Panmunjom (Korean DMZ)

The Korean DMZ cuts across the peninsula near the 38th parallel and is generally located along the frontline positions held by each side when the armistice (cease fire agreement) was signed on July 27, 1953.

The Joint Security Area near Panmunjom is a somber place where prisoners are exchanged, negotiations conducted and the remains of fallen soldiers repatriated. There’s no shortage of stories surrounding the DMZ. It is a place of sobering historical accounts and when visiting the Joint Security Area, the tension is palpable. Even so, some comical anecdotes emerge from the saber-rattling. There is the tale of two cities for instance. There are two villages in the DMZ - one maintained by North Korea and one controlled by the South. The village maintained by the North (“ Propaganda Village ”) appears to be merely a façade - a mirage of prosperity. No residents have been spotted in its streets. People periodically turn the lights on and off in the buildings and sweep the sidewalks to keep up the ruse. Although, the village keepers apparently forgot to install glass in the windows.

Other sites to see at the DMZ include: Dorasan Station, a railroad that runs between the two Koreas ; the Third Tunnel, one of four known tunnels constructed by North Korea ; The Military Armistice Commission Building; The Pagoda at the Freedom House and the “ Bridge of No Return ” which crosses the DMZ in the Joint Security Area. A day-trip to the DMZ offers visitors an exciting and educational opportunity to learn about the conflict and see firsthand the fortifications that are still in place along the border.