Day 8 - DMZ
- ODAO
- Oct 30, 2017
- 3 min read
It was day eight of the trip and the first destination for the day was to visit DMZ, otherwise known as the Korean Demilitarised Zone. This zone extends from the mouth of Imjingang River in the east to the town of Geseong in the west. In this two kilometre zone, military activity of any sort is forbidden and it is now a safe haven for a diversity of wildlife. Animals like red-crowned cranes, mountain goats, black-capped kingfishers and more can be found living in the DMZ.
The first part of the DMZ tour was a trip down a tunnel dug buy the North Korean army in 1978 as a form of means spy on South Koreans. The tour guide explained that this was the only tunnel left behind to serve heritage and cultural purposes, allowing tourists to have a first-hand experience on what being in this tunnel feels like. I was filled with excitement as I grabbed my helmet and waited patiently in my seat for the monorail to start moving into the tunnel.
The rocky ceiling above my head was lined with a single line of LED lights that extended from the very start of the tunnel to the deep end of this 1.64-kilometres long tunnel. The monorail moved slowly downwards, bringing us to the deep end of the 73-meters deep tunnel. All I could see were the same rocky textured walls that had several yellow circle markings on them. These yellow markings used to be bombs that the South Koreans planted as a form of attack against the North Koreans that were trying to sneak into South Korea, explained our tour guide. After the ten-minute ride, I arrived at the alighting point where I had to travel further into the tunnel by feet.
This tunnel is only two meters high and two meters wide but thankfully, I was able to walk through the tunnel without struggling too much. The ground was covered in a black mesh cloth, making it comfortable and easy to walk on. Metal railings were also put in place along with lights that lighted our way as I ventured into the tunnel. At the very end of the tunnel was a restricted area that left me curious as to what lay behind that wall. Could it be a secret tunnel that led to North Korea? I guess I’ll never know.
Next up in the tour was a short five-minute drive to the Odusan Unification Observatory where I was able to look across the DMZ to North Korea. Sadly, it was foggy that day so I couldn’t get a clear view of North Korea but I could still see some buildings that were peaking through the fog. Something unique about this observatory is its’ huge speakers that were playing Korean-pop music. It was said that the loud playing of this music was to demoralise the North Koreans, depriving them of the entertainment that South Koreans get to enjoy. I had mixed feelings as I looked across what seemingly appeared to be peaceful North Korea. All I could hope was for the best for both countries as I walked away and headed to my next location.
My last destination for the DMZ tour was the Dorasan Station. This station is one of the northernmost railway stations that connects Seoul to Sinuiju on the Gyeongui line. This station however, only allowed restricted access so I was not able to enter the railway boarding area. It was still pretty cool to have seen a railway station myself because I’ve never seen one before!
Well, that concludes my trip to the DMZ and now, I can’t wait to head to Insadong and Itaewon!
(Information about DMZ obtained from:
Written by Abigail Leong as ODAO
Comments