DMZ Trip Day 1

So our day started at 7 am with the tour bus picking us up in Seoul. We then headed northwest to Gangwon province. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to reach the Korean War museum, so we stopped at a rest stop. It was really chilly and it rained on and off all day.

After our short break, we were on our way to the DMZ/Korean War Museum. It's very small, but has some interesting things to see there. As soon as you pull up, the first thing you see are real tanks, airplanes, and weaponry that were used during the war. 

Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood equivalent in Korea

After the museum, we headed to the 2nd Tunnel that spans the DMZ. The 2nd Tunnel (so named because it was the second one found by people in the South), was made by North Koreans to invade South Korea. It was discovered on March 19th, 1975. This tunnel is 3.5km long and sits 50~160 meters below the surface. It can accommodate up to thirty thousand people and is large enough for tanks to pass through. 
We walked about 1.5 kilometers through the tunnel until we came to a padlocked gate and two CCTV cameras. One faced us toward South Korea and the other faced toward North Korea.When you stand at that spot, (if I remember correctly) you're 2 km away from the North Korean border.
When I was taking these pictures, I took pictures of things that I shouldn't have (like the road and the mountainside). One of the soldiers asked to look through my pictures and had me erase the ones he thought were questionable to national security.

I forget who this shrine was erected for, but I imagine it is dedicated to the soldiers

Next, we headed to the Unification Observatory. The observatory overlooks the Iron Triangle Battlefield. It is the area that connects Gimhwa, Pyeonggang and Cheorwon. This area had the highest number of casualties during the Korean War, especially in the Baekmagoji and Oseongsan battles. The Iron Triangle Battlefield was the headquarters and frontline of the North Korean Army. This area had the unique natural advantage of being a difficult target for Allied forces to attack, so remained an easy area for North Koreans to defend.

We arrived at the entrance and walked for about 10 minutes up a very steep hill in order to reach the observatory.

For some reason, there wasn't a guard there to restrict photography, so these are ILLEGAL photos.

Introduction video at the observatory

The DMZ is 4 km wide, with guard posts and barbed wire fences barricading that strip of land. At night, if the South Korean soldiers come across someone, they ask for their name 3 times. If no response is given, they're assumed to be a North Korean spy and shot on sight. We were told that North Korea actively tries to invade the South and there are also plenty of defectors from the North.

I think this museum exhibit was at the observatory as well, but I'm not positive.

Example of 2nd DMZ Tunnel

Difference in electricity usage at night

Woljeongri Station (Cheorui Samgakji Observatory) is the last stop before reaching the DMZ. With the sign “The iron horse wants to run,” there are remains of a train that used to make frequent trips to North Korea. It is located at the spot where the fiercest battle was held during the Korean War, this train marks the partition line of the Korean peninsula.

"Iron Horse wants to run"

The Labor Party Building, a three-story building located at Cheorwon-eup, was constructed in 1946 and used as The House of the Labor Party until the break of the Korean War on June 25, 1950. Only trusted North Korean communists worked there to interrogate, torture, and kill. Many people who were here during the South Korean anti-communist movement were later tortured and killed, as well. Behind the building lies remains of people, bullets and iron chains can still be found even to this day. You can tell that the building's been under fire-- it's loaded with holes from bullets and mortar shells.

Recently, there is a lot of information coming to light about massacres and political executions on the part of the South Koreans as well. Discoveries in 2008 in Daejon, South Korea (among other sites) of trenches containing executed children, leftists civilians and communist sympathizers have opened a chapter of South Korean history unknown to most South Korean civilians. South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented testimonies of those still alive and who took part in the executions, including former Daejon prison guard Lee Joon-young. Reports were also released in various articles that General Douglas MacArthur called the executions "an internal South Korean matter" at that time.

So, after a full day of sightseeing, we headed to our accommodation. We ate spicy pork for dinner, had a bonfire, toasted marshmallows, drank, and watched Taegukgi. A tragic, bloody 2 1/2 hour movie portrayl of the Korean war. If you have a chance, you should see it. ^^ 
Then, we all got ready for bed. Our floor looked like a sea of futons.