As an announcement is expected pertaining to banning American citizens and nationals from traveling to North Korea, I thought I would post a few photographs from when I visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area back in October of 2014.
My Few Minutes in North Korea at the Korean Demilitarized Zone
After the bus arrived and parked in the parking lot, the passengers entered the Joint Security Area Visitor Center for a briefing pertaining to information about our visit.
The briefing included an introduction by a soldier of the United States Army, along with a slide show presentation.
…which included such information as the political history which led to the existence of the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area.
After the presentation, we were escorted outside to the other side of the visitor center, which faces northeast towards North Korea. We were specifically instructed not to go beyond the top step of the visitor center which led down to the street.
South Korean soldiers stand stiffly in very specific positions to simultaneously protect themselves while preparing to defend South Korea from the North Korean military should the current cease fire be violated. The border which separates South Korea from North Korea is that strip of raised concrete on the ground halfway down the length of the building.
The group of visitors was told that North Koreans are spying our every move from the taller concrete building in the background known as Panmon Hall. Visitors on the South Korea side of the border are discouraged from waving to the North Koreans.
Visitors are allowed to take as many photographs as they like; but certain areas are not permitted to be photographed. I took a photograph similar to the one shown above; but slightly further to the right. The American soldier who was our guide spotted me and asked to look in the viewer of my camera. He then asked that I delete that particular photograph. I complied with his request.
Once inside the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Staff Conference Building, we were shown the conference table where negotiations had occurred in the past. The table is located on the border between South Korea and North Korea; and I took this photograph from the North Korea side of the border…
…and as confirmed by the aforementioned raised concrete strip outside of the building, this photograph shows that I was indeed in North Korea — although that window could really use a cleaning.
We were repeatedly warned not to go too far into the other side of the building, as that would be venturing too far into North Korea. When one person did indeed wander too far, an American soldier promptly shouted “Sir! Step Back!!!” as a South Korean soldier suddenly and forcefully pushed the stunned visitor backwards. In addition to the soldiers from South Korea — no soldiers from North Korea were in the conference room — cameras watched our every move.
Summary
I intend to post more trip reports of my experience at the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area — but I figured that now was a good time to post this trip report, as the Department of State of the United States is expected to impose a “geographical travel restriction” as authorized by Rex Tillerson — who is the current secretary of state of the United States — which will effectively ban Americans from traveling to North Korea towards the end of August of 2017.
The atmosphere at the border was tense at best, with the possibility of one wrong move potentially leading to the launch of another violent conflict. Even with the potential ban expected to be in effect, visitors from the United States should still be able to visit North Korea for a few minutes via the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area, as a passport is not needed to cross the border…
…but if tensions continue to escalate between North Korea and the United States, tours of the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area could possibly be suspended indefinitely.
As I wrote in this article pertaining to 13 of the most fascinating international borders in the world, the Korean Demilitarized Zone — which stretches for roughly 155 miles — serves as a buffer approximately 2.5 miles wide between North Korea and South Korea. After its establishment 64 years ago, this stretch of no man’s land has eventually transformed into an undeveloped nature reserve which reportedly contains gorals, wild boar, roe deer, endangered cranes and even rare Siberian tigers; and both countries have cooperated to protect the rare wildlife which has flourished here. I personally have not seen any of the aforementioned wildlife.
For the record, I do not particularly count those few minutes as being in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea despite technically being in it — but I hope that the day will come where North Korea will become a far safer place to visit Perhaps one day I could spend a few days there — even if it means being part of a unified Korea, which will not happen anytime soon…
…but one thought with which I took away with me as a result of my experience is just how ridiculous and dangerous human beings potentially can be — regardless of who initiated the conflict.
All photographs ©2014 by Brian Cohen.
