All Things Combined: DMZ & Kim Chi Power in Seoul

안녕하세요

Ahn-nyung-ha-se-yo ....... Hello!

We arrived in Inchon, Korea early in the morning. As we headed to our berth our ship had to traverse a lock-gate, reminding me of time we went through the Panama Canal, .
http://www.portincheon.go.kr/english/portinformation/lockgate/lockgate.asp

Today is DMZ day. Everyone was required to have passport in hand while in Korea. We were told to dress appropriately, wear smart casual clothes, no tank tops, spaghetti straps, flip flops, shorts, t-shirts, etc for the DMZ. Photos were not allowed. There was an excitement in the air as we boarded the bus ready to experience a piece of history. Up until now we have only read about it. We feel tension in the air whenever it is mentioned. It still sparks a heads up scare when the word DMZ is in the news. We were on the way to Tunnel 3, the infiltration tunnel, and off to see Seoul. DMZ in 90 minutes...

When the Korean War ended Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel, and the DMZ was formed. The North was backed and supported by communist Chinese and Soviet troops, a Stalinist state was established. The South supported democracy and had the backing of the American forces and the United Nations. The DMZ is a strip running east to west dividing North and South Korea in half. It is about 160 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. It is heavily guarded by soldiers on both sides. Barbed wire wraps around this area for miles and miles in all directions. To this day the division of this country has forever changed the lives for people on both sides. One side is growing, economically thriving and propelling itself into the next century. On the other side food is scarce, there are no opportunities and every breath you take is monitored and recorded by unseen eyes.

As we started to get closer to the DMZ area I began to see twisted and coiled barbed wire everywhere. There are many tiny look out houses scattered along the lines of wire. When we got closer to the entry, roads were blocked with big yellow blockades. At the gate, the military was present and guarded. All passports were individually checked. Our bus was given a green sign for the front window. They counted us in and counted us out. There was to be no running for the boarder to take up residence on the North side, for sure. NO photos,( woops,.... too late) of guards at the gate... When we reached the area for tours, we piled off the bus, were allowed a few pictures and then lined up to take a baby train down into Tunnel 3, an infiltration tunnel, discovered in 1978.

We were given blue hard hats as we traveled down a steep incline on a mini train, got off, and took a 20 minute walk deeply underground. If you have high blood pressure or any heart condition you were told not to go down. I walked the whole length allowed bent over and only bumped my head once. The tunnels are narrow and short and are difficult to walk through. Inside it is cold, damp and wet. It was painted black by the North Koreans to look like they were really mining for coal. I was surprised they could build these tunnels with no one knowing.

So far 4 tunnels have been discovered. Some think many more still exist. The tunnels were built by the North as a means to surprise invade the South. 10, 000 soldiers an hour can move through this tunnel if an attack is called. Now, South Korea has barricaded their side by 3 huge thick walls so no one can get through anymore.

The tunnels themselves aren't anything exciting. But the idea of standing on this very ground and seeing what you have only heard or read about is what this tour is all about. You go for the historical significance. Being there is a moving experience. It hits you heavily when you think about the reasons for tunnels being built, how the DMZ separated families, or how people are forced to live on the other side. At the whim of the North, families can reunite with loved ones living in the South. But they can only go as far as the DMZ, no further. The North revoked these reunions recently.

In another area of the DMZ is an observation point, Op Dora, where we could see North Korea ..... well you can see deserted land and a few outposts. No photos allowed. You could only take pictures from BEHIND a yellow line. How controlling is that? So people lined up held their arms high and snapped away. The photo we all got was one of a stone wall, a sliver of browned ugly desolate land, and lots of sky. I CAN SEE NORTH KOREA FROM HERE!! I don't understand this well enforced rule.

Our next stop was a Korean restaurant for a Korean BBQ. I tried Kimchi....and decided that dish could be left there. It is the dish of Korea made from cabbage. It can be a side or the main ingredient. The cabbage is fermented in salt water for 7 hours then spice is added to it. Two weeks later you eat it. It can be kept for 6 months. There are over 150 ways to make kimchi. All women in Korea have to learn to make this dish before they marry. You are only as great as your Kimchi here. We are told the reason Koreans do so well in sports is because they eat Kimchi.. Kimshi Power! They eat this stuff three times a day. When they take a picture they don't say CHEESE....They say KIMCHI!

We then went to Seoul and spent hour shopping on a quaint little street that I would liken to a Oak Street in Chicago, the Korean version. We were among the Koreans and it was fun visiting the little shops and stands. Seoul is a very modern clean city.