Korea

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When visiting the border between North and South Korea the tour agency provides a dress code. No scruffy jeans, no t-shirts, no short skirts or revealing clothing. No sandals, flip flops or shoes without cover at the heel. I had presumed this was a dictatorial demand from the North on visitors to the border (otherwise known as the DMZ or demilitarised zone). It is actually a demand from the South. In the past poorly dressed westerners had their photos taken by North Korean soilders and their images were used as propaganda in the north - "look how messy the westerners are", "look at their messy clothes", "they are poor too". As a result the tourists are expected to at least look relatively smart. Disconcertingly the ban on flimsy shoes is to allow tourists to run quickly if something bad happens.

The desire to highlight the hostility and tension between the two regions politically benefits both (at least in the short term) but is does make for a nervous trip. Prior to the trip itself we are required to read and sign a form which states that during our visit the "United Nations Command, the United States of America, and the Republic of Korea cannot guarantee the safety of visitors and may not be held accountable in the event of a hostile enemy act." We are also informed we cannot fraternize with the enemy (we are given a handy description of who wears which uniform to be absolutely clear) and are told that visitors "will not point, make gestures, or expressions like scoffing." I have not scoffed for years but suddenly feel the desire to do so. Scoffing is very Enid Blyton and I keep thinking about ginger beer.

The key part of the DMZ tour is to go to the JSA or Joint Security Area. It is here where visitors see the meeting rooms that cross North and South Korea itself. These meeting rooms allow both nations to talk to each other whilst remaining in their respective countries. Normally visitors are permitted to enter the huts and so technically visit North Korea itself. However during our visit the huts were being painted and so we were not allowed in. Nevertheless the experience was acutely strange. Our group was told to form two lines of single file. We were then to proceed slowly to the steps in front of us, stand still and on instruction turn to our right so to face the huts. We could then take one step forward and no more. For one moment I thought I might have accidentally recruited myself into the US Army. Instead we were told that we could now take our photos, but only of the view directly in front of us and not to the left or the right. In front of us were a series of meeting huts and beyond that - maybe 10 meters or so - was North Korea with its young soldiers staring at us through mirrored sunglasses.

On the South Korean side US soliders watched us, and South Korean soldiers watched North Korean soldiers. We watched everybody whilst pretending not to. Eyeballs everywhere. The South Korean soldiers stand facing the North. They stand half behind the meeting huts and half exposed to the North. The reason for this is that by being half covered they only have a 50% chance of being killed by a North Korean soldier. I question the logic. The South Korean soldiers are all trained in martial arts and whilst on duty permanently stand in the first position of attack - legs apart, leaning slightly forward, fists clenched. It is a surreal experience. They are here to protect us.

Afterwards, we talk to two of the US soliders who work at the base. I get the impression that to get sent to Camp Bonifas is either for those old enough to be patient and about to retire, or young enough to require some form of punishment. For them it is overwhelmingly dull with the constant threat of a violence rarely seen. Still, the camp is well equipped with a church, temple, shops, training grounds and a golf course (surrounded by land mines). The two sides are not permitted to talk to each other but sometimes the North Korean soliders whisper to the US soilders as they walk past "I hate you, I'm going to kill you". It all sounds a bit like I'd imagine boarding school.

As part of our visit we also met a lady who had defected from the North to the South. She successfully managed to swim a river to China, hide in a forest for three days and meet her contact before beginning the process to live in the South. It took months. A mixture of detention centres, threats of deportation and finally acceptance into the South. She had to undergo a series of 'non-voluntary education classes'. Something which sounds highly dubious but then she had never had to use money, had never had a credit card or paid a bill. In North Korea she had been paid in rice which she had been expected to farm herself. Luckily she also managed to get her parents out but she still has family in the North. She has no idea how they are. No letters, no email, no telephone calls, no visits are permitted. There is a brand new railway that goes from North to South Korea with new tracks, train and stations. Only one passenger train passed through though before North Korea stopped the service. It is a strange place to visit. Only two trains a day pass through to Camp Bonifas. Next stop Pyongyang. Unused. The South Koreans stay it is not the last station in the South but the first in the North. Political spin happens everywhere.

Other than the visit to the border I relaxed in Seoul. A lovely unexpected city of temples and palaces. My accommodation was an old guesthouse, all the rooms heated under floor and located around a pretty central courtyard. The shopping was great and the people lovely. The food was...unusual - "Clotted ox-blood soup and hangover pig", "Sliced Knee with Noodles." Hmm, still the shopping was great and the people lovely. I will definitely go back to Korea. Having only spent a few days there I have only seen the surface of the country. Yet, another place I plan never to leave!

Take care and lots of love,

Kate x

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