July 29th was a day that Andrew and I had been anticipating for a long time. We finally were getting the chance to visit what Bill Clinton claims as, "The most dangerous place in the world." During a very hostile time on the Korean Peninsula, we were going to tour the Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ. This zone roughly cuts Korea in half at the 38th parallel and is the most heavily militarized boarder in the world. Our guide also told us that this area has become quite a nature reserve since it has virtually been untouched since the war 'ended.' There is a lot of history that goes into this 160 miles long by 2.5 miles wide strip of land, that is really very interesting and I recommend reading up about it. There is not enough space in this blog to fill you in. Tensions are so high between the North and the South right now, that instead of wearing cotton hats, the soldiers on the boarder have switched to helmets.
I would also like to apologize for the lack of pictures on this blog. There were very few places that we were even allowed to take pictures.
The blue building in the middle of the first picture is the meeting hall between the two countries. We got to go inside, (as do tours given by N.Korea but not at the same time) where we saw two S. Korean soldiers in a ready stance as well as a few tables, some chairs, cameras and two doors. The one we came in from the South, and the other leads to the North. After a very short introduction by our guide, we were allowed to walk around the table into North Korea. Here Andrew and I are standing with a S. Korean soldier in N.Korea...this explains the awkwardness and uneasiness of the picture. It's hard to tell, but the wall next to the door that leads to the North is pretty worn down. That's because when one S. Korean soldier goes over to lock or unlock the doors, another braces himself using the wall and holds on to the belt of the other soldier so he doesn't get pulled in to the North by their soldiers. This happened a few
years back thus the necessity of this process.
After leaving the meeting hall, we boarded the bus and continued the rest of out tour inside the bus for security purposes. We even had to skip one spot because do to the current political tension between the two countries, we were told we couldn't stop. We got to vaguely see some watch towers as well as the "Freedom Bridge." This bridge was the site at the "conclusion" of the war where prisoners from both sides were freed and demanded to pick a side. They would never be allowed to cross this bridge again once they made their decision.
I would also like to apologize for the lack of pictures on this blog. There were very few places that we were even allowed to take pictures.Our tour began at the USO check in at 7:10am and it took about an hour and a half to get to the Joint Security Area (JSA) where we would be briefed by a US soldier and sign a waiver. The JSA was the most exciting place that we visited but unfortunately we spent the least amount
of time there. This is the place at the boarder where the South Korean soldiers and North Korean soldiers are dead locked on each other and where they have held all negotiations between the two countries since 1953. The 'wall' that divides the two at war nations is only about six inches high. It was interesting that the S.Korean soldiers stand with half of their bodies hidden for both safety reasons and it allows for one arm to be hidden in order to signal suspicious activity without N.Korea knowing.
It was very eerie knowing that the N.Korean soldiers were watching our every move with cameras and binoculars...the whole area was a bit uncomfortable and there was so much tension.
of time there. This is the place at the boarder where the South Korean soldiers and North Korean soldiers are dead locked on each other and where they have held all negotiations between the two countries since 1953. The 'wall' that divides the two at war nations is only about six inches high. It was interesting that the S.Korean soldiers stand with half of their bodies hidden for both safety reasons and it allows for one arm to be hidden in order to signal suspicious activity without N.Korea knowing.It was very eerie knowing that the N.Korean soldiers were watching our every move with cameras and binoculars...the whole area was a bit uncomfortable and there was so much tension.
The blue building in the middle of the first picture is the meeting hall between the two countries. We got to go inside, (as do tours given by N.Korea but not at the same time) where we saw two S. Korean soldiers in a ready stance as well as a few tables, some chairs, cameras and two doors. The one we came in from the South, and the other leads to the North. After a very short introduction by our guide, we were allowed to walk around the table into North Korea. Here Andrew and I are standing with a S. Korean soldier in N.Korea...this explains the awkwardness and uneasiness of the picture. It's hard to tell, but the wall next to the door that leads to the North is pretty worn down. That's because when one S. Korean soldier goes over to lock or unlock the doors, another braces himself using the wall and holds on to the belt of the other soldier so he doesn't get pulled in to the North by their soldiers. This happened a few
years back thus the necessity of this process.There were several stories we were told about some of the disrespectful things that the N. Korean soldiers do in the meeting hall when the S. Korean soldiers aren't in there. One story was that there use to be little flags from several nations of the U.N on the meeting table. During a meeting between South Korea and the USA on TV, N.Korean soldiers blew their noses and polished their shoes with the mini flags of both countries. Now the flags are framed and mounted on the wall.
