Visiting the DMZ -- The Weirdest Tourist Trap on Earth**
N. Korea is only about an hour and a half north of Seoul, and one doesn’t have to travel far to sense the increasing tension. What appear to be giant bulletin boards over the center of the road as one passes the outer perimeter of Seoul are in fact “tank-drops” – massive concrete barriers on relatively thin supports that can be knocked out from underneath quickly, allowing for the quick erection of a last-ditch defense should North Korean troops make it that far in an invasion. Our guide – I’ll tell you more about him later – cheerfully remarked that such tank-drops are somewhat outdated, as the military learned during the Gulf War that allowing enemy tanks to congregate in convoys on a highway makes for a superb target – creating a highway of death. Soon after leaving Seoul we noticed a tall barbed-wire fence lining both sides of the Han River, and buoys holding up nets throughout the water. These are part of the fortifications to catch infiltrators (a problem as recently as ten years ago). Sights such as these become more common as one approaches the border. Guard posts along the fence become more numerous. Soon the bus must zigzag slowly through fences partially blocking off the road. Soldiers ask to see one’s passport or ID, several times. Eventually one must change buses in order to travel into the DMZ.
Note: I've not given a step-by-step description of the DMZ tour, but you can quickly read a well-written account here.
The first impression that I want to share of the DMZ itself – and the one you need to keep in the back of your mind – is that the military standoff on both sides of the DMZ makes for one tangibly tense situation, despite the over-fifty years post-Armistice. To get a feel for the somber atmosphere, think of the seriousness surrounding the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, except that in this case one has to sign a waiver releasing responsibility should anything happen after proceeding “into a hostile area and [the] possibility of injury or death.” Upon crossing into Camp Bonifas, our military escort authoritatively took command of our every action, including frequently forbidding photography and the constant prohibition against pointing at anything (since the North Koreans capture every movement on camera and could construe something like pointing as in some way admiring of their side and regime). His control of us was so total that it felt theatrical, except for the guns and stories of axe-wielding North Korean soldiers and all. So impression number one is of rigid, fierce and longstanding military confrontation, of a fratricidal war that was never officially ended (talk about the need for closure, Rachel’s got nothing on the DMZ).
Colliding directly with this 24/7-armed readiness is the daily flow of tourists, as if visiting Disney World or the Shipshewana Flea Market. For all the foreboding talk of ever-present danger (“don’t step outside these lines as the N. Koreans have sowed the surrounding ground with landmines”), the reality is that American soldiers spend their days at the DMZ leading bus after bus of tourists. Notwithstanding the waiver we signed before going forward, no tourist has ever been hurt or killed visiting the DMZ. And our guide (the one we brought with us from Seoul, not the soldier escort) confirmed that for all the reality of a face-to-face standoff, at least some of what one sees at the DMZ is in fact theatrical pomp. For example, ROK (Republic of Korea, aka South Korea) soldiers stand in a modified tae-kwon-do pose as they “take cover and offer less of a target” by standing with one half (vertically) of their bodies behind a building wall.
(these are the ROK soldiers; the tall building in the background belongs to North Korea-- and one can easily see N. Korean soldiers inside and stationed on the steps.)
Our guide was in the infantry for over a decade early in his career, and he laughingly pointed out when we grilled him on the bus ride home that if one really wants to avoid a bullet, standing perfectly still with a full half of one’s body showing isn’t the way to do it. He deflated another story as well – that the N. Koreans are so full of bizarre animus toward the South and the USA that when they are alone in the building used for negotiations, they take off their boots and walk all over the table-tops to show disrespect to our side. In fact, our military escort earnestly pointed out the footprint. But later our guide told us that whomever may have made that footprint, it’s been untouched and unchanged for a long time, so either the cleaning people don’t to their job very well or our escorts are reluctant to give up such a good story.
That example illustrates how hard it was to figure out what was real and what was merely showmanship, perhaps created by the elite young soldiers who spend long days on the border with little to occupy their minds. Even if a few shots are traded here or there barely anyone pays attention, because few expect the war to re-ignite. Otherwise there wouldn’t be another tour bus rolling up every hour. Nor would there be a gift shop with DMZ memorabilia, including N. Korean liquors and limited edition plaques with a piece of barbed-wire from the DMZ fence (ask to see mine sometime).
