DPZ and Seoul War Memorial
Okay, so if you've read a few of my posts lately, you'll probably understand that I know nothing. I went on the DMZ tour this weekend. Wahoo, I thought, looking forward to a massive insight into the north-south situation.
Jackie (english teacher from school next to mine) and I joined a tour at around 9am and went north via bus. Our bus combined with another bus to head into the DMZ and we were told by our tour guide to not take photos from the bus. After our passports were checked by a man carrying the worlds oldest infantry rifle (exaggeration hopefully obvious), we entered the DMZ. We were told the bridges and overpasses were all filled with TNT.
First stop was one of the North Korean infiltration tunnels found in the 1970's, which was great. I wasn't allowed to take photos though. After that, we watched the worlds worst propoganda for peace video - think Jerry Bruckheimer (action movie director) does the Korean war and a hopeful future resolution in 7 minutes. Not allowed to take photos.
Next was a lookout of the Joint Security Area and surrounds, which was quite cool. We stayed there for a total of five minutes (not long enough). From the hall, we could see mountains to the north and a few kilometres, two towers maybe 1km apart, one flying the South Korean flag, and the other flying the North Korean flag. No photos inside the lookout hall, but outside, we were allowed to take photos from behind a yellow line! The photo is all I could see clearly.
After that we went to a brand new train station that's situated within the DMZ and bought a ticket to Pyongyang and got a fake stamp in our passports, an opportunity not to miss as I'd been feeling like a tourist for a while. We weren't allowed to take photos of the construction area around the station parking lot though. Next stop was a small restaurant and merchandise, er, memorial gift supplies stall where there was nothing to be disallowed a photo of.
Then it was back to Seoul, where we took some good ol' Aussies, Alby, Brad and Hally, for a feed and a drink. We ditched the bus tour when it took us to a jewellrey shop and hit the subway, and when we arrived in Itaewon, who was outside the station farewelling people from a bus? Our tour guide. You had to be there.
After a late lunch, we went to the War Memorial, which was quite superb. There was a little bit of BS and selective historical accounting (that I saw), but the memorials themselves were outstanding and there was a room dedicated to the nations that went to the Korean War.
I don't think I have any real insights from the trip. I was basically a tourist along for a ride, not taking photos of trees made of plastic explosives. Considering the amount of weaponry there, it's probably more of a DPZ (P = photography) than DMZ. Let me ask a question of you, though. Why would two opposition forces have a joint security area? What's the point? Did East and West Germany do the same? Someone please post a comment or direct me to an explanation.
Jackie (english teacher from school next to mine) and I joined a tour at around 9am and went north via bus. Our bus combined with another bus to head into the DMZ and we were told by our tour guide to not take photos from the bus. After our passports were checked by a man carrying the worlds oldest infantry rifle (exaggeration hopefully obvious), we entered the DMZ. We were told the bridges and overpasses were all filled with TNT.
First stop was one of the North Korean infiltration tunnels found in the 1970's, which was great. I wasn't allowed to take photos though. After that, we watched the worlds worst propoganda for peace video - think Jerry Bruckheimer (action movie director) does the Korean war and a hopeful future resolution in 7 minutes. Not allowed to take photos.
Next was a lookout of the Joint Security Area and surrounds, which was quite cool. We stayed there for a total of five minutes (not long enough). From the hall, we could see mountains to the north and a few kilometres, two towers maybe 1km apart, one flying the South Korean flag, and the other flying the North Korean flag. No photos inside the lookout hall, but outside, we were allowed to take photos from behind a yellow line! The photo is all I could see clearly.
After that we went to a brand new train station that's situated within the DMZ and bought a ticket to Pyongyang and got a fake stamp in our passports, an opportunity not to miss as I'd been feeling like a tourist for a while. We weren't allowed to take photos of the construction area around the station parking lot though. Next stop was a small restaurant and merchandise, er, memorial gift supplies stall where there was nothing to be disallowed a photo of.
Then it was back to Seoul, where we took some good ol' Aussies, Alby, Brad and Hally, for a feed and a drink. We ditched the bus tour when it took us to a jewellrey shop and hit the subway, and when we arrived in Itaewon, who was outside the station farewelling people from a bus? Our tour guide. You had to be there.
After a late lunch, we went to the War Memorial, which was quite superb. There was a little bit of BS and selective historical accounting (that I saw), but the memorials themselves were outstanding and there was a room dedicated to the nations that went to the Korean War.
I don't think I have any real insights from the trip. I was basically a tourist along for a ride, not taking photos of trees made of plastic explosives. Considering the amount of weaponry there, it's probably more of a DPZ (P = photography) than DMZ. Let me ask a question of you, though. Why would two opposition forces have a joint security area? What's the point? Did East and West Germany do the same? Someone please post a comment or direct me to an explanation.
posted by the Emperor Fabulous at 6:19 AM
1 Comments:
Tour with no photos... that so not right!
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