My 2 Minutes in North Korea

I've always been morbidly interested in North Korea.  Just the idea that a nation like that can exist in our modern world is amazing.  Anyway, the main purpose I fit in a stop in Seoul on my way to Hong Kong and beyond was to visit the DMZ.  You can go there for about $75 -- you just need to send in a copy of your passport a few days in advance for "approval."

So today was my day to visit North Korea, however briefly.  I purchased my tour from tourdmz.com.  Of about 40 people, I was the only American.  Most Americans probably take a tour sponsored by the USO.  Anyway, after a visit to the War Memorial of Korea in downtown Seoul, we drove north.  Eventually, the heavy traffic of Seoul thins out as you leave the city, until you realize you're on a eight-lane expressway (4 lanes in each direction) with hardly any traffic at all.  At that point, you can start imagining what such a wide road could potentially be used for, though if you're optimistic, I suppose some day the Koreans will need a nice expressway between Pyongyang and Seoul, and now they're about half-way there (signs along the road even tell you how many kilometers it is to Pyongyang).

Facing north.
The boundary line bisects these blue buildings.

Once we reached the Joint Security Area, at two separate checkpoints, S. Korean soldiers boarded the bus and checked our passports against the approved guest list.  After a 15 minute briefing on the history of the DMZ and various violent incidents that have occurred over the years, we were brought outside of the U.N. Security Forces' building to face the North Korean side.  We were repeatedly told not to point at the North Koreans, and not to take any pictures of South Korean military positions.  Next, we were brought into one of the little blue buildings where any talks between the two countries take place.  Half of the building is in South Korea and half in North Korea and by crossing to the other side of the room, you're able to enter North Korea without a visa.  Just don't walk out the door on the other side, because you won't be coming back (not that the imposing South Korean soldiers in the room, such as my friend here, would ever let you out anyway).

Standing on the northern side with a southern officer,
but don't go out that door!

One of the most confounding problems of our time is what to do about North Korea.  The Korean Armistice that ceased overt hostilities was signed in 1953.  With each passing year, it's harder to imagine how reunification can happen in our lifetimes.  At the very least, it would require the Chinese to withdraw their support for the Kim dynasty, and while they clearly find the Kims exasperating, there's no evidence they want to deal with the unknown consequences of what could happen next.  In the meantime, the tragic stalemate continues.