So add to the first impression of a tense military standoff frozen in time the surreal notion of tourists crawling like a stream of ants through the DMZ all day long. And maybe that makes sense. If the chances of actual war are slim to none then why shouldn’t civilians visit this visceral scar of separation, as they visit war memorials the world over?
Except that sometimes the grim reality of actual danger reinserts itself into the conversation. As happened when I was discussing with our guide (I promise I’ll write about him soon) the four tunnels that South Korea has found deep underground, penetrating southward so as to allow North Korean troops the ability to move massive numbers of soldiers deep into South Korean territory unnoticed until they arise from the depths (ala C.S. Lewis’s “The Silver Chair”). We took the self-guided tour of Tunnel #3, and one word says it all: impressive. This thing is so deep that people with heart and knee problems are discouraged from seeing it, as the slope to get down that far is steep and long. And once one gets to the bottom and walks through the tunnel, an understanding of how much forethought and skill went into it’s creation crystallizes, as it was blasted in complete secrecy out of solid granite (the blasts were undetectable because it’s so far underground). But enough about the tunnel itself; the scary moment of realization for me occurred when our guide told us that ROK and US forces have reason to believe that another 18 to 20 such tunnels exist, as yet undetected. And thus no one knows how far said undetected tunnels penetrate into South Korea. Having seen first-hand how blasé and nonchalant most South Koreans are about the North, I asked if anyone even worries about where these tunnels are and what they might be used for. Our guide replied tersely, “The South Korean Defense Minister worries about them every day.”
And he has reason to know. This guy has some impressive bona fides, despite his quiet manner and innocuous presence. He retired at the level of lieutenant-colonel a few years ago, having served in the American forces in South Korea for over twenty-years. For six years in the 1990’s he was directly involved in the negotiations with the North. He’s getting his PHD in Korean studies in Seoul. So at first it seemed odd to me and my comrades (shout out to Mary & Sonya) that for all his acquired knowledge and expertise, his day job now is Chief of Community Relations for the US military in Seoul -- basically just a euphemism for tour guide. But then it struck us like Joe Wilson kicking Karl Rove in the groin; he’s got a heck of a more important job, one that needs the cover of university studies and a silly community relations title. I’m no Robert Novak, so I won’t spell it out, but I’m sure you Can Imagine All the possibilities.
**I lifted that phrase from Ron Gluckman's excellent piece.
next post
Note: I've not given a step-by-step description of the DMZ tour, but you can quickly read a well-written account here.
The first impression that I want to share of the DMZ itself – and the one you need to keep in the back of your mind – is that the military standoff on both sides of the DMZ makes for one tangibly tense situation, despite the over-fifty years post-Armistice. To get a feel for the somber atmosphere, think of the seriousness surrounding the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, except that in this case one has to sign a waiver releasing responsibility should anything happen after proceeding “into a hostile area and [the] possibility of injury or death.” Upon crossing into Camp Bonifas, our military escort authoritatively took command of our every action, including frequently forbidding photography and the constant prohibition against pointing at anything (since the North Koreans capture every movement on camera and could construe something like pointing as in some way admiring of their side and regime). His control of us was so total that it felt theatrical, except for the guns and stories of axe-wielding North Korean soldiers and all. So impression number one is of rigid, fierce and longstanding military confrontation, of a fratricidal war that was never officially ended (talk about the need for closure, Rachel’s got nothing on the DMZ).
Colliding directly with this 24/7-armed readiness is the daily flow of tourists, as if visiting Disney World or the Shipshewana Flea Market. For all the foreboding talk of ever-present danger (“don’t step outside these lines as the N. Koreans have sowed the surrounding ground with landmines”), the reality is that American soldiers spend their days at the DMZ leading bus after bus of tourists. Notwithstanding the waiver we signed before going forward, no tourist has ever been hurt or killed visiting the DMZ. And our guide (the one we brought with us from Seoul, not the soldier escort) confirmed that for all the reality of a face-to-face standoff, at least some of what one sees at the DMZ is in fact theatrical pomp. For example, ROK (Republic of Korea, aka South Korea) soldiers stand in a modified tae-kwon-do pose as they “take cover and offer less of a target” by standing with one half (vertically) of their bodies behind a building wall.
