Tour to DMZ and Panmunjoram

We went on a bus tour with the American Army up to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. It is an hour north to get there and only people from the United Nation Countries are allowed to visit Panmunjoram or the JSA (Joint Security Area) where both Koreas face off each day. South Korean Civillians are not allowed to visit the JSA.

The next pictures are taken at the JSA where we all held our breath.
This picture is taken inside the meeting room where the 2 Koreas will meet when they want to discuss policies. This is the north side of the table and technically in North Korea. Behind the door is the way out to the North side where all their soldiers are.

The top ROK Soldiers of the Korean Army are stationed at Panmunjoram and the JSA. They stand at Taekwondo Stances and wear sunglasses to hide their eyes.

Melisa on the north side of the table in North Korea. This guard was the scary one. He looked like a wax stature and our American UN Guide told us that he had worked with for years but still doesn't get too close to him on duty. If you try to cross in front of him and the UN Flag he would take you out. I was about to do this to see if it was true but we had to go.

This is Sergeant Reardon an American soldier in the UN Force. He was our guide in the DMZ and on the left is the room in the middle of the JSA where the line of tourists are going. This is the room in the pictures at the top.
We had to wait for the second group on the top step. We are directly across from the North Korean Administration Headquarters where a lone North Korean Soldier is. We are not allowed to point, wave or make any gestures at the North Koreans. There are security cameras all over the place and behind the dark glass of the North Korean building nobody knows how many soldiers are over there.

Here is the view of the grey North Korean Building and the South Korean ROK Soldiers.

The North Korean Soldier is hard to spot if you click on the photo it should enlarge and he is on the left side at the top of the stairs. Sergeant Reardon said with the right light they can see inside the dark glass and see binoculars and shapes of other soldiers. It is a real standoff and there is a North Korean guard house to the right of the picture out of shot where cameras were focused on us.

This is the North Korean Village nicknamed Propaganda Village by the South. The reason was they used to have loud speakers shouting messages of hate to the South. Nobody lives there but sometimes people come to do maintenance. Usually the North Korean flag can be seen flying but the day we went there was no wind.

The Bridge of No Return. At the end of the Korean War in 1953 the people from the POW Camps could choose what side to they wanted to live on North or South. Once they made their decision they couldn't go back to the other side. This is why it is called The Bridge of No Return.
Many families were separated after this and today they are still hoping for reunification of the 2 Koreas.

Guard House at The Bridge of No Return. We were not allowed off the bus as there was a North Korean Guard House on the other side of the bridge and the South didn't know how many soldiers were in there or what ammo they had.

This is the 3rd tunnel out of 4 tunnels that the South found on their side of the border. They were dug by North Korea in hopes of invading the South.
Dion outside the tunnel entrance. This was a no photo zone so we couldn't take any pictures going down into the tunnel and the tunnel itself.

Melisa after climbing back up out of the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel from the North.

Melisa and a ROK Soldier at Dorasan Station. This is the last train station in South Korea closest to the DMZ. It empty and quite eerie and had 2 armed guards that we could see.

The same soldier from the picture above.
This is the entrance to the train tracks that we were not allowed to go through.