of North Korea that any non-North Korean could ever get. From high up on a lookout we were able to use telescopes (or whatever those things are called) to get up close and personal with the North's Propaganda Village. While this site also offered an excellent view of both the North and South Korean flags, almost side by side, no such picture is available. Nate was lucky enough to capture this sight but his camera was immediately taken away by a ROK soldier and the picture was erased! It turns out that there is a photo line that no pictures may be taken in front of in order to protect the location of South Korean infrastructure hidden below the lookout!

At the Lookout Over North Korea

North Korea Ladies and Gentlemen
(Enlarge the picture and you can actually see both country's flags, the NK one is just above the woman in yellow and SK's is off to the right)

Standing Behind the Photo Line

After leaving Camp Bonifas and the JSA we had a lunch of bulgogi that we shared with an American soldier stationed at Yongsan, the military base in Itaewon. From lunch we headed back up towards the border to visit the Third Tunnel of Aggression. Here we toured the third of several long tunnels that the North Koreans built from the north, under the DMZ and into South Korea. The mile long tunnel was large enough to allow 30,000 North Korean troops to flow into South Korea an hour. When first discovered, the North denied that they had built the tunnels and then eventually conceded that they had but for coal mining purposes which they tried to support by smearing coal on the inside of the walls. Doesn't look like the U.N. is buying it! Knowing that there are several tunnels dug from the North shows that the U.N. forces are watching carefully for additional signs of possible infiltration south.

An American Tearing apart the Korean Peninsula. . .Typical

To enter the tunnel we took a very steep ramp about 350m down to the entrance. From there we were able to walk almost 400m to the first of three blockades erected within the tunnel by South Korea to prevent an incursion. At this point we were a mere 173m from the North Korean border, and only 73m below the endless mine field of the DMZ above! Quite a riveting place to be!

At the Entrance to the Third Tunnel of Aggression

The entire journey was less than pleasurable as once we were down in the tunnel we had to make the quarter mile trek bent in half. . .to the height of your average North Korean soldier. The climb back up the steep entrance ramp was rather painful too but the ice cream I grabbed at the top was well worth it! Before boarding the bus I had my passport stamped for the "DMZ." Not sure if it's necessarily a passport stamp recognized by any other country's immigration services but it sure looks cool!

I again managed to catch some rest on the bus ride home that was all but long enough. We said goodbye to Roy back at Camp Kim and immediately hopped on the subway headed north back up to Junggye where we arrived only an hour or so late for school! Good thing last week was still exam week and we had nothing to do but show up and be quiet!

U.S.O. Time to Go!

Thanks Dad for helping 'compose' a good majority of this post. . .and by compose I mean allowing me to steal your synopsis!

More from the fish market tomorrow!