We couldn’t spend more than 2 years in Korea without visiting the DMZ… actually hubby has been 3 times, but this was a first for me. We had to hurry to get it in because I was less than a month from giving birth and we couldn’t go after since you can’t bring young children.
We went on a USO tour through Koridoor Travel leaving from Camp Kim in Seoul. Although this is a USO tour, it is not restricted to military, we had many non-military people on our tour.
This tour started at the JSA (Joint Security Area) at Camp Bonifas in Panmumjeon about 50km north of Seoul. This is where the Armistice Agreement was signed July 27, 1953. There is an informative movie (it didn’t work the day we went, but the young soldier did his best to tell us what we needed to know). Then we filed outside where we were able to look into North Korea and were able to enter the conference room that borders North and South Korea for a quick step into North Korea.
This place is like no other on earth. Just looking into North Korea and seeing soldiers there, knowing the current state of affairs and the long history was very eye-opening.
After visiting the JSA we were taken to a few other notable nearby locations on Camp Bonifas including an overlook of the bridge of no return, and the location of the “ax murder” incident which happened in 1976. We ended at a small but very informative museum and gift shop.
We were unfortunately there on a very overcast day, so the opportunities we had to see into North Korea from some of the locations we visited was limited. Still a very unique experience.
The tour continued with the “DMZ Theatre”, another great opportunity to have a panoramic view into North Korea from a different location.
Then we visited “the third tunnel”, one of many tunnels that have been discovered being dug by North Koreans into South Korea (which the North denies).
Our tour of the tunnel began with a movie, in English and a stroll through a museum explaining the tunnels and what you would see. There are trams that travel to the tunnel and back to the surface, but our tour didn’t include that. So we donned our hard hats and started the walk down.
It’s a consistent sloped cement walkway all the way down, about 300 meters. There are seats to stop and rest and it’s wide enough that passing slower walkers is not an issue…. I was the slow walker you would be passing. Once you get down to the actual tunnel, it’s very narrow and quite low, barely more than 5 feet high for the duration (I know I’m 5 feet and could walk upright).
You’ll walk about 50 meters to the end of the tunnel, peek in, then start the journey back up. You would think going underground it would be cold, but it is the exact opposite. It could not have been hotter (and this was in January!) Leave your coats/sweaters in the lockers provided.
I want to tell you that walking all the way down there just to come all the way back us is not worth it, but I know that would only be my cranky pregnant self talking. I was not a happy camper walking all the way back out of that hot tunnel (hence no photos in the hard hat)… but cranky pregnant mood aside, if you are healthy and agile enough to make the journey down and up ~do it! It’s nothing that’s going to knock your socks off, but it’s a part of history you won’t see anywhere else.
The tour continues with a stop at a Korean restaurant. I brought my own lunch (picky pregnant eater), but hubby got their meal. Options were bulgogi with various side dishes or bibimbap. Not the best Korean you will eat in Korea, but both looked and smelled pretty good. There is a charge for lunch so bring food or bring Won.
Lastly we stopped at Dorasan Station, the last subway/train stop in South Korea going north. The hope is that once the Korea’s are reunited the rail line will run all the way north into China and beyond. I guess the train used to occasionally run into North Korea, but incidents caused that to cease. You can get a stamp from the station if you want a souvenir, it’s free. Walking out onto the tracks is a nominal fee.
Overall I thought this trip was very educational. I won’t say it was fun, going to these locations is very sobering and somber when you learn about the history and think about the current state of things. There really is nothing “fun” about it, but it is also a trip that, if you are in Korea and have the time, I highly recommend visiting here. Being at the JSA is like being nowhere else on earth.
The trip for us cost $40 since we were military, Civilians were $80 I believe. The trip was very well run, with a lot packed into a short amount of time. You leave by 7:30 and are back by 3:30 with enough time left in the day to see a few more sites and have a nice dinner. The tour guides spoke English well and spent much of the ride up there giving lots of background information about Korea, Seoul and the DMZ as well as fielding questions.
There were 3 separate opportunities to purchase many different kinds of souvenirs, including some wines and other things made in North Korea. Bring some cash or a credit card if that would be of interest to you.
I have attached a link to Koridoor Travel’s page about the tour. They offer many other tours in and around Seoul as well. Koridoor is certainly not the only company traveling to the DMZ/JSA, but they offer frequent trips there and they are who we used.
Please note that there is an age limit for this tour, I believe you have to be at least 12, but I’m not positive so check with them before booking. There is also a very strict dress code for this tour. The webpage should provide additional information on what you can and can’t wear. They are not joking, if you are not dressed correctly you will not be allowed into the JSA.
If you have a South Korean friend you would like to travel with, please check with the tour company. It is my understanding that South Koreans have additional restrictions on traveling to the JSA, so traveling with them may not be possible or may take much more additional planning.
There are also specific forms of identification that must be provided on the day of travel. Pay special attention to those requirements as well.
I will state here that you MUST be part of a tour to visit any of these locations. The JSA area and other locations on this tour are very strictly monitored and restricted. Although it may seem like a way you could save some money by not paying for a tour, you CANNOT just drive to there for a visit due to security concerns.
ї©ЗаБ¤єё > ї©ЗаБ¤єё > DMZ/JSA & 3rd Tunnel TOUR (Seoul)
When you pay with your credit card, the price will be fixed by KRW.M:48,000 won C:96,000 won(The price will be possibly changed according to the exchange rate of the day that you make a payment with your credit card.)M = Active Duty Military & Military DependentC = Civilian Please refer to the following notice: On your tour day, Please check your name with your PASSPORT or Military ID card in the USO Tour office @ 07:00. (Foreigner registration card is NOT acceptable. This is UNCMAC policy) 1. We (tour bus) leave promptly @ 7:30 am; a briefing at Ballinger Hall in Camp Bonifas – begins at 09:00.
via: www.koridoor.co.kr
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