DMZ, trapped between north & south 🇰🇷🇰🇵

The demilitarized zone is a must see if you’re doing a few days in Seoul, it’s a fascinating glimpse at the line that separates two nations still at war. The war ended in in 1953 with an armistice, so the nations are still technically at war.

The guided tours are amazing given the fact you are approaching such a sensitive area, they give you access to some fascinating sites while still keeping you safe and informed. On the tours you can visit various monuments and memorials to the fallen, the separated and the disappeared - each with their own fascinating stories. You can see the various bridges in their different states of repair that once linked the two nations.

You visit the observatory which enables you to look at North Korea through binoculars and see the difference in their buildings, farming and transport. On a clear day you can see as far as North Korea’s third biggest city. You can also see people on the other side of their border going about their day, walking around or farming and you can see how basic their equipment and provisions are.

Finally you enter the tunnels that North Korea built after the armistice to try and prepare for an invasion of Seoul, the tunnels were found and stopped by the South but still a fascinating piece of the story. You go deep underground and see the dynamite holes left from construction and the coal dust the North Koreans used to try and disguise their true intent.

Overall a fascinating experience and it’s worth the price, and being a 40 minute drive out of Seoul this 3/4 hour trip is doable in a half day if well planned!


#timetotravel #trip #seoul #dmz #historicculture

Post by Jamie Daniel Ali | Aug 19, 2023