The DMZ and more!

Last Thursday, T.G. and I took a tour of the DMZ/JSA area in South Korea.  It has taken me a bit to get this one written due to the impact a tour of this kind can have, let alone trying to figure out how to put it into words that would even begin to describe what was seen and felt.  Bare with me, I'll do my best...(it might be a long one).  Also, sorry for the funky fonts...some of it is out of my control...

Korean Demilitarized Zone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ; Hangul: 한반도 비무장지대) is a strip of land running across

 the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ is a

de-factoborder barrier, 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 was created as part of the Korean Armistice Agreement 

between North Korea, the People's Republic of China, and the United Nations Command forces in 1953.

It is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long,^[1] approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) wide and despite its name 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]   

Joint Security Area

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, Panmunjeom is the home of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Originally, it was the only connection between North and South Korea^[8] but that changed in 2007 when a Korail train crossed the DMZ to the North on the new Donghae Bukbu Line built on the east coast of Korea.

There are several buildings on both the north and the south side of the MDL, and a few are built right on top of it. The JSA is the location where all negotiations since 1953 have been held, including statements of Korean solidarity, which have generally amounted to little except a slight decline of tensions. The MDL goes through the conference rooms and down the middle of the conference tables where the North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and Americans) meet face to face.

Within the JSA are a number of buildings for joint meetings called Conference Row. These are used for direct talks between the Korean War participants and parties to the armistice. Facing the Conference Row buildings is DPRK's Panmungak (English: Panmun Hall) and ROK's Freedom House. In 1994, North Korea enlarged Panmungak by adding a third floor. In 1998, South Korea built a new Freedom House for its Red Cross staff and to possibly host reunions of families separated by the Korean War. The new building incorporated the old Freedom House Pagoda within its design.

We were 15 feet inside North Korea for about 15 minutes!!!

Third Tunnel of Aggression

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Third Tunnel of Aggression (Korean: 제3땅굴) is a tunnel under the border between 

North Korea and South Korea, extending south of Panmunjom. It was the third tunnel to be 

discovered running under the border between the two Koreas.

The third tunnel was discovered on October 17, 1978. Unlike the previous two, the third tunnel

 was discovered following a tip from a North Korean defector. This tunnel is about 1,600 m 

(5,200 ft) long and about 350 m (1,150 ft) below ground. Foreign visitors touring the South 

Korean DMZ may view inside this tunnel using a sloped access shaft.

No pictures were allowed inside The Third Tunnel, we can thank the WIkipedia for this one..

Dora Observatory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dora Observatory is on the South Korean side of the 38th parallel. Situated on top of Dorasan 

(Mount Dora), the observatory looks across the Demilitarized Zone. It is the part of South Korea 

closest to the North. Visitors can catch a rare glimpse of the reclusive North Korean state through

 binoculars from the 304 square feet, 500-person capacity observatory. They will be able to see

 the North Korean propaganda village situated in the DMZ, a remnant of the old prosperity of the

 North, and can see as far as the city of Kaesong. The observatory is very close to the Third

 Tunnel (Third North Korean Infiltration Tunnel), a massive North Korean-dug tunnel which was

 planned as a pathway for invasion to the South if war had erupted and it had not been

 discovered. The Dorasan Station, also nearby, is designed to be the station that connects the

 railroads of the South and North one day in the future.

We finally recovered from that experience by Saturday, then T.G. and his team won their softball game before we went out with friends to see Avenue Q.  (Think Sesame Street for adults!)  It was very, very funny!  Don't go if you are easily offended though!

As for this week, we've got T.G.'s woodworking class, more flower school for me, another Korean show and other events we'll keep you up to date on!