The DMZ, Panmunjom

 


Here we are arriving at the Joint Security Forces Area (JSA) near the Military Demarcation Zone (or Demilitarized Zone as many call it). We would receive a briefing here and then move on to the North/South Korean border. Basically we had to sign a form saying that they don't expect anything to happen, but they can't speak for our enemies, so if we die, it's not their fault.
The first stop on the trip was the Freedom House. Originally, they said this was built to be used as a place to hold a reunion for North and South Korean families torn apart by the war. But it has yet to be used for that purpose.
The interior of the building was very nice. It's a shame that it pretty much just sits there.
Just outside the Freedom House are a few more buildings. In the foreground we see blue buildings. Those belong to the JSA. The large building across the way is Panmun-gak the North Korean version of the Freedom House. They said that when the north Koreans saw that Freedom House was taller than their building, they added that 3rd story.

A North Korean guard watches us from across the way.
A South Korean guard stares at one of the North Korean buildings. Apaprently, we like to call that one, "The Monkey house" because they say the North Koreans go in there to make faces at us. Notice the curtains are drawn.
We were told the position that the South Korean guard is standing in is called ROK ready. I think they told us they train to be able to stand like that for 3 hours.
More buildings between Panmun-gak and Freedom House. The only visible marker for the border in this area is a small cement marker that runs along the ground between the buildings. Those buildings sit right on the border.

Funny enough, I met up with a Sister who used to work at my church back home in Pittsburgh! She is currently living in Korea. So, this is a picture of me, with Sr. Barbara Ann and her friend Sr. Lucy.
A South Korean guard watches the North Korean guard for us.
Here we are inside the JSA's Military Armistice Commission Building that sits on the border.
They have nice shiny tables where important decisions are made.

They let us walk around the table. When you are on this side of the table you are in South Korea.
This side of the table sits over the small cement marker. So now I'm in North Korea. I guess I can add that to the places I've vsistied.
A South Korean guard watches over the door that faces the North Korean side.
Peace House is a building near Freedom House. We didn't go in Peace House though.

That's the front of Freedom House.
We then made our way up to one of the checkpoints. I think this was Checkpoint #3. This is a view of North Korea.
This is the famous "Propaganda Village" in Korth Korea. Only a few people live there. Their main job is to raise their gigantic flag, which they forgot to do today. Oops. Someone probably died for that. Anyhow, they agreed to stop blaring propaganda over loud speakers sometime last summer, so I didn't get to hear any.
Here's a picture of the Bridge of No Return from Checkpoint #3. That's where they had that axe murder in 1976.

There's a North Korean Guard post. We were instructed not to wave or try to speak to, or contact any North Koreans. Good plan, I want to make it home alive.
Another view of North Korea.
Oh look, the North Korean guards at that checkpoint must have seen our tour group and told them to raise the flag.
That flag is huge. You can't see it too well in the picture, but that flag is as big as some of the three story buildings in "Propaganda Village."

They said that the flag weighs over 600lbs. DRY. Oh yeah, and the North Koreans had to make sure that their flag pole was higher than the South Korean one too.
Sr. Jane Ann another one of Sr. Barbara Ann's friends speaks fluent Korean because she's been here for 30 years. She's asking the South Korean guard about how he ended up here at the DMZ.
There I am, with North Korea behind me.
They took us down to where the Bridge of No Return is. They didn't let us off the bus though, which is probably a good thing. There is a marker now where the offending poplar tree used to be, dedicated to the memory of those who were killed here.

The Bridge of No Return is supposed to be the only bridge still linking the North and South. Next to it you can see a rusty old Demarcation Zone sign. They said these are all over the border all the way accross the peninsula
One more view of the giant flag.
Our next stop was Panmunjom tunnel. Just one of the tunnels that the North Koreans were digging to use to attack Seoul. We were not allowed to take pictures of the tunnel, but there was this sculpture there.
The sculpture is called Unifying the Earth and we saw a brief video about how the DMZ should be preserved as a large national park, since it's such a haven for wildlife (I saw some deer while we were on the bus! Then I began to wonder about the land mines that they have buried everywhere ...) Anyhow, over the sculpture is a set of railroad tracks. They hope to one day unify both countries and connect them with a railroad that will go all the way to Europe. That'd be nice.

We went to one last look out point to get one more view of North Korea. This one had all kinds of rules about where you could stand to get pictures. It turned out they had you so far back, that you couldn't see ANYTHING. But we did get to look through some binoculars there... This bell was near the look out.
This place was SO COLD. I Went to the DMZ in February and this area was particularly windy, that's why I have my scarf over my head.
Sr. Barbara Ann wanted her picture in front of the bell too.
Our last stop was Dorasan station. It was an unexpected stop because we had to wait for this delivery truck to stop blocking the road. Dorasan station is the farthest north train station in South Korea. This is the station that they hope to connect to North Korea someday.

The front of Dorasan station.
Some South Korean guards watch over the train platform leading to Pyeongyang, or the one that would.
There I am, near the train platform to Pyeongyang.