So much for love thy neighbor

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a weekend trip to Seoul. What many of my friends and family didn't know was that the trip was centered around a day trip to the DMZ, the heavily armed and protected border between North and South Korea. Because there's so much danger and animosity brewing between the two countries (not to mention the rest of the world), I didn't want my loved ones to worry about me. The tour I was part of was operated by the US military, and believe me when I say that they had their shit stuff together.

We did the full day tour, which included a visits to the JSA, Dorasan station, a checkpoint observatory, the 3rd Tunnel, and a checkpoint with a fantastic view of the despotic country to the north.

Unsurprisingly, the highlight was the JSA, which stands for Joint Security Area. If you're familiar with the border, or the history between N and SK, you'll recognize these buildings.

The grey building directly ahead is North Korean. There were soldiers with binoculars looking at us,
 and cameras on the second floor taking pictures the entire time. Creepers.

This is where delegates/leaders from both sides meet, sitting at the same table. The building is constructed on the MDL (Military Demarcation Line), which designates the country border. Therefore, if you cross the line, you're technically in North Korea.

Main meeting table. The microphones on the table denote the MDL;
 even inside the building, everyone is distinctly aware of that line

This picture brought to you from N Korea. Look Ma, I'm in a dictator-run country!

These SK soldiers are only there for our protection, locked into the first stance of Taekwondo.
I felt weird taking a picture, but if everyone else is being rude too....

The 3rd tunnel is just what it sounds like: a tunnel. North Korea had started digging several tunnels towards the South with the goal of infiltration. However, a defector escaped to the south and told SK to start looking. Over the last 20 or so years, 4 separate tunnels have been discovered, and the 3rd one has been converted into a museum of sorts. You can walk all the way down the tunnel (which is freezing and extremely uncomfortable for tall people at >2m high), and at the end see the 3 steel blockade doors that lead to NK.

Pictures aren't allowed inside the tunnel, but this was an inspiring statue outside

There were several museums and stores that we stopped in, both to buy souvenirs and learn more about the history of events surrounding the DMZ. Of all the incidents that we read and heard about, the one that stood out the most to me was the 1976 Axe Murder incident. I won't go into detail about the event (read about it here) but the senselessness of it sticks with you.

Memorial to the soldiers killed during the 1976 Axe Murder Incident

The Bridge of No Return. This is where POWs are historically exchanged.

Dorasan is the last train station in SK before you reach NK. Prior to the violence and separation, the Korean railway system connected with other Eurasian railways, and you could take a train all the way from Busan to London. Thousands of miles of tracks stretching across 2 continents, and the only thing missing are the 4km from Dorasan-Panmun (NK).

 I bought a commemorative train ticket to Pyongyang

You might expect my biggest takeaway message from the DMZ would be one of fear, anger, or disgust for a history so heavy with lost lives. But honestly, the main emotions for me were sadness and hope. Sadness for the families ripped apart by war, over a (mostly) arbitrary line drawn in the ground, for the deaths of many brought about by the insanity of a few. But hope for reunification. There was a large segment of the museum dedicated to the history of reunification attempts, and I'll be honest: that's the only thing that made me cry all day. The video of broken families brought together again after decades of separation, of gymnasts so proud to compete in the Olympic games as one unified country, and students writing letters of hope for the future, that one day all of Korea can be united under one flag.

Now, every time my students tell me that they are Korean, and not South Korean, I can appreciate their conviction that much more.

Side note: My friend Roberta (you can see in some of the pics in this post) made a video about our trip. She included more pictures, some short video, and one of my favorite Korean songs. Check it out!