One of the things I had on my list of “musts” in Korea was to visit the DMZ. Well today we had a DMZ tour booked so both Suzy and I were super excited for it.
Panmunjom JSA tour inside the DMZ
Prior to our trip to Korea, we had to submit our passport and nationality information to the tour company so they could register it with the military. Given that it’s still a dangerous area, it’s understandable that there is a great deal of attention paid to security. So ensuring that you are registered is important and required if you want to visit.
We arrived at our tour start location, The Koreana Hotel at 9AM to check in at the Panmunjom Travel Center. We signed in and hung out in their waiting room for about 20 minutes. Inside the room. There is a great deal of information and items of interest scattered throughout the room including the uniforms worn by the soldiers in the Joint Security Area of the DMZ.
We boarded a bus and was on the highway Northbound. The highway ran along the shore of the Han river which separates North and South Korea in some areas. After about 20 minutes of driving, you start to recognize that you’re no longer in the peaceful big city of Seoul. But rather, you start seeing things that are very unfamiliar to someone with an “at peace” North American life. I started seeing a double layered barbed wire fence running the length of the shore with intermittent camouflaged guard posts every few kilometers. It was only now that the divide between North and South really started to make an impact on me. I wish I had the wherewithal to snap a photo of if but I was so fascinated by it that I didn’t. This is why Google Street view is so great sometimes!
Odusan Unification Tower
Our first stop on the tour was the Odusan Unification Tower. The tower is built on a hilltop overlooking the Imjin river which divides North and South Korea. From here, you can see into North Korea and also get a view of the entire area. You gain an appreciation of how close the countries are, yet realize how big of a divide there is. We had an opportunity to take photos and learn a little bit about the Korean war.
At the top of the tower are telescopes which you can use to get a closer look at North Korea which was kind of neat. Though our guides mentioned the town directly across from the tower is pretty much a town of North Korean soldiers and their families.
North Korean Defector
After spending some time atop the tower, we all congregated into a small meeting room where we had an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of a North Korean defector who now works with the tour company. It was a very interesting part of the tour being able to hear her story and ask her questions about the North.
For her, she primarily wanted to earn more money to provide more for her family. So she had contacted a chinese broker who sneaked her across the border into China. Unfortunately she was then forced to work in a chinese restaurant for a few years without much freedom. She eventually escaped into South East Asia (I think Vietnam) where she was finally able to make contact with South Korean officials and given South Korean citizenship. It was fascinating listening to her story and her answers to questions about her life, family and what it’s like to live in North Korea (Feel free to inquire about this more in the comments).
One question that I did find quite unique: she was asked if there was anything in North Korea that was better. And she said that because things are quite basic there, the vegetables tasted better because in essence they were all organic! We had a bit of a giggle when she said this, but I guess there is some truth to it! I would have liked to have shared a photo of her, but she asked that we not, simply because she still has family in North Korea and she doesn’t want to implicate them in any way.
Imjingak “Resort”
Our next stop was Imjingak “Resort” This is an area that was built with the hope of unification in mind. On the Northern side of the “resort” is a destroyed train which was found in the DMZ and is a reminder of the war. Also the “Bridge of Freedom”, which crosses the river and was used by POW’s and soldiers that were returned from the North after the war.
There was a lot to see, but at the same time there constant reminders of the military all over, from the surveillance equipment to the fencing to the guard posts.
There were a number of monuments surrounding the resort as well. And oddly enough, there is also an amusement park. I’m told there are many festivals and events that happen in this area and so I imagine there is an odd mixture of joy and seriousness at times.
After Imjingak, our group made its way to a small korean restaurant nearby where we stopped for a bulgogi lunch. It wasn’t the best bulgogi I’ve had but given it was free I wasn’t really complaining. We had a chance to chat with a few of our tour mates before heading off to our primary destination: Panmunjom.
