One of the most contentious geographical relationships in the world is that between North and South Korea. If you want to learn more about the conflict and get as close to the border as you can, you can take a tour of the DMZ, the demilitarized border between the two nations.
What is the DMZ?
The DMZ is short for demilitarized zone, a 4-kilometer-wide area that runs along the entire border between North and South Korea. With 2 kilometers on each side, the DMZ serves as a buffer where the two Korean states can meet and keep a close eye on each other, though military activity is not allowed on either side of the demarcation line, the 38th parallel (38°N).
The DMZ has served as a place where prisoners of war have been exchanged, where negotiations talks have been held, and where US president Trump met the leaders of both countries in 2019. Obviously as a tourist, you can’t enter high-security meeting rooms such as these, but you can see various points along the border that have been historically significant.
Getting to the DMZ from Seoul
Seoul is just 35 miles south of the DMZ, so it’s not difficult or particularly long to get to. But because it is a sensitive area or military importance, you cannot get to the DMZ on your own. Only organized tours are permitted as they are responsible for communicating your personal information to the armed forces at the border before your visit.
We picked one of the most highly-rated tours, but there are numerous companies that take the same route. Though some of the main attractions can be seen in half a day, many tours offer additional stops in the surrounding area which make the tour up to 9 or 10 hours long. At your meeting point in central Seoul, you are funnelled into different buses depending on your itinerary. The buses all depart around 7 am and we were back in Seoul by 4 pm, but timing may vary because of traffic or delays at stops. For instance, some prick on our tour came back to the bus half an hour after our agreed-upon meeting time at one of the stops.
The DMZ tour stops
Each individual tour is unique in the order of its itinerary because the military decides the order and timing of entry into the DMZ. So our bus and about four or five other buses began our tour outside of the DMZ at one of the optional stops: the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge.
The suspension bridge
The Gamaksan Suspension bridge is a 150-meter-long bridge in Paju, about 1:15 drive from Seoul, that commemorates the efforts of the British Army during the Korean War. In fact, the official name of the bridge is the Gloucester Heroes Bridge. Though the bridge is not itself very historical – it was completed in 2018 – it gives you beautiful views of the surrounding Gamaksan Mountain. Getting to the bridge is about a 15-minute uphill hike through the dense forest. Along the hike, you’ll come across bunkers that were used during the war. I’m not a huge fan of heights, but the bridge is pretty sturdy. If you’re also a little apprehensive about crossing, I recommend waiting until it’s relatively empty as it gets bouncier with more people on it.
Imjingak Resort
Located just 7 km from the Military Demarcation line, you’ll also stop at Imjingak Park, which is still technically not inside the DMZ. This means you could theoretically drive yourself there and visit without any military clearance. There are a couple of things to see here, which the tour guide explains in detail. These include the Bridge of Freedom, which is how many prisoners of war returned to South Korea after the Armistice Agreement. You’ll also be able to see the destroyed Dokgae Bridge, which used to connect Seoul to Pyongyang by train.
Imjingak is not only a tourist destination. It’s also an important place where families that have been separated by the war come to be as close as possible to their hometowns and loved ones. People come and pray at Mangbaedan Altar and leave colorful flags and banners honoring their family members and to pray for reunification. At this stop, you’ll also be able to spend some time exploring the area and having lunch, which was surprisingly excellent. There are also some inexplicable attractions there including some kind of VR experience called DMZ Live.
Entering the DMZ
Before seeing the other stops on the tour, you must cross through a military checkpoint where your ID is checked to make sure that everyone’s information matches the list that the tour group provided. From this point on, your ability to take photos is severely restricted. This is because any photos taken so close to the border or of sensitive military buildings could be used by North Korea against South Korea if they’re freely available online. After someone from the army enters and completes the ID check, you drive into the DMZ.
Dora Observatory
The northernmost point of the west part of the border is Dora Observatory, where the military (and visiting tourists) can look over the border at North Korea. One of the things we learned on this part of the tour is that there is an element of hilarious pettiness to the relationship between these two countries. South Koreans blast loud K-Pop and information about how good life is in the south across the border. Meanwhile, North Koreans have a habit of filling balloons with excrement and other trash and flying them into South Korea.
It’s for this reason that the upper observation deck of Dora Observatory is no longer open, so you can only see the view through a window. The sad irony is that outside of the context of this conflict, the entire area looks like the same beautiful landscape. It just happens to be interrupted with barricaded walls and military buildings.
The Third Tunnel
The last major site we visited in the DMZ is the Third Tunnel of Aggression, one of four (known) tunnels that North Korea dug under the border in an attempt to capture Seoul in a surprise attack. Of all the stops on the tour, this is the most Disney-fied. First, you watch a short and unintentionally hilarious video about the construction and discovery of the tunnel. Then you put on a hard hat and make your way down into the tunnel. There is a monorail that can take you down to the actual tunnel, but this option wasn’t available to us, so we had to take a steep walkway down to the tunnel.
Once you enter the part that was actually dug up by North Korea, the path becomes very cramped because the tunnel is extremely small. I’m 5’7 and I slammed my head against those damp rocks about 6-7 times. And they were pretty solid smacks, too. I felt my neck reverberating like a cartoon character. So keep in mind that for at least a good third of your hike down there, you’ll have to be hunched over. When you get to the very end of the part that is accessible to the public, you are just 170 meters from the border to North Korea. The worst part of the tunnel is that once you get to the very end, you have to do it all again but uphill this time.
Some final thoughts and tips about the DMZ tour
The itinerary may have unexpected changes. A lot of people leave negative reviews because some sites weren’t available at the last moment. But you’re visiting a heavily guarded area between two unfriendly nations… restrictions are bound to happen, so you have to be ready for that.
Heed warnings about the intensity of the walking. If you find that the suspension bridge hike is too strenuous… sit out the tunnel.
A lot of the sites at the DMZ are not-so-subtly promoting reunification – a testament to the hope of 30-40 years ago. An increasing proportion of South Koreans don’t see reunification as beneficial or necessary.
You can buy really unique souvenirs at the DMZ including North Korean currency and wine made by a North Korean defector.
Sometimes you’ll see pictures from the DMZ of North and South Korean soldiers standing side by side surrounded by blue buildings. This is the Joint Security Area. This used to be part of the tour until some jackass on a tour ran across the border to North Korea.
Don’t forget your passport! I’m not exactly sure what your day would look like if you don’t have it for the army to check, but I’m sure you don’t want to find out.
Is the DMZ safe? If you’re worried about the possibility of danger in the DMZ, I can’t make any guarantees. But if you’re scared of North Korea, then you’re probably no less safe at the DMZ than you are in Seoul. And at least at the DMZ, you’re surrounded by the military.
Leave a Reply