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Tourists walk while U.S. and South Korean soldiers stand guard at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War. / AP-Yonhap |
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
More and more foreigners are coming to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to learn about its history. The DMZ is not just a symbol of the divided Korean peninsula and of the Cold War, but also a good educational site where visitors can get insights about peace and national security.
After the Korean War in 1953, South and North Korea created the DMZ, a 4-kilometre wide area on the border based on the Armistice Agreement between the UN Forces, and North Korea and China. Weapons have been prohibited in the region since then and tension and peace coincide in the unique place.
``I often heard about this place from my students and I wanted to have first-hand experience in this historical region,'' said Steve Wguyen, 34, an Australian who is teaching English in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
Another tourist, Sirpa Morsky, from Finland said ``I learned about communist and political tension here and read about the war as well, but it is meaningful to find real terms of what I have learned.''
In a survey of 9,000 foreign tourists by domestic travel agency Cosmojin Travel Service, about 30 percent of them chose the DMZ as their favorite tourist attraction in Korea. People have not had access to the region for more than 50 years, so the ecology is well preserved and for this reason the South Korean government plans to introduce more tourism programs to the area.
``The DMZ is only one hour away from Seoul and it is a very unique place. This is the main reason for them to visit. However, generally we rarely recommend the Panmunjeom tour as it is often canceled due to North Korea's provocative actions,'' said Jeong Myoung-jin, the CEO of the travel agency.
``The Third Tunnel,'' located 435 meters away from the southern demarcation line of the DMZ, is also a popular site for many foreign tourists. The tunnel, which is 2 meters in height and 1,635 meters in length, was built by North Korea for a potential invasion of the South. It was discovered in June 1978.
``The tunnel is very steep and North Korea seemed to put a lot of effort into it. It is scary. What if South Korea didn't find the tunnel,'' said Patrick Spencer, 35, from Canada.
It takes less than an hour for armed soldiers to travel through the tunnel, which is located only 12 kilometers from Munsan and 52 kilometers from Seoul. ``Now I can understand why Korean men need to do two years of military service,'' said Michael Notton, 22, a university student from the U.S. visiting Seoul for a conference.
There are more sightseeing spots in the area such as Dorasan Station and Dora Observatory. Dorasan Station, the northernmost station in South Korea, is expected to play an important role in realizing the Iron Silk Road that will connect the South to China and Europe via Gaeseong, Pyongyang and Sinuiju.
Dora Observatory enables tourists to witness civilian life in North Korea's farmlands and the Propaganda Village. The streets of Gaeseong City and Kim Il-sung's Bronze Stature can also be observed through a telescope. ``This place helps me to better understand the division of the two Koreas and think about peace. I will recommend visiting here to my friends,'' said Joyce Sasse, a lawyer from the United States.
Yoon Jong-Hyuk, a VIP tour guide from the travel agency said ``For those who want to visit the DMZ, it is necessary to book at the tour agency, since special tour guides should be booked in advance. It is important to remember there are some places where taking photos is prohibited.''
kswho@koreatimes.co.kr
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