The DMZ

Well, we finally made it to the DMZ. It was a terribly rainy day (and it looks like more rain is on the way today.. But it is almost monsoon season). Anyway, it was very interesting and anyone who comes to Korea should go on a tour to the DMZ.

It may take me a few days to share all these pictures with you, because I want to write a lot about the history in here as well. You'll learn whether you want to or not!!

The first place we went to was the UNCSF-JSA or the United Nations Command Security Force - Joint Security Area at Camp Bonifas. Remember the name Bonifas, as sometime this week I'll mentioning it again. The JSA straddles the military Demarcation Line. I'll show you the line in my pictures.

Now once we went through all the briefings and everything, we hopped on a bus and went through some pretty tough security areas which we were not allowed to take pictures. But I have to say I saw more mine fields than I ever care to. Then we went to the peace house (pictures of that tomorrow) and then we got to see the line. All the blue colored buildings are the UNC buildings and the silver buildings are the ones owned by the North Koreans. Here is an example. Each of these buildings is cut in half by the Demarcation line.



Here are some more pictures of the guards. The American MP gave us the tour. Now if you look in between the buildings, you see that cement line? That is the demarcation line.



Notice you can see people cleaning the steps on the other side (North Koreans!) and they had a guard that obviously doesn't think we're much of anything since he had his back to us the whole time. There is a lot of psychological stuff going on still up there.

Our guide said sometimes the N. Koreans go into this tower and make threatening gestures at the south side.


Also the southside has a tower, here it is... I think they are positioned directly across from one another.

Also if you look at the pictures above and see that the big building across the way has three stories and the top one looks different? It is because when the southside built a new building the North Koreans didn't want a smaller building so they added an extra story. There is nothing on that 3rd floor.

But that is not the most crazy thing I heard about (or saw in action) while I was there. I'll tell you more as the week goes on.

And here is a picture of me, it felt weird to smile in this picture... Here I am smiling in a place that is very tense and weird... Anyway...

Oh and if you want to see a map of where I went...