Demilitarized Zone Tour

At last, we made our way to the DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone) that separates the North from the South. We went on a tour through the USO and are glad we did! We've heard Korean drivers can't actually take you into the DMZ, but with the USO we were transferred to a US Military bus and were taken to the Joint Security Area (JSA), Conference Row, one of the tunnels and a few other observatory stations. When we arrived we were given a briefing by a US solider at the JSA building. This gave us a short history and current detail of the situation between the North and the South. From there we were taken to Conference Row where we saw soldiers (from both sides) standing guard with a few blue buildings separating them. These buildings were established to house talks between the two sides. 

After that you are taken to an observation point where you can see North Korea's peace village, Kijong-dong. Both sides have peace villages; however with modern technology the North's has been found to be more of an illusion. It was built to appear as if it was a bustling city! With buildings closely together, propaganda pouring from the speakers and their flag waving proudly on the world’s second-tallest flag pole standing 525 feet (160 m) high (the flag itself weighs 595 lbs), they obviously wanted life to seem normal and modern. In reality, the buildings are far apart, without window glass or interior rooms, the lights are turned on and off at random times electronically and there are only few who seem to maintain the upkeep of the public spaces.

After a quick lunch we headed to the tunnel portion of our tour. The tunnels were built by the North to aid in their planned invasion of the South. With our hard hats on, we made our way down the Third Tunnel of four discovered by South Korea. This one was discovered based on information given by a North Korean defector. After that we went on to see Dorasan Station. This is the only train station that, one day, will connect the South to the North. South Korea's construction of this site hopes to send a message of future reunification and peacetime between the two.

Having been untouched for the past 50 years, the space between the North and South seems to have fostered one of the most well-preserved temperate habitats in the world. There are many endangered animals and plant species living in the DMZ. The flourishing biodiversity should continue to be preserved well after unification. Overall, it was an educational experience and one I will never forget! This visit gave me hope for Korea's future, but reminded me of the very real threat of division.



Our briefing from the US Military.



ROK soliders inside the DMZ.

At the Third Tunnel site.