It might very well be the strangest place on Earth. To even contemplate the Demilitarized Zone of the Korean peninsula without having seen it firsthand is impossible. Yet, I will try to explain.
There are are two main perspectives of appreciation when talking about the four-kilometer stretch of land that divides South Korea, an ever-burgeoning capitalistic nation, from North Korea, what we believe to be an oppressed and oblivious nation.
The first is from the governmental perspective. Even on a calm day, the mood is tense. When walking upon the South Korean side, it's easy to see the anxiety that has come with more than 50 years of deception by the North. The barbed-wire fence which undoubtedly stretches the width of the peninsula is constantly watched.
Their ability to detect intruders is not just visual, however.
At Imjingak Park, a famous landmark bordering the Demilitarized Zone, scattered throughout the fences are different types of stones each with a different ability to recognize intruders. Checking them is a part of the mandatory patrol which is done a at least few times daily. And with the amount of run-ins over the years, it’s an important one.
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| The bridge with the white cover is the Bridge of Freedom. |
Looking across the Bridge of Freedom, the point where South Korean soldiers were returned to their country after the war, the eeriness grows.
Through binoculars, the sight across the river is that of North Korean soldiers. They stand attentively yet still, like men who have more on the line than we can know.
The second and more evident perspective visible at Imjingak Park is that of citizens.
For at Imjingak, if you aren't a foreigner, there is a good chance you are paying respects to the family you lost. Not necessarily to death, but to the separation of a people broken in half by imperialistic manipulation.
Thus, many families were split on July 27, 1953. On that day a ceasefire went into effect between the two factions.
Imjingak is one place where family members can come to bow to their loved ones. As part of the reclusiveness that binds North Korean people to their leader's will, they are not allowed contact with the outside world, including loved ones.
