DMZ 4
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One of the rules was that we weren't allowed to stop (or make gestures) while going
from one building to another. So this picture had to be taken while walking and without
making any extraneous movements. Our group was moving from the main UN building to
the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) building, which is the middle building of the
5 that straddle the MDL. Up to this point, our guides had been 2 civilians (one English
interpreter and one Japanese interpreter), and one US Marine. As we came out of Freedom
House and crossed towards the MAC, a dozen-ish South Korean MPs materialized with a couple
additional marines, some joining the group, some taking positions.
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These guys apparently have body army on under their shirts. This position, half-hidden
by the building makes them a more difficult sniper target.
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The actual MDL. Just steps away from North Korea.
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Bosco, doing his best Lenin during yet another briefing upon
entering the MAC.
It's at this point when we're in the South Korean end of the MAC conference room. We are reminded not to fiddle with anything on the North Korean side once we're escorted across the room. Not much to fiddle with today, but since this room is used fairly frequently for meetings, there are often conference related furniture and/or electronics about. top bottom |
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The table that sits on the MDL. The table where the 1953 cease-fire
was negotiated. The MP at the end of the table watches and guards the
table. The japanese interpreter forgot to translate the instruction
that no-one was allowed to pass between the MP and the table and an
elderly japanese man got the shock of his life when the MP struck a
more aggressive Tae Kwon Do stance and started shouting at him in
Korean. A very tense moment until the interpreter sorting things out.
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With MP escort in North Korean end of MAC conference room. The guy
almost cracked a smile when I made a big deal about putting on the
sunglasses before having my picture taken.
So I guess that's the big moment of the JSA trip, stepping a few paces into North Korea. There's apparently another DMZ trip that's possible where they take you into one of the "infiltration tunnels " the North Koreans were digging under the DMZ during the 70s. The idea being that they could send an army under US/UN positions and take Seoul unimpeded. That wacky Kim Il-Sung... top bottom |
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