SE Asia

We took a tour to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone - a 2km band on the north side and a 2km band on the south side of the border that can not have any military action as per the armistice agreement signed in 1953), on the way there, we stopped by the Mt. Gamaksan suspension bridge and hiked to a small waterfall. Before entering the DMZ area, armed soldiers come onto the bus, and you have to show them your passports, and it must match the information on the tour providers list. When leaving, the bus count must match what it was on the way in, and soldiers once again come onto the bus, and you must show your passport next to your face for verification. After leaving the secure gate area and you pass a blue line on the pavement, you are in the DMZ zone. In the DMZ area, we saw the freedom bridge, Mangbaedan Alter, the third infiltration tunnel dug by the North for a surprise invasion. We were able to walk a portion of the tunnel (450m), but we had to put our cell phones in lockers first - no pictures. The invasion was foiled in 1978 by a north defector who knew about the tunnels (4 were eventually found). We went across the unification bridge, this is the only bridge and highway connecting the north and south, after you cross, you can see the highway is blocked, we took a side road to the Dorasan Observatory where you can see North Korea. They have a 165m high flag pole on their side of the border, and the south has a similar sized one displaying their flag on their side. Each side has propaganda villages that once were used to try and show the other side how great it was on each prospective side. We could see a North Korean lookout tower through the observatory binoculars, and it was surreal seeing the North Korean guards moving around. In the north, all men must serve 10 years in the armed forces, and women must serve 8 years. Since the 1953 signed armistice was only a truce, the two countries are still technically at war. In South Korea, all males must serve 2 years in the armed forces before they turn 30. It was an interesting day, learning more about Korea history from Japanese rule up to the end of WWII, to the north conspiring with Russia and China to invade the south and the eventual war that halted with the armistice in 1953 after three years of fighting, and nearly 5,000,000 casualties.Read more