1943 - The U.S., C
hina, and Great Britain forcefully remove Japan from Korea and divide it into two sections along the 38th parallel. The South to be ruled by the US and the North be ruled by the USSR until they were strong enough to be independent.
1949 - At the request of the Korean people, the US withdraws.
1950 - North Korea attacks the south. The US and 15 other countries join forces with South Korea to push back the communistic aggressors. Seoul was recaptured in September, but by October, China joined the fight for North Korea and the war was renewed.
1951 - After the UN and US rejoined the fight, North Korea was pushed back to the 38th parallel. North Korea suggested truce talks.
1953 - The Korean Armistice was signed and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was created.
This is the historical backdrop for my trip to the most dangerous place in all of Korea...the DMZ. It is a four-kilometer-wide border between North and South Korea. And since the two countries are
still at war, this is the most hostile and heavily-guarded border in the world...
My friend, Tamra, and I were fortunate enough to go on a USO tour with my frien
ds, Joe and Delaine Albert. We began at 6:15 in the morning and had to stop at another base to pick up more people. We weren't permitted on the second base because Tamra and I didn't sign out. Instead, we stood outside and waited in the cold for the bus to return.
After a lengthy journey nort
h, we made it to
Camp Boniface and the
JSA (Joint Security Area) The JSA used to be an area where North and South armies could move about and interact freely until 1976, when two American officers were brutally axed to death by the KP (North) guards for attempting to trim a tree that was on the southern side of the JSA. One of the men was Captain Boniface. After the incident, the
MDL (Military Demarcation Line) was created to keep the two sides absolutely separate.
At Camp Boniface, we were transferred to another bus and taken to a room for a debriefing, to pick up our guest badge, and to sign a form that basically said we understand
that we could possibly die. It was a little strange. The officer gave us a quick background of the area, and then told us all the things that we could and could not do. Basically, everything to keep us from getting shot! Just so you know, smiling in these pictures was a very strange feeling.
Next, the military transport took us across the southern border of the DMZ. The first stop was Freedom Hall. This is a
n American/Korean shared building situated just feet from the MDL. We stood on the steps, listening to the officer tell us that in the two towers just behind him, in North Korea, guards were at this moment taking our pictures. For what purpose, he didn't know. But it would be a good idea not to point. Behind him, and in this picture, was the MDL, the little white strip of cement that separates North from South, Communism from Democracy. And behind that, North Korea. It was so surreal. If you look at the spot halfway between the front and the back of the blue buildings, you can see the small MDL strip.
The building on the left is where he took us next. It was a small room with overtly nothing special. Me and a few other people went to the far side of a large table in the middle to create more room. The officer then told us that those on the far side of the table were currently standing in North Korea. What?! He said it was the only time that would ever happen without us getting shot. We were standing in a room where daily joint meetings are conducted between the North and South. The microphones on the table were recording twenty-four hours a day, so we should watch what we say. We were then told that we had freedom to move about the room, even to take pictures with the guards, but we were strongly advised not to touch them.
Me just realizing that I'm standing in North Korea!
Joe and I nervously standing with one of the guards.
Tamra trying out for the ROK army.
The table where joint meetings are held. The left is the South and the right is the North. You can see the microphones I mentioned in the middle.
My left foot is in South Korea and my right foot is in the North. How amazing!
After a brief stop for bulgogi, we went to a look out area called OP Dora. It's a point at which we can see 17 kilometers into North Korea. A box was drawn on the ground to limit the area where we were permitted to take pictures. It was a strange concept, but everything is extremely protected here. From the lookout point, after paying the 500 won to use the binoculars, I could see Freedom Village and Propaganda
Village at the same time. Freedom Village is where select South Korean families who have a long-standing residence in this area are able to live a farming life in relative safety, and are also able to make a pretty substantial income. Propaganda Village is situated just north of the border and truly lives up to its name. There is a 150 meter tower with the world's largest flag that is so large it has a drag wind of 300 pounds. There are hotels and homes, but they are all hollow. No one lives in them. They are only there to show the South Koreans what a "good life" they would have if they crossed over. Up until a few years ago, there was a loud speaker that would broadcast wonderful things across the border everyday, trying to get Koreans from the south to defect to the north. Currently, 30 KPR troops are there for the sole purpose of raising and lowering the flag.
The final stop on the tour was aptly named the Third Tunnel. This was the third tunnel discovered being dug by the North Korean army south of the MDL and in the direction of Seoul. It is estimat
ed that, had an invasion taken place, 30,000 troops could have passed through in one hour. It was about 1,200 meters in length, two meters high, and two meters wide. The sides of the tunnel were painted black so that the North Koreans could say that they were simply mining, but seeing as there wasn't even a trace of coal or ore in the tunnel, it was not a well-thought-out lie. We were only able to traverse 230 meters or so, but it was still pretty amazing. Again, no pictures allowed.
This was a monument built to symbolize the hopeful reunification of the two Koreas. I have to admit that it wasn't until this point that I even contemplated whether this was something the Korean people wanted. I grew up knowing only the separation, so the thought of bringing them together never occurred to me. I started asking my Korean friends and even my students, and heard the same from all of them, that it's a controversial issue. One person in their 20's told me that the older generation hopes for reunification, and the younger generation does not. Some students want it because they feel bad for the separated families, and some students said they know there will be a civil war and too many people will die. One even said that it's not a good idea because the North is so poor, and the South will become poor trying to build them up.
On Sunday, I went in search for the human side to this issue, and what I saw disturbed me. Currently, millions of families remain separated. Many long for the day where they can bow in respect to their father, or kiss the grandchild they've never met. Many will die before ever getting the chance. Those in the North are so brainwashed that they have no idea what they are missing. If you do a GoogleEarth search, you will see the city of Seoul lit up with life at night, and the city of Pyongyang completely dark. The North is forced to worship a father who is dead (though they are told he was just carried away by cranes) and a son who robs them of their health and their minds. The South is free to worship as they wish. In the North, a man can be shot if it is rumored that he ate an onion from the field he works (I almost said "his own field," but everything belongs to the Dear Leader). I don't know what to feel about this issue, but recently I started teaching English to adults who have escaped from North Korea. One of my students wears a bracelet that sums it all up. It says, "God Loves North Korea." The reunification I hope for is the one between God and His people. He created them, He loves them, and He wants to see them reunited to Himself.
If you want to learn more about this topic, here are a few good videos.
Welcome to North Korea. At about the 30 minute mark, you can see some of the places I visited.
The Real North KoreaFamine In North KoreaKorean Families ReuniteKorean Families ReuniteOne more reunion video. Get a kleenex.
What an amazing experience. Though I live in a country that is still officially at war, I feel very safe at every moment of the day. And those from the States that are reading this, I hope you once again remember what a great country you live in! And for those of you with opinions on the current war, maybe the situation here will provide a different perspective.
In case you can't see it, it says. "The Bird. If I am cautious like the flap of the small bird which sat down on the branch of the tree..." And...? Can't really picture a tough guy in chaps and tattoos on this thing!
