Trip to the DMZ

May 31, 2014

Today I took a trip to the DMZ.  For those of you who are not sure what this is, it stands for the “Demilitarized Zone”.  This is an area of land along the 38^th parallel that separates North Korea from South Korea.  After World War II, when Japan left Korea after being occupied for many years, the Koreans were separated into two states: the Communist North and Democratic South.  In 1950, North Korea invaded the South and took over Seoul, the main capital.  The Korean War then began. 

The trip today was organized by the Seoul Hiking Group (SHG) for those of you who are in S. Korea now or who are going to be there, this is a great group that organizes trips every weekend to explore all parts of Korea.  There are many other groups in the Seoul area, so don’t be worried about not being able to meet anyone…ever. 

We visited some of the main parts of the DMZ without having to get the full military access, which takes two weeks to acquire before visiting.  We hopped on the SHG coach bus from Hapjeong Station and headed north.  As we got closer to the DMZ, the barbed wire fences began cropping up along the horizons, obscuring clear views of the beautiful mountains beyond. 

The first area we entered was to sign in and to transcribe out passport/ARC numbers onto paper next to our names.  Some obnoxious members of our group were begin loud and raucous, so the woman behind the counter yelled at out group in Korean to be quiet.  After everyone signed in, we re-boarded the bus and drove along a checkpoint bridge until the bus stopped.  Two South Korean military men came on board, checked the passenger list, counted, and checked all of our passports or ARC cards (Alien Residency Card).  We were then admitted beyond the road blocks and into the DMZ. 

Driving along the road was seemingly uninterested, lots of trees and barbed wire, but just knowing where we were was amazing. The streets were empty of cars, a rare sight for Korea, making the scene even more eerie.  We stopped at an area where the Third Tunnel was discovered and watched a short video on the DMZ.  It was a dramatic, action-filled film showing the history of Korean in the last century (as summarized above).  It then ended with the beautiful nature found in the DMZ because it is an untouched area. 

The screens then lifted up and everyone moved into a museum describing various actions that led to and were part of the Korean War.  Various weaponry were displayed in glass boxes along with some mannequins showing how the tunnels were dug and how security is maintained along the border.  A miniature model of the DMZ was beneath out feet under glass floors, showing the vast greenery and fences that separated the two sides. 

 

The entrance to the Third Tunnel was in a separate building across the courtyard.  After putting our bags in free lockers, including our cameras, we walked through security, put on a bright yellow helmet and walked down, down, down, down, down into the tunnels.  It was a short tunnel, maybe no more than about 4.5/5 feet high (hence the need for the helmets).  Being 5’10“myself, I hit my head at least 10 times! There were dynamite holes still marked on the walls and rumbling could be heard from above.  I was told it was the train system that brings people down to the tunnel (which we didn’t use), but it was still frightening, especially if you are claustrophobic.  We walked quite a ways along the tunnel, maybe half a mile or so, until we reached barbed wire, many CCTV cameras, and on the other side of the barbed wire: North Korea.  It looked almost like a bunker, with a small window, a door, and a smooth rock wall.  I cannot describe to you how odd it felt being underground and 2 feet away from the most closed off nation in the world.  I stood there for a few minutes taking it all in.  Men were down here half a century ago with the intent to march into their southern brother and start another war.  The tunnel was designed to fit around 30,000 soldiers…and there are known to be three more tunnels just like this.  There is a high probability that there are more tunnels…possibly in use still. 

 

After retreating out of the tunnel, and visiting the souvenir shop (yes, they even have a souvenir shop) we hoped back into the bus and headed for Dora Observatory.  This is a military compound which faces directly into North Korea.  Visitors are encouraged to come to balcony’s edge and gander into the DMZ and N. Korea.  For only 500 won (around 50₵) you could use huge binoculars to see even further and with more detail.  The wall separating the two regions could be seen along with N. Koreans working in the rice fields. The natural elements were also very beautiful with mountains, lush trees, and wildlife roaming freely.  No photographs were to be taken right up against the balcony wall, only behind a yellow line, which because of the smog and yellow dust, nothing could be seen except an outline of a mountain in the distance.  Some people snuck some photos in, but the military men made taken a sneaky photo an undesirable idea.    

 

 

Once again, there was a souvenir shop at this location where the woman behind the counter offered us some soybeans covered in chocolate.  They were tasty, but not enough for me to purchase a giant container full on this extremely hot day.  We then drove to Dorasan Station, a fully finished, once used, train station that connects South Korea with North Korea.  Signs are everywhere describing the desire to unify Korea and complete a transcontinental rail line from the tip of South Korea, through the North, Russia, and into the west coast of Europe.  The station is spooky.  It is incredibly quiet (a rare thing for Korea) with a few military men walking around, three people furiously working at the counter (we couldn’t figure out what they could be working on in the empty station), and of course a gift shop.  On one counter, we got passport stamps on paper (not in our actual passport) showing the journey from South to North.  Outside the station, there is the Dorasan Peace Park on one side and the parking lot on the other.  We walked through the parking lot and into a little garden area right next to the tracks.  There was a calm and peaceful pavilion with barbed wire everywhere only 10 feet away separating South and North.  An indescribable feeling takes over as I looked through the fences and into a land that hurts, abuses, and shelters their people from the rest of the world that only wants to glance in and help. 

Our journey back to Seoul was mainly driving along more barbed wire fences with the beautiful sunset on the other side reflected off of the river.  It was an interesting day that I will never forget.