Destination the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Korea

The fresh snow covering the low hills and trees only added to the intensity and eeriness of this desolate place.

After six decades of being left to nature, the area around Korea’s Demilitarized Zone has become an accidental sanctuary for wildlife.

 

Once fallen soldiers lay here. Now it is carpeted in wild plants. Birds sing, deer roam. It is reputed to be home to leopards and black bears. Although we did not see any natural predators there were signs of danger from elsewhere.

DMZ

Chain-link fences crowned with razor-wire form the border and carry signs reading “mines”. I began my tour feeling as if I had wandered into a scene of a spy film. 

This thin band of land, approximately 160 miles long (257 kilometres) and two and a half miles wide (4 kilometres), was established following the 1953 armistice in the Korean War to serve as a buffer zone between the communist north and the capitalist south. 

Technically in North Korea

Overseen by the United Nations, this last Cold War border is where guards from both sides face each other. Neither side is permitted to start any act of aggression. What goes on behind each side of the border is another story.

The Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjeom may seem like an unlikely and unglamorous tourist destination but for those that visit Korea it is a high priority. The DMZ is regarded as the most heavily border on the planet. It is not your average sightseeing tour.

People come to the border fence and leave ribbons with messages for loved ones

These trips have to be arranged in advance as you must submit passport information ahead of your departure. (Several companies offer tours. I booked mine through the Grand Hyatt, Seoul where I stayed as it was easy for them to arrange the paperwork.) You have to take your passport with you on the day and adhere to a strict dress code such as no ripped jeans or revealing clothing including short skirts or flip-flops. In other words “dress with respect”.  

The tour began at Camp Bonifas, the base camp for the United Nations Command Security Force. A US soldier gave us a summary of what to expect. You are asked if you have had an alcoholic drink in the last 12 hours. Whether you are carrying any sharp objects and, bizarrely, whether anyone plans to defect. Even though this sounded funny, it was clear that this was no joke.

North Korea

You also have to sign a declaration that states the visit "will entail the entrance into a hostile area and the possibility of injury or death as a result of enemy action". What could possibly go wrong? As I was about to sign, I thought of the soldier who defected to the South last December. 

There was always a slight possibility something could happen. This was reinforced when our guide, an American soldier, told us about another couple of violent incidents that had occurred over the years. Tourist destination or not, this was entering a war zone.

Dorasan Station

After a brief history lesson we boarded a small bus and headed to where three blue huts hug the line that separates the North from the South. Standing feet apart and ready for action, glaring through mirrored sunglasses the soldiers of the United Nations together with South Koreans watch their opposite numbers on the other side.

Another brief reminder of the seriousness of the situation is that the soldiers of the South stand slightly behind the corner of the buildings in case shots are fired as has happened occasionally.

We saw a North Korean soldier darting in and out of the huts in the North. Could this be Bob? The American soldier told us they have nicknamed one Bob as he is always bobbing up and down. 

You can feel the tension as you go into the blue building where the armistice was signed. Outside, more soldiers are on patrol. Here you can walk into the part of the room that is in the North. So I can say I have technically been to North Korea. While a part of me is curious to discover more, I think I will stay curious.

Near the border. War artifacts and artillery from the Korean conflict.can be found here

After leaving the JSA we headed to the Bridge of No Return. So-called because it was where North Korean prisoners were given a last chance to stay in the South at the end of the war. Today people who have relatives in the North whom they have not seen for over 60 years come to the border fence and leave ribbons with messages for loved ones.

From Dora Observatory, where we were taken later on in the afternoon, we peered into the North. Though covered in mist, the bleakness was apparent. Kijong-dong, commonly known as the Propaganda Village, which sits in the DMZ, could just be made out. We were told that it was meant to be a place to show the South Koreans what they are missing. Apparently, villagers arrive in the morning and leave in the evening. No one is said to live there. A gigantic flagpole flying the North Korean flag looms over the place.

We passed by the other village created by the DMZ which lies in the South, Daeseong-dong. Known as the Freedom Village by the US military, it is home to 200 people. They may live in properties with all the 21^st-century trappings including internet but they are guarded by soldiers as they work in the rice fields. Visitors are not permitted and they are also subject to an 11pm curfew.

The propaganda messages from both sides of the border that blared out from loudspeakers we saw have now stopped as a result of the momentous meeting that took place between the South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un on April 27 2018.

Another stark reminder of the tensions that existed between the North and the South was a visit to one of the “Tunnels of Aggression”. The guide told us that they were informed about them by a North Korean defector who had worked on the project ordered by Kim Il-sung to build tunnels from the North to the South. The idea was that troops could use them to invade its neighbour. Four tunnels have been found but it is believed that there could be many more. 

Visiting the third tunnel, found in 1978, just 32 miles away (51 kilometres approximately) from the capital of South Korea, Seoul, we were given helmets to protect our heads from the low ceilings as we walked through. Being petite, I did not have a problem. However, I could not imagine how an army could possibly pass through. In case you are wondering, the path to the North has been blocked with concrete. It seemed ironic that something built by the North had turned into a tourist attraction for the South.

Dorasan Station was our last stop of the day. Why take us to an unused railway station? I soon discovered why. The Gyeongui Line, which opened in 1906, originally linked Seoul to Pyongyang but when the troubles started in the 1940s, the line was not used. The new one opened in 2002 and for a limited time from 2007 until 2008 trains ran between the two Koreas. 

Today, though four trains from Seoul a day run here, it is regarded as a symbol of hope that it will one day connect the two Koreas.

Thought-provoking and eye-opening, the DMZ tour leaves an indelible mark on your psyche. We all should care what happens here. Seeing the two leaders meet where I had just been felt special. Hopefully, no more innocent blood will be spilt and there will be peace.

By Daralyn Danns

There are several companies that run tours to the DMZ. You need to check the itinerary as not all offer the same things. For more information visit gokorea.co.uk