One of the most popular day trips from Seoul is to join a tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea. Anyone with a bit of historical curiosity and penchant for the weird should sign up for this unusual experience which you won’t find anywhere else on earth. Bonus is, most tours will make a stop at one of the beautiful natural sights on the way. I imagine it is to put us in a calm and serene mood before reaching our peculiar destination?
Scenic lakeside stroll
Our tour’s first stop introduced us to beautiful Majang Lake.
Its main attraction is the scenic red suspension bridge that spans the lake.
Walk across the 220 meters until the other side for gorgeous vistas, looking down at your feet occasionally for a thrilling view below.
You’ll be surprised to hear this bridge and tranquil scene was once a fierce battlefield during the Korean War as a defense line against the Chinese allied army…
A lakeside trail hugs the lush greenery all around and gives you more time to enjoy this enchanting landscape.
Reflections in the water hide large groups of fish hanging by the shore.
Imjingak – An offbeat memorial park
Leaving the calming Majang Lake behind, the second stop on the DMZ tour is at the sprawling Imjingak, a park with various monuments dedicated to the 10 million South Koreans separated from their families when the peninsula was divided.
It is no ordinary park when one suddenly notices the heavily mined and guarded 4km-wide buffer known as the Demilitarized Zone that slashes the peninsula across 240km, separating North and South Korea. The electric fences, armies in full battle readiness, and No Photos signs only add to the unease you feel when staring at this strange and divided piece of land. Adding to the weird factor, you can ride the “Peace Gondola” over and back for a bird’s eye view…
A steam train bombed and derailed during the war called “The Last Train Out” has been preserved as evidence of the painful history. The 1,020 bullet holes and bent wheels are a testament to the brutality at the time.
The nearby Freedom Bridge connecting the North and South is where some 13,000 POWs were exchanged in 1953 (and remains off limit, obviously).
There is a visitor center with facilities and a few restaurants where your tour will stop for lunch. You might be tempted to drown your sorrows in a burger at this point (!) but I opted for a local cold bean soup with noodles and cucumbers, a dish as unfamiliar as my surroundings. Never had cold soy milk broth before… Surely this would have been more welcome on a hot summer day, but the kimchi was delish.
With a bit of free time post-lunch, you can explore more of the grounds which contain other memorials…
…and a sculpture park? Yes, giant, brightly colored works of art are spread across a hilly section of the park, displaying cheerful and hopeful messages.
Unification Bridge
Back on the tour, you need to get your passport ready for ID verification as you cross the Unification Bridge to enter the Civilian Control Line. Interesting fact: you’ll see a life-sized plastic cow at the beginning of the bridge which is also called the “cow bridge”. Hyundai’s founder was originally from North Korea and succeeded in escaping by selling one of his father’s cows that he stole. He later returned in 1988, crossing on this bridge, with a convoy of 1,001 cows to repay his debt to his father…
3rd infiltration tunnel
Four tunnels dug by North Korea for infiltration purposes have been found as of today running under the DMZ.
You can visit the 3rd one if you can handle a very claustrophobic and long walk down this 73m deep and 265m long tunnel. You’ll be given a hard hat and even with that I bumped my head a few times, so low was the ceiling. No cameras (or any belongings beside water) were allowed so you’ll have to try and picture what it was like…an interesting and physical walk!
Looking over North Korea
The final stop is the Dora Observatory.
The rooftop terrace is lined with binoculars, giving you a voyeuristic glimpse into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea). Within eyesight is the Propaganda Village, technically in the DMZ but on the North Korea side. It’s called this way by South Korea because virtually all the buildings are believed to be empty or just facades with the primary feature the North Korean flag perched on a 160m high-tower.
On a clear day you may also discern the city of Kaesong and distant little moving dots, people working the farms and walking in the villages.
Then it’s back to Seoul. After visiting such a sinister and surreal place you’ll surely have many more questions but you’ll be glad to have gotten this rare insight into the history and ongoing reality of the Korean Peninsula’s division.
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