Destination: the DMZ - with a twist (Gyeonggi-do)



The ever-optimistic and politically-correct train sign. Note that no trains actually run to Pyongyang from Seoul, or vice versa.

I'll spare you the history lesson about Korea's DMZ - but ROK Drop's post is detailed, accurate, and full of win. Suffice it to say that the sites you'll see are designed to give you the South Korean version of history. Propaganda is present as you might expect, but manageable.

Most tours of the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) start from Seoul, and the tourists are ushered around from one place to another. It's so been done. In 2 1/2 years, I can't say the urge to check this area out was a strong one. There's nothing more that can be said that hasn't already been said in many other places. As a result, the DMZ has seemed like the sort of place I might not ever bother seeing.

Then my friend Shaun called.

"Hey dude, I've got some free time coming up - you wanna go check out the DMZ?"

Naturally, the answer was yes. Shaun and I met up at Seoul Station, fully intending to take a tour without resorting to a completely normal tour. The Seoul subway system, combined with another train, will take you to Imjingang station - one stop away from the current end of the line (only two trains a day go all the way north to Dorasan. In retrospect, it was a good thing we missed it, as you'll see.)

Imjingang station / Imjingak area



One of the first sights you'll see once you arrive at the Imjingang train station. A North Korean bomb exploded at the Martyr's Mausoleum in Rangoon, Burma, killing 17 people. The seventeen-meter statue symbolically represents the 17 people killed (including Vice-Premier Suh Suk-joon) on October 9, 1983.

Onward we went to the Gyeonggi Peace Center - a tourist-friendly building, thankfully with A/C, and offering a special exhibition on the 60th anniversary of the Korean war:



The faux 'cave' featured a few facts along the floor. That's Shaun in the background, by the way.



Just a few of the haunting images seen - a reminder of how brutal war can be.



Orders of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, or medals as we would call them.



Haven't seen too many records around here - especially one giving an audio autobiography of sorts.



Yes, folks - if you've heard about the DMZ, you may have heard about 'The Train that Wants to Run'. This is it - an old, rusted train that I would hesitate getting into unless my life were on the line.



Being so close to the border, a number of North Korean products become available. On the top shelf, that's a brand of North Korean soju and beer. Thanks, but I can't imagine how a country that can't feed itself can produce a beer worth drinking.



Ring the Peace Bell if you want - 10,000 won per family or group. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly a big attraction.

From this area, a number of tours could be arranged - 9 during the weekdays (last one at 3pm), while 15 tours were available during the weekends (last one at 3:30pm). Some are of the 셔틀승강기 (shuttle bus) variety, while others are of the 도보관람 (walking tour) - make sure to pick the one you want. We took the latter, which allowed time to get out and walk around the different places. The tour cost 8,700 won, and included many of the same sites you might see on a more expensive bus tour from Seoul - the 3rd tunnel (제3땅굴), Dora observatory (도라전망대), Dorasan station (도라산역), and the 통일촌직판장 - a souvenir store.

Dora observatory (도라전망대)

We hopped into the tour bus with a couple dozen Koreans, with a driver rattling off plenty of facts and figures - only in Korean, of course. Once we arrived, we had the chance to see North Korea:


A warning to those photobugs like myself: there is a thick yellow line on the ground. Behind this line you're allowed to take photos, but all you're likely to get are the fancy binoculars and a vague sense of something beyond the wall. In front of this line, no pictures are allowed - and someone in a military uniform will politely tell you to step behind the line. Whether there are North Korean snipers ready to take your camera out, or super-secret military installations you're not supposed to know about, don't bother trying to take pictures in front of the line.

We stopped by a small souvenir store before heading back on the bus - it's basically the same stuff you'll see over and over again, at basically the same prices. There's really no reason to get your souvenirs at any one place - and you'll have an opportunity at the end of your trip to stock up.

3rd tunnel (제3땅굴)



With four languages explaining the story outside the building, this was one of the only pictures I took. No pictures were allowed inside, thus you'll have to visit yourself to see it.

The tunnel was dug by North Korea, who may have been seeking to invade the south. First reported to the South in 1974 by a North Korean defector, South Korea responded by installing a number of PVC pipes filled with water. It took three years for one to explode, but that gave them an idea where the tunnel was being dug. The tunnel dug by the North Koreans reached 435 meters into South Korea. It wasn't opened to the public until June 30, 2004, after a second tunnel was dug to meet up with the other one.

Walking down the tunnel dug to intercept the North Korean tunnel is fairly steep, but manageable. You're told it's 358 meters long and an 11 degree gradient, but it's hard for some people to visualize that. Picture walking down (or up) a straight but steep mountain path - it's walkable if you're in shape, but you'll find yourself huffing and puffing halfway up if you're used to level sidewalks.

Once at the bottom of the South Korean-dug tunnel, you'll see the beginning of the North Korean-dug tunnel. You'll only be able to walk about 265 meters in a straight line before coming across a blockade - rusted barbed wire, some dim lights, and a locked door with a window you can't actually see through. By the time you reach this point, you are a mere 170 meters from the MDL - the Military Demarcation Line, or the actual border separating the North and South.

When you've grown tired of looking at a locked door and barbed wire, head back the way you came, up the steep hill, and have another opportunity to buy some souvenirs.



Our next stop: time to watch a movie about the DMZ and walk through a museum.



As Shaun and I were the only non-Koreans, we were handed a pair of wireless headphones. It turned out the headphones broadcast the audio in several different languages, and was switched to speak English as the video broadcast Korean. The video showed the various tunnels that had been dug by North Korea into the south; not exactly the most interesting thing, but certainly an element of history to remember.

Dorasan station



One of our last stops was the northernmost train station. Perhaps the biggest source of propaganda - or the most expensive one - Dorasan station was opened on April 11, 2002 after the joint North Korea-South Korea Declaration on June 15, 2000. When / if the two Koreas become unified, the train tracks may well become connected to the Trans-Siberian Railway or the Trans-Chinese railway. It does sound romantic, but these days people would likely be flying their way across those thousands of kilometers.



Dorasan Station is pristine, as you might expect from a fairly new train station - yet there was almost no one else around. A person or two selling things and the people on the tour - that was it.



A section closed to the public - a section dedicated to quarantine and inspection at the border.

Get back on the bus one last time to head to a large souvenir store. Products were from North Korea and the DMZ, and felt almost like a grocery store. Sorry, but the exception of a few buttons, I passed.

So is the DMZ worth visiting? Take away the political scenario of the DMZ, and it's a very controlled tourist site. You can't exactly dally around any given place, as you don't want your bus to leave without you. The propaganda is expected, and although history is visible, the DMZ remains as one of those sites that's hard to avoid. Coming to Korea and not seeing the DMZ is a bit like not trying the kimchi or galbi. Perhaps it's better to come after understanding a bit more of the history between the two Koreas. At least that way, you'll be able to compare what you know to the history / propaganda you'll pick up while here.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:


Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

Directions to Imjingang: In Seoul, catch the Gyeongui Line from Seoul Station (line 1 or 4) or the Digital Media City station (line 6). Go all the way to the northern terminus (Munsan station), then catch a separate train from Munsan station to Imjingang station (about 10 minutes travel time, comes every 50-60 minutes, 1,000 won) . A number of things are available within walking distance of the train station, including the aforementioned DMZ bus tour.

A number of companies offer DMZ tours starting from central Seoul - while I'm not prepared to endorse one, a quick Google search will do the trick.

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