March 28th: Korea Day 2

[aide]

 

Saturday, March 28th

On our second day, we took a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.  We had to get up at 6am to get ready and be down at the hotel where the tour bus left by 8am to check in.  The office was on the 6^th floor of the Lotte Hotel (the biggest conglomerate company in Korea, so I’m told) and there were mostly Asian tourists (Japanese and Korean) waiting for their tours.  This company runs them in all three languages (and maybe more) and our group was by far one of the smaller ones.

 

 

Once we got on the bus and on the road our guide gave us a run down of the dos and don’ts of the tour.  Since we were going into (basically) a military facility, we couldn’t wear certain things (no ripped jeans, military style, American or Korean flags on t-shirts, skimpy clothes for girls, flip-flops) and if someone told you to do (or not to do) something, you do it.  I thought it was a little late to be telling us not to wear certain things since we were already on the road to the DMZ but no one had any problems.  Apparently some American woman was arrested recently because she wandered off into a restricted zone but couldn’t understand the guards and tried to run because she was scared.  On top of all that, we couldn’t take pictures in most places inside the DMZ.

 

Once we got out of Seoul city proper and onto the (only) highway north, the guide pointed out a fence along the Han River.  The river is fenced off with guard tours along it because the Han connects to the Imjim River which flows down from North Korean and apparently spies used to float down and infiltrate the city that way.  That fence is called the CCL (Civilian Control Line) and it’s illegal to cross it without permission.  When we got to the boarder of the CCL, an officer got on the bus, saluted everyone and checked all our passports.

 

Our tour was the 3^rd Tunnel tour.  There are a total of four tunnels that were built by the North under the border to attack South Korea.  The first two were found in the 60’s and the third was found in October 1978.  The most recent (aptly named 4^th tunnel) was found in the 90’s.  The tunnel is 1,635km long, and about 2m long and high.  They say that it was capable of moving a full division of soldiers in full gear in an hour to attack Seoul.  There’s a monorail built to reach the tunnel from the surface.  It’s wet and musty down there, but you can only walk about 400m.  There’s a door at one end that blocks off the tunnel (which is packed with dynamite just in case) and another door that blocks the North Korean side.  It’s kind of a moot point because the North Korean side has already collapsed.  

 

Unification Monument at the 3^rd Tunnel

 

After the tunnel tour, we drove up to the Dora Observatory.  From there, you can look out to North Korea across the DMZ and Military Demarcation Line, the invisible line that marks the border between North and South.  We could see the only two villages within the DMZ, each flying their respective Korean Flags.  Apparently those people don’t have to pay tax or serve in the military and get support from the government because they live in such a dangerous area.  We were even lucky enough to see the closest and 2^nd largest city in North Korea, Gaeseong.  Apparently the DMZ is supposed to be some kind of ecological marvel because it hasn’t been touched by modernity for the last 50 years but it looked pretty brown and dead to me.  But then again, so did the rest of the countryside even outside the DMZ so I guess spring hadn’t arrived yet.  There was a line painted on the ground that you had to stand behind when taking pictures so you can’t really see anything. :/  It was kind of hazy too.

 

The observatory building

 

Trust me, it's North Korea.

 

Our next stop was Dorasan Station, the last train station in South Korean.  It was built in 2002, hoping to connect to the North Korean railway system but it’s never been used because the border is closed by the North.  The only people allowed to cross are cargo trucks and people going to work in the Gaesong Industrial Complex (supported by South Korean aid) but even that’s been closed recently due to North Korean’s imminent missile/satellite launch.  The warehouses at Dorasan Station that were built to hold the products produced at the complex are empty.  The station was really pretty and yet really sad.  It’s completely empty and there’s nothing around.  There’s a train sitting at the platform waiting for passengers; you could pay 500 won to go in and look around but there’s no where to go.

 

Donor’s plaque at the station

 

Map showing the train line and stations connecting North and South Korea (and our lovely guide)

 

The station building; the roof is designed to look like two overlapping hands to symbolize the joined Koreas

 

 

The station lobby

 

The waiting area

 

Pictures with the guards :D

 

Our last stop was Imjingak (Freedom Bridge) and a park outside the DMZ where we had lunch.  It seemed kind of strange to have a park in the middle of nowhere, so close to something really quite terrifying but it was really beautiful.  There was an amusement park and a new entertainment complex was being built.  The bridge was used to exchange prisoners after the Korean War.  South Korea released their POWs and gave them the option of staying but the North didn’t release everyone and didn’t give them a choice.  The CCL marks the end of the bridge and there are so many wishes for peace and freedom stuck onto the fence.  You can see the railway line going into the DMZ that’s never been used (or at least not for half a century, anyway).

 

Wishes

 

The Freedom Bridge

 

 

“The train wants to run.”

 

The Civilian Control Line fence

 

Plaque on the bridge

 

Beside the bridge was an altar build by the South Korean government? For families to pray for their lost family and ancestors that they can’t meet in North Korea.  On holidays, the stone table is covered in offerings.

 

Bulgogi for lunch.

 

We got back to Seoul around 3pm and went back to our hotel to rest up before going out clubbing again.  This time, we went to Homo Hill in Itaewon (Seoul’s Roppongi).  Itaewon is very close to an American military base and so Itaewon has a really bad reputation for fights and violence between Koreans and foreigners.  The first thing we see when we get there is a bunch of Americans in cowboy hats drunkenly meander down the street, yelling at each other.  It wasn’t as bad as all that, we went into a little bar for a cocktail and then did some club hopping.  It was probably the size of Shinjuku’s Nichome area but wasn’t nearly as busy.  It was nice having some fucking space to dance for a change (not like at Arty’s the Sardine Can in Nichome).  We even had some model walk-offs because we could.  Justin to play tonsil hockey with some guy and got his gum as a present; Andrew gave his number to the bartender and got a date.  The club we ended up at was only just starting to fill up by the time we decided to leave around 2am. 

 

Andrew’s deciding what to wear.

 

I’m deciding to go to sleep.

 

Takeshi models some Korean white strips.

 

The boys are ready to party.

 

Soju is going to be my new drink of choice.  It’s almost cheaper than water.

 

Homo Hill, right next to Hooker Hill, adjacent to Tranny Hill.

 

Because it’s too funny.

 

At the first bar, I’m trying to be all artsy with my camera.

 

 

Comments

[maiaide.livejournal.com]

We were supposed to try it but we couldn't find a place to go and ran out of time. Is that like... flavoured soju? Or just plain soju with fruit/juice in it?

[iaoiua.livejournal.com]

It's soju with fruit in it (or at least that's how I've had it) — "lychee-infused soju" specifically is sooo yummy. I mean, it hardly tastes like alcohol that you can down a bottle pretty quickly (as I learned).