Marking one week since our arrival, we got up bright and early to travel to the DMZ or demilitarized zone at the border between North and South Korea. Due to the many events happening in the area and the large attraction of tourists, we had to kill a few hours before our bus could take us to the third tunnel, the start of our tour. During this time, we learned more about the history of the significance of the 38th parallel and the Korean War. One of the gift shops by the old locomotive and tracks even sold North Korean currency.

The third tunnel or also known as the “Third Tunnel of Aggression” was one of the four tunnels discovered post-Korean War that North Korea had dug up to use to invade South Korea. These tunnels could fit over 30,000 men per hour to travel within. Navigating through the tunnel was not an easy task. First, we went down a steep path to reach another section that had a lot shorter of a height. Most of us had to duck for the second section of the tunnel. We then hiked back up and traveled to the Dora Observatory, where we were able to see across the DMZ and into North Korean territory.

This was such a surreal experience. It still is insane to me that there is a whole other society and world out there that is so unknown. Looking through the binoculars on the top of the observatory was insane, especially seeing a better view of the “city” around North Korea and the flag. The lack of peace between both countries is so sad and scary to see. Getting to see this divide with my own eyes was even more intense as it is so much different than hearing about it.

While this was our only thing on the agenda today, it was still such an impactful visit and an overall exciting experience that I will be sure to remember.