I am in Jeju-Do! Jeju is an Island in the South of the Korean Peninsula and one of the most beautiful Islands I have been on in my whole life. While I was visiting the longest Lava cave in the world and lovely U-Do island yesterday I met a lot of new friends and had the time of my life all over again.
I will not update you on my Jeju adventures now because there is a more important matter I want to draw our attention to. Serious Switch: ON! Many of you (including my family) might wonder, why is she back in Korea? The political situation seems very critical at the moment and to be honest a bit dangerous. While my flight back is scheduled for the end of April I planned to take my backpack and discover Korea on my own for the last couple of weeks. I can tell that I had a lot of trouble convincing myself as well as my parents and friends on staying here. You have to realize that the average Koreans in the street all seem very calm. They go to work or school, cook dinner and drink Soju just like everybody else. Live goes on. They are used to the threats from the North and usually learned not to bother. As the saying goes, they "keep calm and carry on!". I spoke to a lot of people about my worries including other expats, coffee shop owners, Korean friends and the recent hostel owner. Basically everyone says one thing: "North Korea wants something again!" They use rhetoric and threats to increase their bargain power. Since there exist so many embargoes issued by the UN and other countries it is tough for the DPRK to provide the basic needs for their society. It was like that in 2006 and 2008, so it seems likely to be so this time as well. At least that is what many Koreans think of it. Another indicator for me to stay is that the German embassy has not yet issued a travel warning. So for all of you guys which may worry a little about how reckless I am again. Please be assured, that I evaluated my decision carefully and I have taken preparations to leave the country as soon as possible if necessary.
Since it was a rainy day today and I could not really do anything, I will now post my PART II on visiting the DMZ in February but, as promised, please find some links for further references about North Korea first.
3. Some interesting Books:
I will not update you on my Jeju adventures now because there is a more important matter I want to draw our attention to. Serious Switch: ON! Many of you (including my family) might wonder, why is she back in Korea? The political situation seems very critical at the moment and to be honest a bit dangerous. While my flight back is scheduled for the end of April I planned to take my backpack and discover Korea on my own for the last couple of weeks. I can tell that I had a lot of trouble convincing myself as well as my parents and friends on staying here. You have to realize that the average Koreans in the street all seem very calm. They go to work or school, cook dinner and drink Soju just like everybody else. Live goes on. They are used to the threats from the North and usually learned not to bother. As the saying goes, they "keep calm and carry on!". I spoke to a lot of people about my worries including other expats, coffee shop owners, Korean friends and the recent hostel owner. Basically everyone says one thing: "North Korea wants something again!" They use rhetoric and threats to increase their bargain power. Since there exist so many embargoes issued by the UN and other countries it is tough for the DPRK to provide the basic needs for their society. It was like that in 2006 and 2008, so it seems likely to be so this time as well. At least that is what many Koreans think of it. Another indicator for me to stay is that the German embassy has not yet issued a travel warning. So for all of you guys which may worry a little about how reckless I am again. Please be assured, that I evaluated my decision carefully and I have taken preparations to leave the country as soon as possible if necessary.
Since it was a rainy day today and I could not really do anything, I will now post my PART II on visiting the DMZ in February but, as promised, please find some links for further references about North Korea first.
1. I’ll recommend this super interesting Vice Documentary about their travels to the DPRK to get a somewhat inside view:
(this is only Part 1, find Part 2 and 3 on YoutTube :))
2. It is nice know how the South Korean attitude looks like with the Eat Your Kimchi video post on North Korea:
3. Some interesting Books:
- Nothing to envy by Barbara Demick, telling the stories of North Koreans which escaped to the South and their struggles
- The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan written by a Korean defector provides rare inside views in the country (I have not yet read that but it was recommended to me in a South Korean Book shop and I must say it does sound intriguing)
So, back to my story!
