22nd Sep – Infiltration Tunnel & Dora Observatory

Infiltration tunnel in Korea

Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and the Dora Observatory

This week (yesterday in fact), I actually made it to ‘No man’s land’ between North and South Korea; somewhere I had planned to visit a few weeks ago. After sitting on a tour bus through the heavily land mined areas leading to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), we arrived at an area about 4km wide between the communist North and the democratic South.

From the Dora Observation area (Dora Observatory), you can see a small village, which the North built, knowing that people in South Korea are looking over to get a glimpse. No people are ever visible in the village and all of the lights to the small village flick on together and at the same time every day, according to our guide. It is a fake village of three tower blocks made by the North Koreans for show. (Update: Both sides agreed to stop propaganda and as part of this agreement, North Korea has agreed to dismantle this village. In August 2012 these talks are were continuing).

As part of the tour we went inside the ‘3rd infiltration tunnel’; a tunnel which was discovered in 1978 and is one of four which was found. These tunnels which the North Koreans had built in preparation for war, would have enabled the North Korean army to get into South Korea only thirty miles from Seoul and thirty thousand armed soldiers an hour, would have been able to move through the tunnel it is believed.

The tunnels were discovered when a North Korean defector told the South Koreans about the tunnels. To find the exact location of the tunnels from above the ground, the South Koreans dug dozens of holes in the soil and filled the holes with water. When the North Koreans set off dynamite in the 3rd tunnel to break up the rocks underground, the explosion caused the water in the hole to explode into the air. Strange but true, according to the plaque in the 3rd tunnel. Note: All 4 tunnels exit strategically to provide good attacking positions relatively near to Seoul.

The tunnels are now closed in the middle of course. I walked a distance into the 3rd tunnel, until the barbed wire and a steel door blocked my way. We all had to turn back there, as that’s as far as you can go. I should tell you some basic and interesting points about North and South Korea.

  1. 1910 is the last time that Korea was one country. Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and ruled the country for close to 30 years.
  2. Korea finally became liberated by the United Nations in 1945 as a result of the end of the WW2.
  3. Russia, USA, Britain and China could not agree on who would control Korea, a few years later (about 1950). As a result, Russia took control of what we now know as North Korea and USA took control of what is now known as South Korea.
  4. North and South Korea fought a war in 1950 –53 (the Korean war). In 1953 they signed an armistice (truce) but not a treaty, thus officially they are still at war. Only last week though, the 2 countries agreed to rebuild the railway linking the 2 countries.

We are now planning to take a tour in a few months time of North Korea. It is possible to go there from one of the South Korean Islands. You can go there for about 5 days on a controlled tour. That is enough for this week. Be good, Paul.

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