After leaving the meeting hall, we boarded the bus and continued the rest of out tour inside the bus for security purposes. We even had to skip one spot because do to the current political tension between the two countries, we were told we couldn't stop. We got to vaguely see some watch towers as well as the "Freedom Bridge." This bridge was the site at the "conclusion" of the war where prisoners from both sides were freed and demanded to pick a side. They would never be allowed to cross this bridge again once they made their decision.We left Panmunjeom, the site of the JSA and then continued our tour to see the third of the four Incursion Tunnels. Since November 15, 1974, four tunnels have been found by S.Korean soldiers dug by N.Korean soldiers for the purpose of making surprise attacks on the South. Once they were discovered, the North denied that their purpose was for an invasion stating that they were for coal mining. However, no coal has ever been found and it was later discover that the North had gone so far as to paint the inside of the tunnels black to resemble coal. The South
believes that there are more tunnels, they just haven't been discovered.
The third tunnel was pretty much just a tunnel with a steep incline followed by a hunched over walk and then backtracking our trail to hike up the steep slope once more. Sorry, again no pictures because we were not allowed. However it is interesting to note that although Korean citizens can't tour the DMZ, they can tour the tunnel.
After the tunnel hike, we took a few pictures outside then boarded the bus to see our next site. We went to an observatory where we could get a better view of N.Korea from a top a small mountain. Again, we couldn't take pictures for safety purposes but the view was beautiful. Lush green land and beautiful mountains served as the back drop for the massive 160 meter, 600 pound North Korean flag.
Next we enj
oyed a delicious bulgogi Korean lunch before heading to our final spot of the day, a train station. "Following the South-North Joint Declaration made by the two Koreas on June 15, 2000, both agreed to connect the Gyeongui Railroad Line broken during the Korean war. Dorasan Station was opened April 11, 2002, and the South and the North connected the Gyeongui Railroad Line on June 14, 2003 at the Military Demarcation Line in the DMZ." With the hopes of one day being able to unify the two Koreas, this beautiful new station is ready to be used. It was a little sad seeing the sign that said "T0 Pyeongyang," the capital of N. Korea, but knowing that options doesn't actually exist. We received a commemorative stamp that says "Dorasan to 
Pyeongyang" in hopes that one day it can happen. I loved a quote that was written on a very large poster at the entrance of the station, "Not the last station from the South, But the first station toward the North."
oyed a delicious bulgogi Korean lunch before heading to our final spot of the day, a train station. "Following the South-North Joint Declaration made by the two Koreas on June 15, 2000, both agreed to connect the Gyeongui Railroad Line broken during the Korean war. Dorasan Station was opened April 11, 2002, and the South and the North connected the Gyeongui Railroad Line on June 14, 2003 at the Military Demarcation Line in the DMZ." With the hopes of one day being able to unify the two Koreas, this beautiful new station is ready to be used. It was a little sad seeing the sign that said "T0 Pyeongyang," the capital of N. Korea, but knowing that options doesn't actually exist. We received a commemorative stamp that says "Dorasan to 
Pyeongyang" in hopes that one day it can happen. I loved a quote that was written on a very large poster at the entrance of the station, "Not the last station from the South, But the first station toward the North."I hope that everyone who comes to Korea takes the time to do this tour and I know I appreciated it so much more living here for the past year. The whole experience filled me with different emotions. I was scared at first knowing that the two Koreas were currently on the worst terms than they have been on in recent years. I was excited to see a place that not many people get to see. I am saddened by all the hurt and anguish that the 38th parallel has caused for so many Korean families. And I am hopeful for what is to come in the future when the two Koreas can once again be unified.
Hi! Your blog is very informative, specially this post. I've recently been accepted to work in Seoul starting this August and I'm curious about some of the tours you took. Do you happen to remember the companies you booked with (specifically the DMZ tour), and also the travel sites you used for booming flights/hotels? Thanks for any help!
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