As many know, and even more don’t know there are two Korea’s divided by the 38th parallel also know as the DMZ. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, it. It is 155 miles long and approximately 2.5 miles wide. It is the most heavily militarized border in the world.
The reason for the border’s existence is that the war between the two countries never officially ended. The line of the 38th parallel was drawn during WWII to separate the Soviet-backed North Korea and the American backed South Korea. After WWII, the Koreas had their own war beginning in June of 1950. The war caused the loss of over 3 million lives. The war never officially ended, but a cease fire was signed July 27, 1953. The DMZ was created as a result of the cease fire. Each side agreed to move their troops back from the front lines, creating the current buffer zone.
The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed. Since the armistice agreement was never followed by a peace treaty, the two Koreas are still technically at war.
Our tour was painful….starting at 7 a.m. We had to bring out passports and follow the United Nations’ dress code. We had to meet at the USO and climb onto a bus full of tourists from all over the world. After a short drive (about an hour) we were already at the border. As we got closer and closer there were more military personnel, taller barbed wire fences, and a bit more evident tension.
Our tour started at at Camp Bonifas. We escorted by US military into a small auditorium where we signed waivers. (stating that if we crossed the line there wasn’t much they could do to protect us!) We also watched a short presentation about the Korean conflict and the current state of the border.
Next we went to the actual demarcation line; this is the actual border. We were standing outside and could see North Korean soldiers watching us from across the border. We were told not to make any gestures because they take pictures and use them as propaganda. We were also told that the S. Korean soldiers had to stand as they were because the two countries often exchange “friendly fire”. We were then filed into a small building. After the soldier gave a brief speech about how meetings are conducted; he informed us that if we were standing on his left hand side we were actually in North Korea. I, was on that side of the table. I can now say I stood in the only place in N. Korea where one won’t be shot, kidnapped, or forced into labor camps. It was a pretty surreal feeling. (In the pics; the blue buildings are neutral and the white building is in North Korea)
After that part of the visit we made various stops at different towers, checkpoints, etc. I saw the bridge of no return, the Military Armistice Commission building, the Pagoda at Freedom House, and Checkpoint 3. From one of the checkpoints we were able to see the giant flagpole at the North Korean Propaganda Village.
The tour ended with a visit of the 3rd tunnel. The 3rd tunnel is an infiltration tunnel secretly built by North Korea. It is suspected that the tunnels would be used to invade South Korea. Many tunnels have been discovered. The one we toured was discovered October 17, 1978. It would have been the most threatening tunnel if the North had used it. The tunnel is only 44 km from Seoul. It is 73 meters underground and roughly 1,635 meters long. About 30,000 ranked, heavily-armed troops could pass per hour. The tunnel was dark, wet, and LONG. We had lots of giggle bumping our heads on the top, trying to walk and squat, etc.
It was an exhausting and educational trip. I’m truly glad that I woke up early and made the visit. It made the conflict between the two countries much more understandable and believable. The situation is as unfortunate as it is real. We can only hope that someday the border will exist without military markings.
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