DMZ

Here's a brief history lesson of Korea's DMZ.  We went on a tour and learned a lot of cool history.  First, we went into one of the infiltration tunnels that North Korea dug.  The tunnels are all granite, but the North Koreans claimed that they were just mining coal.  So they even stuck coal powder all over the walls.  We weren't allowed to take pictures down there, but we were about 25 stories underground when we got to the barrier (obviously, they're not going to let us keep walking to North Korea).  The ceiling got as low as maybe 4.5 feet so everyone had to wear a hard hat.  

A statue of people trying to push the two Koreas back together

The highlight of the trip was the Joint Security Area (JSA).  Soldiers from both sides just stare each other down all day.  The South Korean soldiers stand in a modified Taekwando stance and wear sunglasses so they look expressionless and intimidating.  

We went into one of the buildings where they sometimes have meetings.  There is a door on each side of the room; one goes to North Korea, and the other to South Korea.  They lock the door to the North when tourists from South Korea come in.  And the same goes for the North Korean tourists.  Half of the room is in North Korea...

We're in North Korea!

One time when a South Korean soldier was locking the door on the north's side, three North Korean soldiers pulled him through the door and tried to kidnap him.  Luckily, all of the soldiers are black belts so he was able to escape.  But now whenever they lock that door, one guy holds on to the corner of the wall with one hand and holds the other guy with his other hand.  This way, they can't get pulled over as easily.  

The guards take two hour shifts of staring down the North Koreans

When people from North Korea tour the DMZ, the North Korean soldiers actually turn their back towards the south and look to the north.  So all of the soldiers are facing North Korea.  The South Koreans are making sure that they don't get attacked.  And the North Koreans are making sure that no one deflects to the south.  

Look closely.  There's a North Korean soldier.  There's another guy looking out the window next to him and taking pictures of us.  

Looking into North Korea

There's a village in North Korea that's called the propaganda village.  They build nice buildings to make everyone think that they are living well.  But most of these buildings are hollow inside.  Some of the doors and windows are even painted on.  There's a 160 meter flagpole.  The flag on it weighs about 600 pounds!

"Propaganda village"

There's a train station that's ready to connect to NK when they're ready

North Korea in the background