(these are the ROK soldiers; the tall building in the background belongs to North Korea-- and one can easily see N. Korean soldiers inside and stationed on the steps.)Our guide was in the infantry for over a decade early in his career, and he laughingly pointed out when we grilled him on the bus ride home that if one really wants to avoid a bullet, standing perfectly still with a full half of one’s body showing isn’t the way to do it. He deflated another story as well – that the N. Koreans are so full of bizarre animus toward the South and the USA that when they are alone in the building used for negotiations, they take off their boots and walk all over the table-tops to show disrespect to our side. In fact, our military escort earnestly pointed out the footprint. But later our guide told us that whomever may have made that footprint, it’s been untouched and unchanged for a long time, so either the cleaning people don’t to their job very well or our escorts are reluctant to give up such a good story.
That example illustrates how hard it was to figure out what was real and what was merely showmanship, perhaps created by the elite young soldiers who spend long days on the border with little to occupy their minds. Even if a few shots are traded here or there barely anyone pays attention, because few expect the war to re-ignite. Otherwise there wouldn’t be another tour bus rolling up every hour. Nor would there be a gift shop with DMZ memorabilia, including N. Korean liquors and limited edition plaques with a piece of barbed-wire from the DMZ fence (ask to see mine sometime).
So add to the first impression of a tense military standoff frozen in time the surreal notion of tourists crawling like a stream of ants through the DMZ all day long. And maybe that makes sense. If the chances of actual war are slim to none then why shouldn’t civilians visit this visceral scar of separation, as they visit war memorials the world over?
Except that sometimes the grim reality of actual danger reinserts itself into the conversation. As happened when I was discussing with our guide (I promise I’ll write about him soon) the four tunnels that South Korea has found deep underground, penetrating southward so as to allow North Korean troops the ability to move massive numbers of soldiers deep into South Korean territory unnoticed until they arise from the depths (ala C.S. Lewis’s “The Silver Chair”). We took the self-guided tour of Tunnel #3, and one word says it all: impressive. This thing is so deep that people with heart and knee problems are discouraged from seeing it, as the slope to get down that far is steep and long. And once one gets to the bottom and walks through the tunnel, an understanding of how much forethought and skill went into it’s creation crystallizes, as it was blasted in complete secrecy out of solid granite (the blasts were undetectable because it’s so far underground). But enough about the tunnel itself; the scary moment of realization for me occurred when our guide told us that ROK and US forces have reason to believe that another 18 to 20 such tunnels exist, as yet undetected. And thus no one knows how far said undetected tunnels penetrate into South Korea. Having seen first-hand how blasé and nonchalant most South Koreans are about the North, I asked if anyone even worries about where these tunnels are and what they might be used for. Our guide replied tersely, “The South Korean Defense Minister worries about them every day.”
And he has reason to know. This guy has some impressive bona fides, despite his quiet manner and innocuous presence. He retired at the level of lieutenant-colonel a few years ago, having served in the American forces in South Korea for over twenty-years. For six years in the 1990’s he was directly involved in the negotiations with the North. He’s getting his PHD in Korean studies in Seoul. So at first it seemed odd to me and my comrades (shout out to Mary & Sonya) that for all his acquired knowledge and expertise, his day job now is Chief of Community Relations for the US military in Seoul -- basically just a euphemism for tour guide. But then it struck us like Joe Wilson kicking Karl Rove in the groin; he’s got a heck of a more important job, one that needs the cover of university studies and a silly community relations title. I’m no Robert Novak, so I won’t spell it out, but I’m sure you Can Imagine All the possibilities.
**I lifted that phrase from Ron Gluckman's excellent piece.
next post
posted by Cowells at 8:19 AM
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