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How to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

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How to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone

Kate Springer, CNN
Published 4th May 2018



(CNN) — All eyes are on the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) right now, where South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in April and vowed to bring peace to the peninsula.

Even the US President could be on his way there. A source told CNN in May that Kim Jong Un has agreed to meet President Trump at the DMZ, a no-man's land about 30 miles north of Seoul that was established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement.

Dividing the peninsula like a scar, the 160-mile-long treaty zone isn't just a strategic political meeting place -- it's also a tourist magnet.

It may be one of the world's most heavily militarized borders, but the DMZ welcomes more than 1.2 million travelers each year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

CNN Travel explains how to visit the DMZ, what you should know before going and the likely fate of the zone should South Korea and North Korea finally broker a formal peace.

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Get your bearings


DMZ, South Korea, Panmunjom
South Korean soldiers stand guard at the border village of Panmunjom.
Carl Court/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

When imagining the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ, the first image that comes to mind is often the Joint Security Area (JSA), also known as the Panmunjom truce area. It's easily identifiable by the vibrant blue Military Armistice Commission Conference Room, which straddles the Military Demarcation Line.

Surprisingly quiet, the JSA has been called "haunting" and "unsettling" due in part to barbed wire fences and steely military personnel.

Bill Clinton, who visited in 1993, famously called it the "scariest place on earth."

"Panmunjom is the most-visited part of the DMZ, from both sides," says Simon Cockerell, managing director of Koryo Tours, which organizes independent travel to North Korea.
"This is where you can see the front line up close, and even cross it within (the conference room)."

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“It can be confusing to go to the 'front line' and find all things calm, despite the rhetoric”
Simon Cockerell, Koryo Tours

But that's just one part of the DMZ experience.

In South Korea, the atmosphere varies widely from site to site, from quiet deference at JSA to the bustling Dora Observatory.

There is even a theme park built in Imjingak Nuri Peace Park, just outside the DMZ on the South Korea side, which may feel at odds with the area's somber history.

"While there's tension there all the time, it's not the case to say that it is on a knife edge or anything like that," says Cockerel. "After all, it has been in its current state for decades.

"It can be confusing to go to the 'front line' and find all things calm, despite the rhetoric."

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How to visit


DMZ, South Korea, Panmunjom
A view from the Dora Observatory.
Carl Court/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

On both sides of the DMZ, travelers must book a guided private or group tour with an official operator, such as Koryo Tours in the North, or Viator in the South.

In North Korea, there are two major points of interest within the DMZ: Panmunjom and the Concrete Wall observation post, which overlooks the South Korean anti-tank barrier on the southern end of the treaty zone.

In contrast, the South Korean side of the DMZ, and the surrounding area, encompasses several parks, observation towers and museums -- plus a plethora of tour itineraries.

US travelers have been banned from visiting North Korea since September 1, 2017, so access via the South is the only option. Most first-time visitors choose a combined DMZ and JSA tour by way of Seoul.

The itinerary usually takes travelers to unfinished infiltration tunnels (said to be built by the North), the barricaded Freedom Bridge (used to return prisoners at the end of the war), Nuri Peace Park, the Dora Observatory and the Mount Odu Observatory.

Also known as Unification Hill, the Mount Odu Observatory is a highlight, providing voyeuristic travelers with binoculars and 360-degree views across the peninsula.

From this perch, you'll see the modern cities and cars of South Korea in one direction, juxtaposed with marshy landscapes up north. While largely desolate, you might spot a glimpse of graceful white cranes, eagles, bears, goats or deer.

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Unexpected experiences

Some tours also provide the chance to speak -- or go hiking -- with North Korean defectors to better understand what life is like across the border.

"There are some farmers living within the DMZ on the North side," says Cockerell. "By and large, North Korean lives are very difficult."

Even though you're tethered to a guide, the broader DMZ experience can pack in a few surprises, from the unexpected wildlife to a contemporary art museum, a three-hole golf course and the off-chance celebrity sighting.

And if you would like to see a few aspects of the zone sans tour guide, you can visit the powerful DMZ Museum or Unification Tower -- both of which are open to independent travelers on the South.

"I have been to the DMZ over 169 times and I have many great memories from this area," says Cockerell.

"The strangest thing that ever happened was when Dennis Rodman sang 'Happy Birthday' to Kim Jong Un in 2014. That was unexpected and very unusual!"

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