Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
The Grass is NOT Always Greener... Our tour to the DMZ left at 8:00 am from the USO office in Seoul. Seoul, depending on the day, can be nearly a two hour subway ride away from Ansan. So, we decided to leave Ansan at 5:00 am. None of us had been up at that time in awhile.

Fortunately, the subway wasn't very crowded and we easily all got seats. When we got to the USO office, we still had almost an hour until our tour was scheduled to leave, so we took advantage of their English magazines, big screen TV, and the most comfortable furniture I've felt since I left my parent's house.

After boarding the buses, we drove about an hour north along the Han River toward the DMZ. I was surprised to see that I could see barbed wire and lookout posts along the river just outside northern Seoul. Seeing the distance between Seoul and the North on a map is one thing; Seeing the physical reminders (just outside the city) of a war that has never officially ended is another thing entirely.

Our first stop on the DMZ tour was the United Nations Joint Security Area. We watched a brief slide show to learn the history and geography of the area. Afterward, we boarded the buses and drove into the JSA. We walked through the Peace House that South Korea had constructed in the late 90s to give families from the North and South a chance to reunite. Unfortunately, the Peace House has never been used for this purpose, because the North refuses to allow more reunions due to the high risk of defection.

The most striking thing about the JSA is that most of the space is shared by the North Koreans and UN. There was a clearly defined boundary line outside, but inside the builidings, either party may move freely. When we entered one of the negotiation buildings, we were warned that North Korean soldiers sometimes enter when they know that there is UN tour. Also, the tour guide/ army sgt. showed us where the line would be inside and Lee and I happened to be standing on the Northern side of the line. So, we were in North Korea, but only for a few seconds.

At the JSA, we were permitted to take any photos that we wanted but we were instructed not to gesture or wave to any North Korean soldiers for any reason. We only saw two North Korean soldiers (even though we were assured by the Sgt. that there were more) and they didn't seem particularly interested in us.

After lunch, we went to the Dorasan Observatory. From the top of Dora mountain, both sides of the DMZ are visibile as they snake a long a small river. The North Korean side appeared as a dark line of fence on the horizon and the South Korean line has two rows of fences backed by a minefield that runs across the entire country. Also visible is North Korea's Propaganda Village in the distance.

Both North Korea and South Korea have built villages for their citizens in the DMZ. In the South Korean village, each family has been granted 11 acres of farm land, a house, educational stipends, and a waiver of military service for their sons. The families are free to come and go as they please, but they do have to be in the village by 9:00 and in their houses by 12:00 for security reasons. The North Korean village looks like a big industrial town (with the tallest flag pole in the world), but a glimpse through a telescope reveals no sign of life. Until recently, the North Korean village would broadcast propaganda through the loud speakers that could be heard from the Army base just outside the DMZ.

Our last stop was Tunnel #3. Since the 60s, South Korea has discovered at least four tunnels built by the North Koreans in an attempt to invade the South. Tunnel #3, discovered in 1978, is the biggest and the closest to Seoul, a mere 52 kilometers away. Fortunately, the tunnel was discovered as soon as it crossed the southern border of the DMZ and South Korea put a stop to it. The South constructed its own tunnel, at a 12 degree angle, to intersect the North's invasion tunnel.

We got to visit the tunnel wearing yellow hard hats. To my dismay, I could walk underneath everything without touching the ceiling once. Lee, however, needed the hard hat. We walked the tunnel until we came to one of three barriers erected by the South to stave off invasion. We were told that the tunnel is over a mile long and starts inside the Northern part of the DMZ. After the tunnel was discovered, the North tried to claim that the entirely granite tunnel had been painstakingly blasted out over the course of five years in an effort to look for coal.

The DMZ trip was a really interesting experience. It was a very vivid reminder of Korea's painful past and how it continues into the present. I expected a DMZ visit to make me feel less secure living here, but it didn't. Throughout the entire visit, I felt as though North Korea was some dormant volcano that hadn't exploded in a while. People who live near dormant volcanoes never know when they might become active again, so they trust the experts to keep them safe. Seeing the DMZ guarded by the capable US and ROK (with their modified taekwando stance and ability to rip opponents limb from limb) armies made me feel safe enough.