DMZ Tour

Edward Ahn(22) immigrated to the United States at the age of 2. He decided to visit Korea while on break from UC Berkeley. The first experience he had, while returning to his parents' homeland, was the DMZ tour. At the actual line of demarcation that separates North and South Korea, the DMZ tour allowed Edward to see such sites as The Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Dora Mountain Train Station and The Imjingak Tourist Site.

DMZ Tour (a half-day) Board bus at hotel → Head towards the DMZ → The Third Tunnel → The Dora Observatory → The Dora Mountain Train Station → Imjingak Tourist Site → Return to Itaewon.

The day started off at 8:20 am at Westin Chosun Hotel. From there, the tour bus drove us to another stop to pick up some more tourists. There, I had the pleasure of meeting the Olson family who sent both their daughter and son to the same university that I am attending, UC Berkeley. After picking up all the passengers, the tour bus made its way to the De-Militarized Zone, better known as DMZ. During the bus ride, bi-lingual tour guides (we had one Japanese speaking tour guide and one English speaking tour guide) pointed out some historical sights such as the US Embassy, South Gate Prison, the World Cup Stadium and the Han River. They also offered interesting facts behind these sights. For example, the Han River splits Seoul in half. The northern side is generally a good place for shopping and sightseeing. The southern part is known as the business district. Han River is bordered by a barbed fence, which was placed there to keep out spies and refugees.

Imjingak 임진각 Bridge of Freedom 자유의 다리 When we arrived at the gates of the DMZ, a checkpoint known as the Civilian Control Area, we were asked to present our passports. They will log your passport number and ID for a permanent record of all visitors. For those that forget to bring their passports, as long as they remember their passport number and have any other form of ID, they will be admitted into the DMZ. After passing the checkpoint, the tour bus drove us to the parking lot of Imjingak Park, which was built in 1950 and dedicated to the families of fallen soldiers. At the parking lot, all passengers had to transfer into a shuttle provided by the army. Photographs are strictly forbidden inside this shuttle. The only time you are allowed to take photographs are in the parking lots of certain locations. The tour guides will constantly remind you where you are allowed to take photographs. Also, all video cameras are forbidden on location with no exceptions.

On the monorail In the middle of tunnel With the monument at the 3rd tunnel From Imjingak Park, we were taken to the 3rd tunnel. So far, South Korea has und 4 tunnels leading from the North to the South. They are named not in the order they were built but rather according to the order they were found. The 3rd tunnel is the closest to Seoul leading South Korean authorities to believe that it was built for the purpose of invading Seoul. Informed by a North Korean engineer refugee, South Korean authorities believe that there are about twenty more tunnels yet to be discovered. At the parking lot of the 3rd tunnel, we were once again allowed to take photographs. However, upon entering the tunnel, photographs were forbidden. In order to enter the 3rd tunnel, we had to take a small monorail down to about the middle of the tunnel. Before getting on the monorail, all guests are asked to wear a safety helmet. The tunnel is somewhat small and crowded. Many tourists bumped their heads on the walls and ceilings but were protected by the helmets. Inside, the tour guide explained the history behind the tunnel. The walls were painted in charcoal color. When asked why they were digging the tunnel, the North Korean government answered that they were digging coal. Also, the digging and the dynamite explosion directions all point toward South Korea.

DMZ Theater Mini-museum Looking at the remains of the Korean War After coming out of the 3rd tunnel, the guests are ushered into a room where they are shown a seven-minute film about the past and the future of North and South Korea, which lies in a railroad that will hopefully connect North and South Korea. After the short movie, we were lead into a mini-museum. It featured some interesting artifacts as well as interesting information. As much as the North Korean government would have liked to deny any involvement with the tunnel, the direction of the tunnel points the blame on North Korea.

Taking a look at North Korea through some binoculars North Korea seen from the observatory Soldiers on guard Afterwards, we shuttled to an observatory. We were taken into a briefing room inside the observatory, from where we had a clear view of North Korea. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of fog the day we went and visibility was somewhat limited. Inside the briefing room, we were given an overview of the surrounding landscape. While the southern side is covered with tall trees, the northern side is devoid of any tree. The trees had been cut down for fuel as well as to make it easier to spot spies and refugees.

In front of the Dorasan Station Soldiers in the Dorasan Station Monument engraved with the names of donators Dorasan Station is where the future of both North and South Korea lies. One day hopefully, the railroad will connect the two countries. Outside the Dorasan Station, stands a monument engraved with the names of the citizens of Korea who donated money in order to build parts of the railroad. Photographs were allowed at the Dorasan Station. After the briefing we were allowed to take photos outside but only from behind a designated Photo Line. The line was drawn there on purpose because it would only permit photographers to take pictures of the North. This is to prevent any leakage of useful information about the South’s defenses. After taking some pictures of the North and with some of the soldiers, we boarded the shuttle once more and were taken to Dorasan Station. After stopping at Dorasan Station, we returned back to Imjingak Park. We were allowed to walk around and take photographs before boarding the tour bus. On the way back, we stopped by an amethyst jewelry store where we were offered a 30% discount on all jewelries. Some of the tourists took advantage of the discount and made some purchases. Afterwards, the bus took the tourists to Itawon for lunch. However, we decided to end our trip before that and did not join them for lunch. Overall, the tour was very exciting. The DMZ is an interesting place to visit. However, it is a bit overwhelming at first. Trying to look at all the sights and pay attention to the tour guide is a bit difficult to manage. It would be better if the tourists were offered some background information on the DMZ before going on the tour. This will definitely enhance the overall experience of the tour of the DMZ.

Three things one must remember!

1. Passport You will not be able to go on the DMZ tour without your passport! 2. Picture taking The use of cameras is restricted. This restriction is in place to assure the safety of the soldiers. The participants of the tour will be informed when they are permitted to take pictures. 3. Pen and paper The DMZ tour isn’t your average tourist destination. There is a lot of interesting information, both historical and current, that can be learned on this trip. It would be a good idea to bring along a pen and paper to take some notes. You will find that this trip is both educational and exciting.

Three fun things you must do!

1. Drink the spring water at The Third Tunnel: The natural spring water inside the tunnel isn't only good for you, but it also has a unique taste that will surely quench your thirst. 2. Take your picture with a soldier: A great way to remember your trip to the DMZ is by being sure to take your picture with the some soldiers. You can take a picture together at the Dora Mountain Train Station. 3. Take a look at North Korea through some binoculars: From the Dora Observatory one can view North Korea close up using binoculars. At this point it is possible to view grayish colored buildings and farmland. This is a great chance for someone to view North Korea up-close.

Bonus! An introduction to Seoul’s many famous sites is provided on the way to the DMZ. The tour to the DMZ doesn't only encompass seeing The Third Tunnel. On the way to the DMZ, your tour guide will inform you of many historical structures and other key sites. Some of these sites include; Gwanghwamun Gate 광화문, Dongnimmun(Independence Arc) 독립문, World Cup Stadium 월드컵 경기장, Han River 한강.