Visiting the DMZ is on almost everyone's to-do-list who comes to Seoul. I mean who wouldn't want to go to visit the world's most heavily militarized border and get a glimpse in to the worlds most secretive country? I had been meaning to visit for a while, so finally decided to go on a tour with Adventure Korea. The tensions between the two countries were ok (apart from a few 'accidental' gun shots taken at the North a few days before) so it seemed like a safe-ish time to visit. Here is a bit of info what we did on the tour.
DMZ
The DMZ is the De-Militatized Zone between North and South Korea. It is basically a 4km no-man's land which was divided after the Korean War. It is rammed with mines and is full of nature. According to some of the touristy stuff at the border, there are even a lot of bears wandering around in there. How they don't set of the mines though I don't get...
Before I went on this trip I didn't realise how close I actually live to North Korea. It's crazy. As soon as you are out of the main hustle and bustle of Seoul, you are pretty much on the main road leading up the North. You get a strange feeling as you look out of the window and no longer see skyscrapers, but barbed wire and watch-towers along the sides of the road. You can even see North-Korean territory pretty soon after leaving Seoul.
Imjingak (임진각)
The first point of call was the village/park called Imjingak AKA 'peace village'. Imjingak was built in 1972 and is located 7km from the border. It was built in the hope for unification between the 2 Koreas. SO many families became divided after the war, so this village is now the site where people from the North visit and perform ancestral rites by bowing towards their home town on Chuseok (thanksgiving) and New Years Day. It was quite an interesting area - you can strike the giant 'Peace Bell' and even buy some real North Korean currency.
One huge tourist thing you must see here is the derailed train which has 1,200 bullet holes in it after getting shot at and bombed. It is a huge symbol of the division between the North and South and has become Registered Cultural Heritage.
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| Derailed train after war |
Tongilchon (Unification Village)
The next stop was fooooood. Being a vegetarian, I loved the tofu and soybean lunch we had. I'm not sure how much the meat eaters were loving it though... We ate in a traditional restaurant in the village of Tongilchon which is one of the unification villages. We had a drive around after to look at the homes of the people who live in the DMZ. The people who live here get a lot of state benefits such as no taxes and no military duties (which every Korean man is assigned to do). Their security is so high here that they don't even have to lock their doors. The downside however is that this is the first village to 'go' as it were, if the North attacked.
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| Traditional restaurant in Tongilchon |
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| You can buy North Korean beer in the shops, mmm |
The Third Infiltration Tunnel (3땅굴)
Next we made a stop to visit the 1.7km scary mofo tunnel dug by the North Koreans to make a surprise attack on Seoul. Unfortunately, we were forbidden to take photos so you will have to make do with my detailed description of the 'scary mofo tunnel'. We got kitted up in bright construction hats and made our way deep down in to the steep, cold darkness. At times the tunnel was so small that even I was banging my
head super cool helmet (and I am relatively short). Apparently 4 tunnels have been found so far and there are believed to be another 10 out there - there is even a reward for finding them, although there is no possible way anyone could just decide to go and hunt for a tunnel without getting blown up by mines or shot first. Bit unfair really, I'd quite like to go tunnel hunting.... Anyway, you walk down the tunnel at a ridiculous angle and then when u get to the end (barbed wire) you turn back and climb the dreadful incline back up. Least to say, I have now joined a gym, so if I did this again, it might not be as painful!
Dora Observatory and Dorasan Train Station (도라산)
The penultimate stop was Dorasan Observatory where you can actually look in to the Demilitarized Zone and North Korea. The city of Kaesong is visible in the background. It is the second largest city in North Korea and you get a really hallowing feeling looking in to the city, with the huge North Korean flag towering over everything. You get a strange feeling here, it is so peaceful. All you can hear (apart from the people you are with) is the nature in front of you in this large area of no man's land, yet at the same time you are looking in to the most secretive
and communist country in the world. Photos here are strictly prohibited so you will have to make do with a pic taken form behind the 'camera line' (about a zillion miles back). I did take a really good sneaky one, but a soldier saw and then deleted it from my camera. Humph.
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| Looking in to North Korea |
The final leg of the trip was to the Dorasan Train Station which has the tag line "not the last station from the South, but the first station towards to North". The amazing this is that if the North and South become 'fwwwieennnddssss' (sorry, couldn't resist it) again, then it will be possible for me to get a train all the way from Seoul back home to London!! Not that I would, but just saying. Cool, huh? One fun thing about this station is that you can purchase tickets to go up on the platform, and because it is extremely rare for a train to pass through, you can even play on the tracks!!
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| Tracks to Pyeongyang... |
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| Map if the North and South become 'Korea friendsss' |
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| Just chillin on the tracks |
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| Hmmm, which way to go!? |
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| Passport stamps form Dorasan |
