Communism & Tourism

For those of you that didn't know, the Korean Peninsula is divided into two countries. The South, where we are, is a democratic, capitalist, free society. The north, branded by George W Bush as being part of the "axis of evil" is the last totalitarian communist regime in the world run by a man (Kim Jong Il) who has only spoken one sentence in pubic and whose dead father (Kim Il Sung) is still the President for life.

Tensions are running a bit high between the two nations at the moment. Technically, they are still at war as the 1950s Korean War didn't so much end, as both sides came to the realisation that WW3 would ensue if they didn't stop. Recently a South Korean submarine was torpedoed, probably by the North. 47 young sailors died - we watched their state funerals on the 5 TV channels that covered it. The border between the two Koreas is a 4km wide strip known as the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone). This is in effect a highly fortified nature reserve, though the number of land mines does limit the size of the ground based wildlife.

So, in this environment, we did what all good capitalists do - we paid to go on a tour to the DMZ :-)

They don't quite give you all the details when you sign up. It was a very surreal day.

This was stuff we knew in advance:

• We knew there was a dress code. Apparently so the North Koreans can't use photos of scruffy folk as propaganda
• We knew we'd go to a room that both sides and the UN meet in for discussions and we knew we'd be on military ground
• we knew photography was restricted.

We didn't know:

• that the bridges over the road leading to the DMZ have large blocks of concrete in them, ready to be dropped for "when the North Koreans invade". Note the word "when"
• the river they share with N.Korea has barbed wire in it, barbed wire along the banks and guard posts all the way into Seoul as N.Korean spies have been known to swim up it
• overly paranoid perhaps? We thought so until we learnt the North Koreans have dug a series of tunnels into the South, the nearest reaching to about 10km out of Seoul and big enough to get 1000 (possibly 2000 if they remove their large hats) troops through per hour...

The tour consisted of:

• you begin by going to a memorial garden in S.Korea. Photos can be taken here.
• then you go to a really random park place where there are some sculptures looking to the North, as a reminder of the people who still have family in the North. It is the northern most point in their half of the country that a South Korean can get to freely. The place is used every year by people coming to remember their lost family. It has views of North Korea. It has barbed wire, guard posts, a train shot up in the war. It felt like...Disney Land. There was a fair ground, school kids, cafes, bars, shops selling souvenirs...
• this comes under stuff we didn't realise. When you enter the DMZ, you're on military land. This means passport checks. This means NO PHOTOS until you are told.
• You go to Camp Bonifas, the only military camp in S Korea DMZ. You get a briefing. You are then swapped to a military bus and accompanied by soldiers
• the tour consists of many precautionary measures. It's still unclear how much is military paranoia, reasonable precaution or theatrics on behalf of the tour company. Precautions were: 1) once on the military bus, you could have no bags, camera cases or any case (even wallets) because the N.Koreans were watching us by then and they were in their rights to take photos then say "What is in here? A bomb?". 2) You weren't allowed to raise your arm, stand up, or point or wave. Apparently it's so the N.Koreans don't take a photo of you and use it for propaganda purposes (we were told they do things like say "Look, it's an American waving in a friendly way at us"). 3) You couldn't wear heels, short skirts etc. Apparently it's so you can run in an emergency... 4) NO PHOTO TAKING!

There are two villages in the DMZ that face each other from different sides of the border. The S.Korean village has 200 people, who pay negative tax, get subsidies, have three times the farm area of other villages, but have to work with soldiers guarding them and an 11pm curfew to prevent kidnap from N Korea (apparently).

The North Korean village has the world's largest flag and flag pole, a population of 0, and very very large loudspeakers. It seems to exist for the benefit of the S.Koreans, who call it "the propaganda village".

So, then you reach the JSA (Joint Security Area). Again, stuff we didn't know - following an unsavoury incident, the 2 sides no longer can roam freely in this once neutral area. It is divided into - North and South. Pay attention. This point becomes VERY important soon.

So, we go into a building on the S.Korean side. By now, we know we are being watched as we can see the North Korean side and the army guy (identifiable by his huge hat) with his binoculars trained on us. We are told to walk in lines of two and DO NOT LOOK AROUND or TAKE PHOTOS. We wait in our building to go into the hut which is where the two sides meet. There is a delay. There are about 12 S.Korean soliders outside "to protect us". Holy shit. Before we go into the meeting room, we are told this:

"When you are in there, there are two S.Korean soldiers. You may pose next to them for photos, but not too close because if they need to reach for their guns to protect us, you don't want to be in the way."

"The room has the North/South border running through it, down the centre of the table. DO NOT TOUCH THE TABLE. You can go into the North part when we say. The guard in front of the door that leads out to North Korea is there for your protection. Do not go behind him. He is there because someone was once snatched through that door by the North Koreans."

"We rarely see the North Korean guards down here any more. That concrete slab on the ground outside is the border. They cannot cross it and we can't. Except in this room where you can go to the North side."

So, we go in two lines with only our cameras in hand. We get in the room. We are told "You can go to the North Korean side and you can take photos".

As our fellow tourists do this, we notice there's a frickin' group of 10 North Korean soldiers marching in formation round the corner. A look passes between us as Team Stanford wonders if we've inadvertently stumbled into the start of a war. However, Kara's inner tourist kicks in and she starts taking photos (after checking) of the soldiers, just the other side of the window...

Then, a very strange thing. They produce a pink digital camera and in pairs they stand in front of the concrete border and in a very orderly fashion, take photos of each other (it must be assumed that the resultant photos were mostly of hat).

The strict military discipline of our group breaks down at this point, as our tour guide is shouting "There's another one, there's another, quick photograph him".

Then we are being shouted at "Stop taking photos, stop taking photos, get back in the South side, back to the South side." Naturally, some our group ignore this. This is when it dawns on us - on the North side of the room we are in North Korea and they are in their rights to come in and do what they want. F**K!!! (Sorry mums).

Then we walk out and leave and do a drive by for another photo shot of the North Koreans, then go back to Camp Bonifas where, like good capitalists, we are taken to a small souvenir shop. Which regretably didn't sell any North Korean hats.

Our views on the day

Kara:

Very very surreal. Were we in danger? The tension felt real. The piece of paper we signed which said the visit "will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action" was real. I'm still not sure why they run trips there for tourists (South Koreans aren't allowed there). It felt strange to look out of a window at young soliders who were from a totally different world to mine and had grown up in a totally different way and who probably thought I represented evil incarnated. Like all military soldiers on duty, they had blank faces and stares. However, it has made me very very curious to find out more about their country and nation and see the story from the other side.

Would I do it again? No, as once is enough. Would I recommend it for all tourists? Not sure. It's pretty unsettling but travel is about seeing the world from a different view, so if you're up for that, then yes, do it.

Martin:

Hmmm, Being a cynic, and with the benefit of hindsight, I suspect that some of the theatrics were for the tourists benefit more than anything else. It certainly felt like a big deal at the time though. The whole thing would be almost farcical, if it wasn't for the number of people who have died over the arbitrary line on the map. It was one of those days that was more about making you think than about showing you anything amazing. My first impression of totalitarian communism: Big flags, big flag pole, hilariously large hats. It all screams "compensating for something". On the day of a somewhat disappointing UK election, it made me pretty grateful to have been born where I was.