De-Militarised Zone.

DMZ

Muster Point

A visit to the DMZ is perhaps a respectful necessity rather than a reflective and informative lesson in ongoing world history. I expected it to have more of a tourist than geo-political feel about it and that turned out to be the case. That said, it was worthwhile and our tour guide, as I understand with nearly everyone in Korea, was able to bring personal family experience to her narratives. 

Although our pickup time was advanced from 1030 to 0640, we saw this as creating more time later in the day. Pickup went off without a problem and we joined an international group of other tourists for a 90 minute transfer to the edge of the Civilian Controlled Area. The DMZ is divided roughly along the 38th parallel by the Military Demarcation Line, with Northern and Southern Limit Lines either side of the MDL marking the northern and southern boundaries respectively. The United Nations controls the CCA. About 500 South Koreans live mostly as farmers between the MDL and SLL, but their lives and movements are controlled. The North has no equivalent members of the population - simply too close to the South to be allowed. 

Small things we learned about - prisoner swap at the end of the active Korea war saw two bridges built across the Imjin river. Those crossing to the South came across the Freedom Bridge, those going North crossed a bridge of no return. South Korea has a notional international train station, with lines that reach to the MDL, in the hope that one day reunification will allow connection to the rest of the world. One of many sets of life sized statues commemorating the Korean comfort women was also found here. 

Dora Observatory

The next stop was the Dora Observatory, properly in the DMZ. It used to be possible, on select and pricier tours, to visit a place called the Joint Security Area, where guards from North and South face each other a metre apart. However, this has remained closed since July 2023 when an American serviceman, for reasons yet to be fully explained, made a dash to the North whilst on such a tour. In the true spirit of Capitalism, the South chose to make money from the Armistice situation (as the tour guide charmingly described each aspect of the tour that had a money making side to it). DMZ tourism was enhanced with a rudimentary observation block set back from the MDL which has recently been replaced by an altogether more impressive building, with a large, theatre like, observation auditorium and an observation deck, as well as a gift shop. From here we learned about the Flag pole building competition between North and South, which the North eventually won with a 160m flag pole versus the South's 90m version - the South, in the spirit of capitalism, feeling it was a waste of resources and not good value). We learned about the creation of an industrial complex and city (3rd largest in North Korea, that was build and funded by the south, providing jobs and revenue for the north, turning raw materials into products, then shipped back to the south. The south also provided electricity. The North has since shut it all down. And there's a HOLLYWOOD type sign that's visible from the South which reads: The North is the best country in the world.

The first montage shows aspects of the old and new Observatories, and our guide; the second, some rather hazy shots of military Observation Posts of each side (can you tell which is which?), Kaesong, top right, and the two flags, bottom left, although for the North Korean one you need to know where to look!

The Third Infiltration Tunnel

At some stage the North planned to invade the South by means of tunnels. According to a defector, who had also be involved in the tunnelling project, there were up to 10 of these, but he died whilst trying to locate them from the south due to a landmine incident. The South then buried vertical pipes filled with water at regular intervals along the MDL and eventually discovered 3 tunnel when small explosives were used in the resumed tunnelling effort, 4 years after the defection, causing spouts of water to burst from the open pipe ends. This led to new capitalism efforts to improve the tourism effort. 

The third location, the 3rd Infiltration tunnel discovered, began with a 7 minute immersive Korean war experience through to the DMZ and the benefits to nature of what has become quite a wilderness, apart from small farming efforts and land mines. Then a walkout through a small military artifacts museum, and then we had a chance to descend 75m and follow the tunnel some 475m towards the North Korean side, stopping short by three sets of barrier doors. Quite fun but more tourism than reflective education.

The Freedom Village

The final stop of our tour, before returning to Seoul. Both sides initially agreed to allow a single small community to remain tin the respective sides of the DMZ (the North's was called Peace Village). However, the North's village buildings had no windows and never had any residents. Slightly surreal and perhaps the most representative aspect of the tour, the Freedom Village is isolated from the rest of South Korea, sustaining a hard working and relatively prosperous farming community (they are not taxed like the rest of South Korea because the land is ruled by the UN). Prospects and hopes for reunification, maybe, one day, are mixed amongst the South, by generations and other considerations. Everyone in the south would be worse off, at least for a while, as they economically support the north; whilst everyone in the North apart from the very top, would be better off, but have no say. It really is a sad and extraordinary divide across a country that, before 1950, was possibly the most united in the world.