LARA IN KOREA!: DMZ

Some days ago I went on a trip to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). ISF (International Student Foundation)was inviting five students to an exclusive tour, just for the prize of 10 000 Won (about 7€). Hugo, Umer and I were thinking this is an excellent opportunity to pay a visit to the DMZ. On that day we were guided by a Korean woman called Jie-Young and Mr. Choi.

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (Hangul: 한반도 비무장지대; Hanja: 韓半島非武裝地帶) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea which runs along the 38th parallel north. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. It is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long,^[1]approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) wide and is the most heavily militarized border in the world.^[2]^[3] The Northern Limit Line, or NLL, is the de facto maritime boundary between North and South Korea in the Yellow Sea and the coastline and islands on both sides of the NLL are also heavily militarized.^[4](Zie Wikipedia!)

So our day started at our campus.We went by subway to 대화 (Dewha Station). After a long one and a half hour subway ride we finally reached. Mr. Choi was waiting for us to pick us up with his car. We were quite close to the DMZ now. Mr. Choi drove us into the well guarded DMZ. Inside this zone we visited this'Unification Village'. Streets were very desolate. We couldn't see any person walking outside. But the Korean flag was waving in front of almost every house. The name of the village implicitly shows the strong wish of many South-Koreans to be one day finally unified with their Northern compatriots. Although there was not a lot to see in this village. It felt strange. Maybe just the fact that there was nothing and nobody to see, made it all strange. The guide told us that people are really living in this bufferzone. To me it looked like a ghost town.

After visiting this empty village Mr. Choi took us to Dorasan station. We had some troubles to enter, because we were individual visitors (read not going with some payed tour). But Mr. Choi had good connections and after some negotiaions we were able to enter with the car. Dorasan Station is a railroad station situated on the Gyeongui Line, which once connected North and South Korea. For several years Dorasan Station was the last or most northern stop, before entering North-Korea. The station was really used until the North-Korean government closed the border crossing, after accusing South-Korea of some bad things. Plans to start a regular service for bringing travellers into North-Korea have been made, but apparently not yet finalized... As there were only tourists and no real travellers. The luggage checkpoint was empty, nobody was sitting in the waiting hall. Maybe one day they station will regain its original use. Who knows... Do you think North- and South-Korea will ever unify? Many people here think this is just an utopia, a never-going-to-happen something.

In the station they gave us a 'fake' train ticket to North-Korea, for the train that would never come. The station was empty, so were the railway tracks. It felt weird to know that on the other side you can find world's most isolated country.

After our visit to Dorasan station we had lunch at a local place. A lot of homemade kimchi, but the taste of the food was kind of bland. Kimchi will never be my favourite kind of food, I guess.

Next on our things to visit list was Mr. Choi's farm, which is located in the DMZ. He showed us around on his farm were he cultivated blueberries, pears and mushrooms. To him this is just a weekend farm, he doesn't stay there normally. His little chalet was cute but not the best place to stay when it's freezing -17°C. We ate homemade kimchi and some ramyon (Korean style ramen). He also gave us own brewed mulberry alcohol. Very delicious... and tastes like porto to me. :)

Our last thing on the to do list was Imjingak Park. This park has many statues and monuments regarding the Korean war. This park is home to monuments such as an ugly pool in the shape of Korea, a train (a leftover from the war) perforated by many bullets, and also the 'Bridge of Freedom' which is merely an access bridge to the main span that allowed the 1 way south bound traffic to pass by while northbound traffic stood waiting its turn to cross.

We were dropped of by the same station we started our day. DMZ... not the most interesting place in Korea, as there is not a lot to see. But maybe just because of that, it's surely worth a visit. ;) To feel how empty this zone is, to feel how close North-Korea is without being able to ever enter this neighbouring country.