Blogs from Panmunjom, North Korea, Asia

So.....that was intense! I'd read in a few reviews that the atmosphere at the border was supposed to be quite tense but it is definitely one of those things that you have to experience in person. And on a plus it turns out I'm the perfect height for tunnel warfare. We travelled by coach from the USO office in Seoul, based next to the US base, and drove for about an hour and a half to the DMZ (Demiliterized Zone) to begin the tour. There was no mistaking that we were in the right place. The road is a mass of wire fences, barbed wire, road blocks and is heavily armed by South Korean soldiers. Once through the checkpoint we drove over a bridge known as 'Reunification Bridge'. There was a lot of perhaps over optimistical ... read more

Last weekend I went to North Korea! It was probably the coolest thing I've ever done. First we took a bus up from one of the military bases in Seoul up to the Panmunjom, which is the area between North Korea and South Korea. We had to watch a short video that was both informative and funny, in that it was a sort of propaganda. I already knew North Korea is messed up. I didn't need to be constantly reminded. Then we went to the Joint Security Area, which is the only area where North Korean and South Korean soldiers look directly at each other. While we were taking pictures of North Korea and their buildings, some North Korean soldiers started filing out of their building, which made our security escort nervous, which made ME nervous. ... read more

The DMZ On the the 3rd day of the trip, we made our way to one of the most surreal tourist attractions in the world - the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North and South Korea. We had to wake up earlier than expected and depart at 7:30am, because the tour guides received information that the DMZ would be closed in the afternoon due to an "event". (Later I found out from the news that the "event" referred to the return of South Korean pastor Han Sang-Ryol from North Korea. Pastor Han arrived at North Korea in June and paid a two-month visit (which included a meeting with DPRK's number two leader, Kim Yong-nam). After he returned to South Korea via the DMZ on 20 Aug, he was arrested because South Korea's "security law" prohibited its ... read more

Within the North Korean psyche, nothing is more despised than imperialist aggressors. Those evil, external forces that threaten to usurp the Juche idea of self-reliance, and besmirch the Great Leader. Public enemy number one in this regard are the US - and they have held this title for the past sixty years, when they overtook Japan (and their imperialist efforts in the first half of the twentieth century) as the most despised nation. It was rare to hear the word “US” or “American” without the phrase “Imperialist Aggressors” spat out immediately after. This term was so common that I would automatically say the words “imperialist aggressors” in the rare instances when our hosts forgot to add this sobriquet to any reference to the US. This always received a nod of approval from our Guide and Official. ... read more