As you have read in the previous entrance back in Feburary (here: http://www.lisa-kolumna.blogspot.kr/2013/03/being-in-north-korea-almost.html), I was about to embark on a journey to one of the most dangerous borders with the most dangerous countries on earth. Now that I think back, I was much more worried than necessary. Me and the other members of our small travel group sat in the bus heading for the border. It was so cold that the fogging windows literally force to ice inside the bus. Just outside of Seoul when you drive along the Han River people are cycling or strawling along the river because it is one of the few semi-relaxing areas. However, suddenly there was barbed wire installed at the river bank and no people were around. The guide told us that actually in winter when it can get -20°C or lower the river freezes over and North Korean spies as well as refugees have attempted to get to Seoul by walking over the frozen river. After less than 30 minutes we got to the first border check. Since in Korea military service of at least 2 years for all males is obligatory, a young man not older than 21 stepped into our bus. He was fully equipped with a rifle at the back and knifes on his belt. He checked our passports and bags, so that we did not bring any dangerous goods. Apparently because some tourists attempted to shoot information flyers over the DMZ to the North once but I cannot testify if that’s true. Anyway after the border check ups we quickly arrived at our first stop.
As you have read in the previous entrance back in Feburary (here: http://www.lisa-kolumna.blogspot.kr/2013/03/being-in-north-korea-almost.html), I was about to embark on a journey to one of the most dangerous borders with the most dangerous countries on earth. Now that I think back, I was much more worried than necessary. Me and the other members of our small travel group sat in the bus heading for the border. It was so cold that the fogging windows literally force to ice inside the bus. Just outside of Seoul when you drive along the Han River people are cycling or strawling along the river because it is one of the few semi-relaxing areas. However, suddenly there was barbed wire installed at the river bank and no people were around. The guide told us that actually in winter when it can get -20°C or lower the river freezes over and North Korean spies as well as refugees have attempted to get to Seoul by walking over the frozen river. After less than 30 minutes we got to the first border check. Since in Korea military service of at least 2 years for all males is obligatory, a young man not older than 21 stepped into our bus. He was fully equipped with a rifle at the back and knifes on his belt. He checked our passports and bags, so that we did not bring any dangerous goods. Apparently because some tourists attempted to shoot information flyers over the DMZ to the North once but I cannot testify if that’s true. Anyway after the border check ups we quickly arrived at our first stop.
1. Dorasan Station:
Dorasan Station is a train station build to connect Pyongyang with Seoul. If in the future the borders will open, Seoul could be connected to London via a railway system through China, Mongolia and Siberia (the Trans-Siberian railway). The guide told me in a quiet moment that she thinks this train station could be of great help to the north to improve their infrastructure once in case they will open their borders. The station itself is about 700 m away from the DMZ border itself, so we were not allowed to take pictures in that direction. It all looks really nice and new inside because it was renovated in the early 2000s by the South to show the North their willingness to cooperate. It is considered as a ‘gateway of the north-south exchange’ and a symbol for the division of Korea. Well, the fact that there is a tourist shop inside where I was able to buy a breakfast cookie and some coke was the second best thing for me. You have to pay 500 W extra to receive an ‘imaginary’ ticket which gets you access to the platform. I felt a bit sad for the train officer that was selling his tickets but now train will ever arrive here very soon. Buff military men were standing around everywhere inside we adds to a depressing futuristic atmosphere.
2. The Dora Observatory
So up we went with our little tour bus. Up the Dorasan hill towards the Dora Observatory. As the title says, it is an observatory on top of a hill were you can look over to the other side and see the propaganda village constructed by the North: Kijong-Dong. They are very strict with taking fotos here but fixed binoculars were installed and I was actually able to see people walking arround on the other side. Whether soldiers or not I could not tell. Althought the propaganda village is a 200 family collective farm with schools and kindergarden according to the DPRK, it seemed rather empty. Due to that some claim otherwise:
"Kijong-dong was built specially in the north area of DMZ. Designed to show the superiority of the communist model, it has no residents except soldiers" (By Mark Tran)Besides the border with all its bombs and mines buried in the ground it looked like a normal town with farms. Though it looked a bit more like old Soviet Russia with a huge North Korean flag pole and blue roofs. Life seemed to stand still except for one lonely lady, who was walking through a rice field.
