The DMZ

Caroline looking over the DMZ

Hyped to be one of the scariest places on Earth, I was intrigued by and felt leery to visit the Demilitarized Zone. Especially because I live less than 25 miles from the DMZ, a visit to the border of North Korea seemed like a must see sight before I leave the country next year.

Tourists are only allowed to visit the area on guided tours that are granted permission by the South Korean government. Thus, the entire time I tagged along to a formal group that clearly outlined all of the rules and took care of all the necessary formalities. Really easy. I think it must only be one of the scariest places if you are the person breaking rules or entering into a forbidden zone.

A couple of things I hadn't realized about the DMZ: it's actually a 4 kilometer wide area along the border of North and South Korea. It spans 2 km into the South and 2 km into the North from the border. It's also not possible to actually enter the DMZ on a tour.

The tours penultimate stop, an observatory that looks out over the DMZ. From here we could see past the DMZ and into North Korea. It was startling to see the abrupt end of trees at the effective border of North Korea. In the distance, the country looked like a blueish green haze with the lonely outline of North Korea's second largest city and bare blue mountains.

Rules regarding where and when tourists can take photos are quite strict, but very easy to follow. There was a very thick, bright yellow line drawn about fifteen feet behind the binoculars. All photos had to be taken from behind that line.

Korean flag and ribbons decorating a fence and empty amusement park at Imjingak

In Korean style, the entire tour was a bit odd. The tour guide was an American girl who volunteers as a tour guide with a company that specializes in creating tours for foreigners in Korea. She began the tour with a giant smile by telling us that a NK soldier had shot up his superiors and escaped across the DMZ to defect to SK.

At the first stop on the tour, Imjingak, our cheery guide had to take our passports and seek permission to enter the DMZ tour spots. We were left to wander around and observe various memorials and even an empty amusement park.

Map of the Fourth Tunnel

Second on the day's agenda was lunch. We dined on an assortment of tofu dishes because the area of South Korea along the DMZ border is famous for their tofu production. Tofu in Korea is delicious; they pair the cool curd with spicy seasonings and sauces that create distinct flavors and textures.

After lunch we headed to the Fourth Tunnel. Four underground tunnels have been discovered by the South. Each one heads from a different point in the North toward Seoul. Here we were also shown a propaganda video that highlighted the "miracles" of the DMZ. Mainly, wild animal and plant life has thrived in the area untouched by human beings.

Miracle: The DMZ

The final stop of the day was Dorasan, the last train station in South Korea.  It's been hoped that someday this railroad will connect two two halves of Korea, and perhaps, even connect Korea to the rest of the Asian continent.

Overall, the day was very guided, but educational. I learned nothing about what life in North Korea might be like. But I do better understand the history and workings of the heavily guarded no-man's land that lies between the two countries.

North Korea is somewhere in the distance behind me

Dorasan Station's motto