38th parallel north: korean demilitarized zone

Trip Start Jun 19, 2010

Trip End Sep 14, 2010

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Korea Rep. Panmunjom, (DMZ), Gyeonggi, Korea Rep.
Sunday, August 1, 2010

What's one perk when you're an American citizen in Korea? Unlike Koreans, you're welcome to check out the demilitarized zone and stand just meters away from KPA soldiers, who watch your every move via security camera and binoculars...

After signing a release stating that there was "possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action," and agreeing to not attempt to communicate or signal the North Koreans in any way, we got to experience a bit of history during the Panmunjeom tour of the neutral Joint Security Area (JSA), which is the center of the DMZ. We spent some time in the JSA (and took photos with the statue-like guards), and also got to walk through the third North Korean infiltration tunnel. We toured various historically significant locations, such as the road where the infamous "axe murder incident" occurred, the Bridge of No Return, and the world's tallest flagpole, Kijong-dong (built solely to one-up the South Koreans' Daeseong-dong flagpole).

Slideshow

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures

Joint Security Area, Korea demilitarized zone	guard keeping an eye on the KPA soldiers	guard at the JSA	Joint Security Area, looking at North Korea
being watched by KPA soldiers	KPA guard	Bridge of No Return	site of the axe murder incident
Kijong-dong flagpole	dmz	jsa	watch out for mines on the putting green...
eapsi kids at the JSA	dmz