Day 7: Visiting the DMZ

Our day today was spent touring the demilitarized zone (DMZ). This of course boarders North and South Korea. As we drove along the highway there are miles of wrapped barbed wire, snipers, and soldiers guarding the zone with machine guns. There are land mines throughout the DMZ that are still active and dangerous. As a result you cannot walk freely in the DMZ.

Almost 500 people live in the DMZ, mostly farmers. It is a constant danger due to the land mines. In fact, a farmer had been killed very recently by a land mine exploding. You can see the craters they create when they explode.

The DMZ was created after the war to keep the countries separate. Since the separation the South Koreans have discovered 4 tunnels that were used by the North Koreans to march troops into Seoul. We toured one of the tunnels and learned that generally they are 52 kilometers long and that the North Koreans would put coal on top of the ground to make the tunnel and digging look like a coal mine. One of the tunnels was capable of passing 30,000 troops per hour into South Korea.

There are ongoing discussions about reuniting the countries, but it seems that they have far to go. As you look across the boarder the landscape is absent of trees. We were told that is because the North Korean government does not provide any aid to the citizens for fuel so in the winter they cut down the trees to provide heat. Additionally, we were told that offers to provide food aid have been turned down by the government.

There is a great deal of propaganda surrounding the demilitarized zone and the views expressed by North and South Korea. It makes it hard to tell if progress is being made, but they seem committed to continuing to work toward a better relationship.