Korea - Day 4 - Tony vs. The North Korean Army

We almost missed out tour of the Demilitarized Zone (AKA DMZ, Pan Mun Jom, Joint Security Area, JSA). We had ben instructed (or so we thought) to meet our tour guids in a hotel lobby. Rather, what apparently was said was "in the B-1 room". We even saw a tour guide looking person and Amy went to ask if her group was going to the demilitarized zone. Amy came back to me and said, "nope, she said they were not. They are going to Pan Mun Jon." Which struck me as odd, because that's kind of like saying "we are not going to the District of Columbia, we are going to Washington DC."
Thankfully, my nervousness grew enough for me to go back, find the tour guide (just barely) and we got it straightened out.

The drive was about an hour by bus, during which we picked up more history on the Korean War than either of us had learned in school (or after having lived in Korea).

There are very strict rules for visiting the DMZ. One must be dressed properly. No Nothing low cut, revealing, or sloppy. No blue jeans (they are considered a symbol of America, and are thus offensive, to the North Koreans). Out passports were checked twice. In some parts of the tour, no personal articles were allowed except camera (no video) and binoculars - and even those were only allowed to be used in designated areas. Through the more sensitive part - the actual boundary of the separation, where meetings between the two nations take place, and North Korea is literaly a stones throw away, we were instructed to remain as a group, two single file lines, and to not under any circumstance smile, wave, make eye contact with or gesture in any way towards the North Korean gaurds.

Of course we saw no North Korean gaurds. And the differences between South Korean and North Korean gaurds was not emphasized. So the whole tour group was rather stiff while our Army presenter, Fernandez, was cracking jokes.

We were brought right to the center og the DMZ, the building in which the the countrys (and US, and other involved countries) met. There were South Korean guards standing at intimidating TeakWonDo ready pose inside and outside the building. The line of demarkation ran though the building - it was slipt in half. After an explaination of the layout, we were invited to step into North Korea. And wouldn't you know it, I was first in line. We were also allowed to take pictures (surprisingly) within this building. And with the guards. Here is Amy, 2 feet inside North Korea, standing slightly nervously next to a South Korean Gaurd (who is stradling the boundry).


Next we were taken back out of the building, and, facing North Korea, given a rundown of the surrounding buildings. Three buildings straddling the boarder (painted light teal) were designated as South Korean/UN buildings. Three (much more stylishly in silver blocks) were North Korean. One of the NK buildings was designated the rec room, though there was not a opiece of work out equipment inside. From this room, dubbed by the US and SK guards as "the Monkey Room", NK gaurds occasionally loked out the windows, shouted obscenities and made rude and threatening gestures when they knew a group was gathered in the spot we were currently in. We were again allowed (!!) to take pictures from within the small area we were standing, and asked if we had any questions first.

And then I became "that guy". I casually pointed to the silver building to the right and asked, "that was the monkey house, right?" Fernadez responded, very difinitively, "yes sir, and PLEASE DO NOT POINT." I pretty much kept my head down and held my hands together for the rest of the tour. Here is a picture of the Monkey room (forground) and a North Korean watch post, in which a North Korean guard was watching, rifle at the ready no doubt, even as I pointed in its direction and took this shot.



We were then taken to an observation point in which we were surrounded by North Korea on three sides. From here we could see (among other things) "Propaganda Village". so named by the SK's because, during the war, they had loud speakers constantly tempting anyone South Korea's nearby "Freedom Village" (no propaganda in the naming conventions in South Korea, nosiree) to come over to wonderful, welcomong North Korea, far superior to the South. Freedom Vilage is still a functioning village, pop. about 200, all of whom live there rent and tax free (as incentive to live so ridiculously close the the border. Propaganda village is unihabited, but boasts a much taller, larger flag the Freedom Vilage (the North has a thing for making sure they appear bigger and stronger than the south in every way).


Fllowing the tour, we returned to Seoul and treked up to the Seoul Tower (think Seattle Space Needle) to reach the highest point in the city. Sadly, it is closed for repairs for the next 7 months. We did get some shot of the city scape from the hill, though. This is, perhaps, 1/8 of the view. It extends like this in every direction.


And finally, todays wacky english bastardization... better than home made, its handmade.