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It’s often said that the Korean
Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, is the most dangerous
place on Earth. This distinction is probably technically true - the mountains
and hillsides on both sides of the 4km strip of land separating the two Koreas
bristles with troops, guard posts, tanks, missile, bunkers, gun emplacements,
land mines and other tools of death and destruction. A one-hole golf course at a
military base in Panmunjeom, the truce village that has come to symbolize the
world’s last Cold War frontier, warns not to retrieve balls from a fairway lined
by land mines - once designated as the “world’s most dangerous golf
course.”
Yet
the DMZ is perhaps the
supreme irony in a land of ironies. As you gaze out upon the DMZ from Checkpoint 3 of
Panmunjeom’s Joint Security Area, your attention is drawn not to the rare
opportunity to peek into mysterious North Korea, the North Korean soldiers
perched on the watchtower nearby, or your chances of survival in a sudden (and
highly unlikely) re-opening of hostilities. Instead, you’re captivated by the
supreme tranquility - the quiet, the lush green hillsides, the rare birds
swooping into untouched marshlands. Here, at the most militarized border on the
planet, you feel completely at peace. EASY LEARN KOREAN LANGUAGE FREE . BANGKOK HOTEL.
The DMZ stretches some 248
kilometers across the Korean Peninsula from the mouth of the Imjin River in the
west to the town of Goseong in the east. The demilitarized zone itself, where
human activity has been greatly limited for the last half-century, has become
one of Asia’s greatest nature preserves. In the sparsely populated hinterlands
just outside the zone, where it seems soldiers outnumber civilians, you can find
both towering monuments to battles won and derelict ruins that stand witness to
the tragedy of war.
No one can properly take in the entire DMZ area over the course of
a single weekend, but if you’re in Seoul, the peace village of
Panmunjeom, the touching Imjingak park and the beautiful mountains and rivers of
Cheorwon offer the traveler a real glimpse of the history and culture of this
most uniquely Korean tourist destination.
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Korea is the only divided country in the
world. After the Korean War (June 25 1950 – July 27 1953), South Korea and North
Korea established a border that cut the Korean peninsula roughly in half.
Stretching for 2km on either side of this border is the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ). As one of the
last relics of the Cold War, the DMZ attracts a great deal of
public interest, and is a popular destination for travelers visiting Korea.
Despite the fact that this is the most heavily armed border in the world, it is
extremely rare that any hostilities take place. These days the DMZ is a safe destination
that we would thoroughly recommend to any traveler. The DMZ and its surroundings
contain many interesting historical sights and pristine untouched natural
surroundings.
Various
organizations offer DMZ guided tours.
Itineraries differ, but most tours will take visitors to an observatory, one of
North Korea’s infiltration tunnels, a military base, and right into Panmunjeom,
the Joint Security Area in the middle of the DMZ where negotiations
between the two sides are held
DMZ - DeMilitarized Zone
reviews and photos from real travelers and locals in Seoul, South Korea.The
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
tour is one of the most
interesting tours in Korea.dmz tour & panmunjeomtour.
The Panmunjom tour is
one of the best ways to understand the situation, the tensions.USO 30 Minute
Briefing at Ballinger Hall and then tour to the DMZ.
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Buffering hostilities from the north and
south, the heavily guarded premises of Panmunjeom are located in the middle of
the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and remain reserved
strictly for political engagements. Providing the only road connecting the two
countries, it is here where the historical signing of the Armistice Agreement
took place between Communist forces and the United Nations Command (UNC) in 1953
after a succession of peace talks that lasted more than two years. However,
although the event signaled an end to the Korean War, tensions resurfaced once
again in 1976 when North Korean guards killed two American soldiers a short
distance away, during the famous ‘Tree Killing Event’.
Although the
premises remain a huge tourist attraction, pressure continues to swell and the
de facto zone remains a virtual hot bed of unpredictability. Visitors are
cautioned to follow strict protocol as not to upset northern officials. Yet such
awareness seems to have very little effect in detracting tourists from
witnessing such cultural differences up close. In fact, at the time of this
writer’s journey, I was informed that bookings needed to be made far in advance
as seats filled up extremely fast. Indeed, Panmunjeom was arguably the most
eagerly awaited highlight of the journey. But although it remains a huge draw
card to the tour itself,
several other stops along the way proved equally rewarding.
DMZ Tour helps you to feel the
reality of the divided Korean Peninsular.You can visit the forefront line from
South Korea's truce line. DMZ tour packages 4 day and 5
days.dmz &panmunjeom
tour is available you can
visit dmz area Searches
related to dmz tour. best dmz tour. Panmunjeom is located
in the demilitarized zone, 50 km north from Seoul and 10 km east from
the city of Gaeseong.This tour commences with a visit
to the Third Tunnel that was discovered between Panmunjeom and and Imjingak in
June 1978.uso dmz tour reservations. panmunjom
dmz tour.
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