Why You Should Visit the DMZ in Korea

The DMZ (De-Militarized Zone)

On June 25, 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea (Republic of Korea), beginning a war that in reality continues to this day. While a cease-fire was declared on July 27, 1953, no formal peace treaty has ever been signed and there is still technically a state of war existing between North and South Korea.

Part of the cease-fire agreement brokered in 1953 involved the creation of a demilitarized zone around the 38^th Parallel which separates North and South Korea. This buffer zone between the warring states is roughly 4 km wide and stretches for some 248 km from east to west. No armed forces from either side are allowed within this area, although North Korea has made several attempts to tunnel beneath the DMZ to gain access to South Korea.

Visiting the DMZ

The DMZ is an unusual place, the buffer zone between two states who have been fighting each other for decades. It is not the sort of place one would normally expect to visit while on vacation, but tourists are allowed to go on tours of the DMZ, and it is an experience that is truly one of a kind.

There are a few companies that run tours to the DMZ. You will want to travel with a guided tour group in order to visit the DMZ, as you cannot just drive up and say that you want to go look around. While officially this is a de-militarized zone, there is some possibility of danger, and there are strict guidelines in effect in the DMZ, particularly at the heart of the DMZ in the Joint Security Area.

One of the most common companies to go through in order to tour the DMZ is the USO (United Service Organizations). While typically the USO is designed for providing services for military personnel, civilians are allowed to arrange tours to the DMZ with the USO, military identification is not required. I myself visited the DMZ on a USO tour.

What You Will See in the DMZ

When you visit the DMZ you will be guided through various areas of the DMZ. In many ways it is what you might expect to see: a wide expanse of basically empty land, stretching between North Korea on the one side and South Korea on the other. In the middle of the expanse are markers, known as the Line of Demarcation. This is the official border between the two halves of the peninsula.

The heart of the DMZ and the heart of any tour of the area is Panmunjeom, the Joint Security Area (JSA). The JSA is overseen by the United Nations. Here you will find the Bridge of No Return, where prisoner exchanges between North and South Korea took place at the time of the cease-fire in 1953.

You will also see the tree where the Poplar Tree Incident took place and be told the story of the incident. Two US soldiers and 5 Korean service members went out to trim this tree, as it blocked line of sight along the Bridge of No Return. They were attacked by North Korean forces. This led to Operation Paul Bunyan, where US and ROK troops came out in force to chop down the tree.

Here in the Joint Security Area is the only place where North and South Korea connect. On the tour you will visit the building where North and South Korean diplomats occasionally meet for negotiations. Half of the building is in South Korea, the other half in North Korea.

While there is much more to see on any vacation in Korea, a visit to the DMZ gives you a clear look into the situation between North and South Korea, and shows the stark reality of these two nations in conflict. It is a fascinating experience, and one you will always remember.