Korean Demilitarized Zone: Life at the border

A deafening silence greets visitors as they step out of the Freedom House after a briefing on the history of the Koreas and the war.

A few steps away from the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two Koreas, the tension cuts through the air.

Not far, on the northern side of the Joint Security Area (JSA), the truce agreement was signed between North Korea and the United Nations Command in 1953, signalling the end of the Korean War.

Suddenly, the silence in one of the most militarised zones in the world gives way to propaganda music.

Watchful South Korean soldiers wear dark sunglasses and cameras from the South and the North add to the palpable unease.

Inside the conference room – half of which is on North Korea’s side of the MDL – a soldier stands guard by the door that leads to North Korea. The taekwondo pose and dark shades form a military procedure to stand off any intimidation from North Korean soldiers.
Inside the Freedom House on the South Korean side is a museum that offers visitors a glimpse into the history of the Koreas, the conflict and the DMZ. There is also a live feed of the Panmungak, the building opposite the Freedom House, inside the museum as well as video of a North Korean soldier’s daring defection to the South late last year.
Away from the JSA, but still in the DMZ, are four tunnels that were allegedly dug up by North Korea to launch a surprise invasion on the South. All four stretch across the DMZ with one of them just 32km from Seoul
The Third Infiltration Tunnel, now a tourist spot, is 240m below the surface. South Korea has installed three blockades in the tunnel, the last one just 170m from the border, to block any plans North may have of infiltration.
The path to the Third Infiltration Tunnel is a steep slope of around 11 degrees. Authorities have forbidden photography inside the tunnel and all visitors are required to wear helmets because the tunnels are low and have pointed rocks. South Korean authorities have marked areas inside the tunnel where dynamite was allegedly used to widen the pathway.
Dorasan Station is the last train stop in South Korea and is used as a link to the North. It is located around 56km from Seoul Station in the country’s capital and around 205km from North Korea’s Pyongyang. The station currently also serves as the last stop for trains from Seoul.
The platform can be accessed after paying an additional W1,000 ($0.92) but gives a deserted look, especially gazing into the North. While standing on the platform, the propaganda played on huge speakers from North Korea is clearly audible
Dorasan Station is located on the Gyeongui Line, which once connected South and the North, and runs across the MDL that divides the two Koreas.
The Korean Transit Point, in a similar fashion to Dorasan Station, looks deserted. However, this was where more than 200 North Korean cheerleaders crossed into South Korea from for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Dorasan Observatory, situated on a hill in the DMZ, offers a closer view into North Korea. From the binoculars provided, tourists get a glimpse into what life is like in the North and also monitor North Korean soldiers station at checkposts.
The Observatory offers a view into North Korea, including the “Propaganda Village” as well as the 160m high flagpole that North erected. The use of speakers declaring out praise of Kim Jong-un and encouraging South Koreans to defect into the North is audible from the Observatory.

Read also: The “strange case” of Kijong-dong and Daesong-dong

 

Source: Al-Jazeera