On October 29, I traveled north with a tour run by the USO and toured several sites within the Civilian Control Area. We started the day at Camp Kim, near Yongsan in Seoul.
From Camp Kim, I boarded a bus and traveled north toward Paju, At times, we were able to see North Korea (DPRK) from the highway. I knew that I was getting closer as the number of guard stations along the side of the highway increased in frequency. Once we crossed the Imjin River (임진강), our first stop was the Third Tunnel of Aggression. This was a tunnel that DPRK was digging in order to attack the Republic. They gave us hard hats for the trip down - which was nice, because it was a VERY low ceiling!
Couldn't take pictures inside the tunnel, but I took some outside. Even the tunnel has a mailing address!
One of the nicest monuments at the Tunnel was the "Split World" which shows a dream of reunification - notice the inside of the globe:
After the tunnel tour, we went to the Dora Observatory. From this vantage point, we were able to look out over DPRK. At one point, people were not allowed to take pictures from the viewing area, as you can see from the line painted on the ground. This rule has since been relaxed.
The following are photos from the Observatory. What you may not see in these pictures are the literally thousands of ladybugs that were swarming in the air.
Looking out toward Kaesong - a factory complex city where a small group of South Koreans work with North Koreans in a joint venture.
Over my shoulder, one of the most repressed places on Earth...
The pictures at Dora aren't really the greatest: it was sort of a hazy day, my camera is a point-and-shoot, and there was also the aforementioned swarm of ladybugs. Spent a good amount of time walking away from the platform brushing the beetles from my clothing and hair.
Eventually, we made our way to the Joint Security Area - what most Americans probably think of when they think of "inside" the DMZ. This is the area straddling the Military Demarcation Line - the de facto border between RoK and DPRK. We had to sign a waiver before we embarked on the tour of Camp Bonifas and the JSA:
Of course, the highlights of that document are the "possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action" and the UN Command, USA, and RoK's inability to "guarantee the safety of visitors and may not be held accountable in the event of a hostile enemy act."
This picture was taken looking toward Panmungak (판문각) - DPRK's "visitor's center." If you look closely, you can see a Korean People's Army guard standing in front of the leftmost set of double-doors. The fellow with the helmet in the foreground is a RoK soldier. More about them in a second. The blue buildings? Those straddle the MDL. We're about to go inside...
See that door behind the guard? Through there lies the Hermit Kingdom. I took this picture standing on the DPRK side of the MDL. Technically speaking, I was standing on North Korean soil.
Another RoK soldier. The British Beefeaters enjoy a reputation of being unflappable, but these are the the last people who I would want to tangle with. In this picture, I had one foot in each of the Koreas - the mic cord down the center of the table lies upon the MDL.
See that enormous flagpole? That's in Kijongdong (기정동) - a Potemkin village on the North side of the DMZ. The guides told us that until a few years ago, the North used to blast propaganda messages from there over loudspeakers. The flag on that pole weighs about 600 pounds!
This memorial marker stands at the sight of the 1976 Poplar Tree Axe Murder Incident. It was here that two US Army officers were murdered by KPA soldiers.
Looking north over the Bridge of No Return. No longer used today, this bridge was used during Operation Little Switch and Operation Big Switch, in which POWs were allowed to choose whether to be repatriated or to remain where they were - which was to be a permanent decision either way.
This was certainly an interesting tour. The JSA was one of the most remarkable places I've ever been, as it seemed simultaneously very tense and incredibly boring as the entire compound had a "ghost town" feel to it. Definitely worth the investment to see these sites.
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