Today was an early start; we woke up and left at 9 am to catch our charter bus out of Seoul and to the edge of the country, to one of the only DMZ areas in the world. After about a two-hour drive, we arrived at Imjingak Nuri Peace Park, a place that represents hope for the union of the north and south, but is also overrun with consumerism and tourist-centered attractions, which, for me, really detracted from the experience. And just for clarification, I mean like a theme park and a Dunkin’ Donuts, two things that you would never expect to be at a DMZ.
After getting back on the bus, we officially crossed the South Korean blue demarcation line into the DMZ. Here we departed the bus and entered a location called the third tunnel, aptly named as it was the third tunnel found from North to South Korea, and was a possible invasion route that could have been used during the Korean War. Being inside of it was a surreal experience, not only because I had to bend over the entire time (it was clearly not designed for very tall people), but also because it just showed the extent of the conflict.
Later, we arrived at the part of the trip that definitely had the most hype leading up to it, and deservedly so, the viewing point into North Korea. It was an eye-opening experience, especially because it is one of the places I have heard of my entire adult life, mostly as a source of conflict and a place I would never have imagined visiting. Yet, I found myself only a few kilometers away. It felt odd looking through the binoculars into a trapped world and seeing people who will likely never leave their oppression. I honestly do not have the words to express just what being there was like.
On a different note, it was also very interesting to see the amount of military presence on the viewing deck and the strict no-photo policies that prevent people from taking pictures of the country. Honestly, I am not sure I fully understand their policies, but it seemed wrong to prevent photos of the border from being shared.
Some may think of North Korea as being underdeveloped, and in a larger sense, this may be true when it comes to things like power, internet, and cellular infrastructure. Still, looking in, it felt the same as South Korea on the other side of the deck, cities and large buildings of a similar style, just different flags and different governmental systems.
Another culture shock occurred later in the day, though this one was far less significant in the broader sense, namely baseball. Being very used to the sport in the US, I was shocked by many things. First, from the stadium perspective, you could bring in anything, bags, food, drinks, with no problem, and the in-stadium options were the same price as anywhere else in the city. Secondly, the people watching the game are less watching the game and more dancing while their team is at bat and smoking when their team is in the outfield.
Safe to say it was a day filled with a lot of newly gained perspectives and experiences that I will continue to think about for a long time to come.