DMZ

We signed up for a tour of the DMZ, the demilitarized zone, its a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. 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 155 miles (248 km) long and approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and is the most heavily militarized border in the world.
No one is allowed to go between the 4 km wide buffer zone, except for one spot which is considered to be neutral zone where negotiations occur. It is a very heavily armed area and both militaries are on constant guard.
The DMZ was decided in a meeting with China, North Korea, and the US, South Korea was not in the meeting. Many South Koreans and North Koreans were separated due to this division of the country. South Korea has gone on to prosper; host of the World Cup and Olympics, while North Korea is under strict communist rule cut off from other countries. The DMZ has been there since 1953, the South Koreans are anxiously waiting until the day that it is torn down and the whole peninsula of Korea exists again!

Hicimos el tour llamado DMZ en castellano La Zona desmilitarizada de Corea (ZDC) es una franja de seguridad que protege el límite territorial de tregua entre las repúblicas coreanas, establecido en 1953. Mide 4 km de ancho y 238 km de longitud.En 1970, se descubrieron tres túneles que se usaban para espionaje y veinte años después se halló uno más, todos construidos por militares de Corea del Norte.
El paralelo 38 que separa la península coreana en la actualidad, fue un linde que separaba las áreas ocupadas por los ejércitos estadounidense y sovietico durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Cuando el conflicto terminó y se crearon la RDP de Corea y la Republica de Corea en1948, la ZDC pasó a ser una frontera internacional de facto, y una de las zonas más conflictivas durante la Guerra Fria.
El conflicto comenzó cuando el ejército comunista de Corea del Norte cruzó la linde e invadió parte del sur del país. Tras el alto el fuego decretado el 27 de Julio del mismo año, se decidió crear de forma oficial una zona desmilitarizada. Cada bando debía desplazar sus tropas a 2.000 metros de la frontera, creando una barrera neutral de 4 kilómetros sobre el paralelo 38. A su vez, se estableció una Linea de Demarcación Militar que indica el centro exacto de la ZDC. El armisticio no conllevó la firma de un tratado de paz, por lo que técnicamente las dos Coreas continuan en guerra.

As we drove up North, this was the first sight of North Korea on the other side of the river.

The area is heavily armed, the South Koreans have many traps rigged with explosives if the North Koreans ever decide to attack again.

Pictures of North Korea taken from our bus.

This is a peace bell in a small area that South Korea built. This peace park is offered to North Korea if meetings are set up between families that were separated.

The South Koreans on watch!

Part of a train that was destroyed during the war.

These rocks are placed on every fence in hopes to be able to see if anyone has tried to sneak through.

Agustin on the Bridge to freedom where over 12,000 prisoners walked across.

The peace park

The entry to the 3rd tunnel discovered dug by the North Koreans to invade South Korea. The tunnel is 73 meters deep and is heading in the direction of Seoul. It is said that the North Koreans could have marched 30,000 soldiers through in one hour.

Inside the tunnels, we weren't allowed to have a camera.....shhhh! So, these pictures were taken quickly and secretly!!

The yellow circle is around a hole where the dynamite was placed to explode through these granite tunnels.

This was the end of the tunnel. South Korea has placed 3 walls to block the tunnel. When the tunnels were being discovered the North Koreans quickly went through and painted the walls black. The reason was that they said that the tunnels were not to go to South Korea, but instead they were digging for coal!

This is a drawing of the tunnel

Inside the museum, replicas of the soldiers.

A replica overview of the DMZ. The yellow lines are the DMZ, the middle one is the 38th parallel that divides Korea into two.

This symbolizes the two Koreas split and the people trying to push them back together again!

North Korea from the observation tower

North Korea

The train system built to united both Koreas. The South Koreans have built this train station as a way to connect with North Korea as soon as the DMZ is lifted. As of now, it is an unused train station, just waiting for that day.......

This is the last stop in South Korea and it will be the first stop to enter South Korea when that day happens!