The DMZ - Demilitarized Zone

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After the Korean War (1950-1953) the parties agreed to a truce that call the 38th parallel north the line of demarcation between the two Koreas, North and South. In between the two countries an area was established to separate them.

In my opinion, the highlight of the tour was the first stop, the Third Infiltration Tunnel. This tunnel stretches for 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) starting in North Korea and running under the DMZ into South Korea. It is 2 meters high by 2 meters wide (6’ 6” X 6’ 6”) and is capable of moving 300,000 troops per hour.

When first discovered in 198, the North Koreans claimed that the South Koreans had built it to infiltrate the north. Upon examination, the dynamite borings run from north to south. Oops said the North Koreans, I guess it was just a mistake by our coal miners trying to find more coal.

However, the coal coating on the tunnel was only that, a painted coating and the geological structure does not support the formation of coal. OK, I guess maybe we (the North Koreans) really were trying to infiltrate South Korea.

The depth of the tunnel is 78 meters (240 feet) below the surface and could ostensibly defy detection from above. It was only discovered after a North Korean engineer defected and spilled the beans.

The rest of the day’s tour allowed us to see the “Freedom Bridge’ where the North and South exchanged prisoners of war during the conflict, the Observation Point where one can see into North Korea and Dorasan Station, the last north-bound railroad station in anticipation of one day linking the railroads of South Korea with those of the North.

After the organized tour, we started at the top of Insadong, the artsy market area of Seoul, with a bit of lunch at a traditional Korean barbeque and on down the street for some - you guessed it - shopping. A horrendous green tea ice cream cone and something we thought looked like a Pearson’s Salted Peanut Roll (it wasn't) and several dollars worth of Korean ceramics, we were ready to head back to the hotel and call it a night.

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Photos

Freedom Bridge
Here's where the North and South exchanged POW's during the war

Insadong
We never did figure out what these marchers were up to. They just looked kinda neat.