Camp Bonifas
After lunch we boarded the bus again enroute to Panmunjom (Joint Security Area). We stopped right before the Unification bridge where a South Korean soldier boarded our bus checked our passports. From here on in we were instructed that we weren’t allowed to take photos unless told otherwise by our guides. Thankfully, I was able to find a photo that shows the bridge and the checkpoint.
After crossing the bridge, it was a short drive until we arrived at Camp Bonifas which is the United Nations military base that houses South Korean and US forces. For the most part the forces consist of military escorts that run a variety of different DMZ tours. With this in mind, Camp Bonifas did feel somewhat “touristy”. And from what I read is primarily dedicated to tourism at this point. Nonetheless, upon arriving we were escorted into the Joint Security Area Visitor Center. Here a very serious looking soldier ran through the rules of the DMZ. Primarily it was to only take photos of things we were allowed to, to follow every single instruction by our military escorts and to conduct ourselves in a manner that wouldn’t put us at any risk.
At this point, we boarded a different bus. This time the driver and the guide were both South Korean soldiers and the bus belonged to the military. We left Camp Bonifas headed northbound.
Entering the DMZ
To me this was the most fascinating portion of the trip. As we drove, I started to notice the military build up as we neared the Southern demarcation line. The first thing I noticed, were large concrete pillars along both sides of the road. It was explained that they are wired with explosives to cover the road with debris. This is intended to slow down any would be invaders. After the concrete blocks, we passed by an open field signs warning of mines on the side of the road. Finally on the demarcation line itself was a built up dirt hill, with several layers of razor wire fencing at the top. Where we crossed the line, were several concrete watchtowers, a few machine guns and what looked to be a platoon of South Korean soldiers.
For someone who’s never been in the military, I certainly appreciated the danger and the seriousness of this area. But, once we crossed the line, things changed. The area opened up and all we saw was farmland and vegetation. In fact it was quite pretty and it was such a weird contrast to the military build up I had just witnessed. I guess I didn’t fully appreciate the concept of a “demilitarized” zone in that there is no military on this strip of land. And it was explained that (at least on the South Korean side) certain residents are allowed into the DMZ to farm produce crops. I didn’t expect this, but found it super interesting and such a contrast from everything else.
Panmunjom (Joint Security Area)
After a 10 minute drive we arrived at the Joint Security Area. We were promptly guided into one of the iconic blue buildings where North and South Korean officials meet. It was here that we were finally allowed to take photos again. You can imagine that all of us tourists frantically started snapping photos of everything we could. The border between North and South Korea passed through the middle of the building. And you could stand on both countries. Sadly we didn’t have a lot time, but being in such an iconic area say I’ve “stepped foot” into North Korea were two things I’ll remember for a while.
We were escorted back outside and allowed to take photos of the exterior of the buildings. This is probably “the” tourist picture that most who visit here take. Back onto the bus, back to Camp Bonfias, and then back to our normal tour bus.
All in all, we had an hour in the DMZ and was limited in what we were able to do. But this is a highlight and something I’m going to remember for a very long time. It took another hour to drive back to Seoul.
City Hall
Close to our drop off point from the tour is Seoul City Hall. Its this beautifully designed glass building with a great plaza in front of it. Because it was winter time, the plaza was transformed into a public skating rink.
We spent a little time watching the skaters go by before going into the building to marvel at the architecture.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Also nearby is the Cheonggyecheon Stream. This is a small waterway that’s built up into this lovely walk in the middle of the city. I’d read about this prior to coming and wanted to check it out. We didn’t have much time to explore since we had dinner plans. But I did manage to snap a few pictures of this beautiful area.
Brotherhood Kitchen
Our last stop for the evening as dinner with a friend of Suzy and Physio’s. The place we originally would have went to appeared to have closed down, so we ended up going to an american style restaurant called Brotherhood Kitchen. They had a Fried Chicken and Waffle dish that looked really tasty. All four of us ended up ordering it. It was good and the portions were plentiful, so much so that we had some trouble finishing it all.
It had been a long day so after dinner we headed back to the our place and crashed soon after!