3 3. The 3rd infiltration Tunnel
Our third stop this day was the third infiltration tunnel. It was discover in October 1978 because a defector from the North gave the South Korean Inteligence a hint. Personally I think it is an idea so stupid, that it might have worked because nobody thought of it. The North started to dig tunnels under the DMZ to invade Seoul more easily. Earlier, other tunnels had been dug already and were discovered by puring water into the holes in the ground and watch it blast into the air like a gysier when TNT detonated underground. The DPRK's army disguised their tunnels as mines when tehy were discovered but it was not hard to deduce they were meant for the army to walk through and attack Seoul. What a wonderful surprise it would have been to suddenly see 30.000 North Korean soldiers walking towards Seoul. Once the tunnel was discovered, the army quickly sprayed some black charcoal on the wall to be able to say it’s a mine. Not that anybody would see fully equipped soldiers rambling through the tunnel or the holes for the dynamite which were drilled in the stone, of course not. The DPRK had to defend themselves as harmless miners. Diplomacy!… Really? Well they did deny to have dug the tunnel in the first place anyway and only later admitted they were mining.
Walking through the tunnel was pure torture for me. It was only 1.50 cm high and I had to duck the whole time. Actually, when I asked the guide, she told me that due to the massive amount of tourists coming to the DMZ, the South actually makes a lot of money with the infiltration tunnel nowadays. I guess that's Karma.
4. Imjangack Park
Walking through the tunnel was pure torture for me. It was only 1.50 cm high and I had to duck the whole time. Actually, when I asked the guide, she told me that due to the massive amount of tourists coming to the DMZ, the South actually makes a lot of money with the infiltration tunnel nowadays. I guess that's Karma.
4. Imjangack Park
This was one of the weirdest stops on the whole journey. We were driving up a small hill after the last check point, ever closer towards the actual border. Suddenly, I saw a theme park on the left side. An empty theme park, which I personally think is very creepy. Also when the bus stopped I could not fail to see the Popeye chicken fast food restaurant, a coffee shop, souvenir shop and an observation deck. On the other side were a lot of monuments remembering the fallen soldiers of the Korean war and finally the freedom bridge. Two chinese kids were running arround with toy guns while I was strawling arround the monuments and freedom bridge. It is more like a memorial park where occaisonally even pop concerts and so called 'peace partys' take place. The freedom bridge which crosses the Imjin river and lies just behind the park was used by repatriated POWs/soldiers returning from the north to return after the Korean War.
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| DMZ Carnival during the Imjingack Peace Festival, 5 Minutets away from the border (source: ROK Drop, Korea from North to South) |
5 5. Pass by Unification village
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| a rock soldier |
This point on the list was not that fascinating. Basically, we sat in tha bus, while driving by a town, which was far away from us. Again, we were not allowed to take pictures and I could not see much anyway. Bummer!
6. Bonifaz Camp and Joint Security Area (JSA) Tour
For more footage, check my YouTube Video (Part 2 comming soon)! Comment! And Follow me on Twitter!
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| source: Wikipedia |
This was by far the most interesting and exciting bit of the whole journey. I technically stepped over the North Korean border for a moment there. I was within shooting distance and North Korea has a picture of me, visiting the border now. This bit was why we could not wear indecent clothing, make gestures or any other weird movements towards North Korea. At first we arrived at the Camp which was a joined United Nations area untill recently and is now a Military Base. While we got inspected by the soldier in the bus I was getting a bit nervous. In 1976 two American Army officers were killed because they wanted to chop down a tree, one of them was Captain Bonifaz, hence the name. Our small group finally went into the military building and had to attend a lecture on how to behave and what to do. Then we had to sign a statement saying we are here on our own risks, within shooting distance and won't make gestures and finger pointing. They really do a good job in making you nervous. So we went on a tiny military Bus, everybody wearing brand new and huge UN-Guest badges, clearly to see for everybody. Soldiers with sunglasses and in the Teakwondo defense position were standing everywhere. They had sunglasses on even inside. When I asked the guide about this weird feature she told me it is for them and their opponent not to show and see any emotions. Either guilt, anxiety or even mercy... Well, these Rock soldiers are there to protect us as well, so I was glad they were there. We had to line up in a row of two and march up the stairs to the border you see in the picture below.
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| The JSA (not my picture) |
We had to stand still for 5 minutes, were not allowed to make any fast movement bacause a North Korean military officer was zooming in on us and tacking snapshots of all of our faces. Then we calmly entered the blue building and were in the conference room were negotiations take place. A huge flag of the UN was in the middle of the table. After half of the room, North Korea begins. When I returned to the bus I realised that my whole body was fierce. Well, we returned to the Camp and were able to shop in a Souvenir shop again.
Thanks for reading!!! :)
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