🇰🇵 History Beneath the Surface: A Powerful Visit to the DMZ and Third Tunnel

Visiting the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) on a guided tour was one of the most memorable and eye-opening experiences of our trip to Korea. It’s not every day you get so close to one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world—and yet the tour was surprisingly smooth and well-organized from start to finish.

One of the highlights was entering the Third Infiltration Tunnel, which North Korea had secretly dug with the intent of making a surprise invasion. Walking down the steep, dimly lit path into the tunnel was surreal. Hard hats were provided—and needed—as the ceilings were low. It was a bit of a workout going down (and especially coming back up!), but being down there gave us a real sense of how serious and tense things have been between the two Koreas.

We also visited other key sites like the Dora Observatory, where we could peer across the border into North Korea through telescopes, and Dorasan Station, a symbolic train station meant to one day reconnect the two countries. Each stop on the tour was both informative and thought-provoking.

Our guide did a great job explaining the historical and political context in a way that was easy to understand. The tour struck a good balance between somber reflection and fascinating insight.

Overall, the DMZ tour isn’t just another sightseeing stop—it’s a deep dive into Korea’s complex past and present. Visiting the Third Tunnel was both physically and emotionally impactful, and I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to go beyond the usual tourist trail in Korea.

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Post by Crumpled Nomad | Jun 21, 2025