The Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is used as a buffer zone between North and South Korea and was established towards the end of the Korean war. It also provides a must do/see for any tourist visiting South Korea and I would highly recommend it.
Below are some of my favourite facts that I learned on the trip from our tour guide:
-There is a Neutral area in the DMZ called the Joint Security Area. This is where the two countries have meetings. Toilet breaks are compulsory in these meetings. The story goes that one of the meetings held went for more than 7 hours and neither country representatives wanted to ask for a toilet break as they thought it would show weakness forcing them to make extremely important decisions on a full bladder.
-From memory there were multiple signs and documents asking tourists not to defect. There has been some cases where tourists were not particularly happy with their life back home and thought defecting to North Korea would improve their standard of living… (lol)
-“Fashionable” torn clothing are not allowed as they have previously been used by as propaganda to showcase how people outside of North Korea cannot afford proper clothing.
*****One leg in South Korea and One in the North*****
-Defectors have spoken out that those who defect have their family executed.
-A 91m flag pole was built in a South Korean village near the DMZ, the North Koreans reacted by building a taller flagpole (152m) . This was known as the war of the flags. The South decided not to react giving the North the ‘win’.
-Our guide told us a story of 3 men that tried to escape North Korea but the only way was to escape through a lengthy bit of land of land mines. They walked behind each other many metres apart to minimise the chance of all of them getting blown up. The first person sadly stepped on a land-mine and died. The second and third person followed his path, got a little further and were close to the end but sadly the second person also stepped on a land-mine. The third person made successfully made it to South Korea.
*****North Koreans in the distance looking at us with binoculars****
-When South Korea representatives open doors in the meeting rooms they all create a human chain to prevent being pulled across the border.
-The guards stand with half their body hidden behind a building. This is because A) If the North start shooting, less change of getting shot and B) If the guard spots something suspicious on the other side he can signal to his commander behind the building discreetly without the North knowing.
