North Koreaby | 13-04-2013 19:19 |
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  Hi, apart from my monthly articles, I wanted to share some photos of how DANGEROUS the DMZ is actually is. Sometimes, astonished by the beauty of DMZ, I forget that I am in the border, a place where the North and the South are confronting each other. The DMZ has been important in a ecological sense, but also a political hot potato for the past 50 years. We must bear in mind the political significance it has. The DMZ is only few kilometers away from North Korea which has recently became extremely aggressive. North Korea invalidated the cease-fire treaty which means that it can invade South Korea whenever it wants to. Also, it is developing nuclear weapons, seeking for chances to attack the US. I could really experience the tensions building up because the process of entering the DMZ is now longer and more complicated. There are extra documents we have to prepare and we must report to the military a week before we go inside. The first picture is a sign that is warning the residents and travelers of landmines that were installed in this area during the Korean War. Although the government has destroyed many of the mines, some are still buried deep inside the forests. Unfortunately, some residents who went out to gather some spring herbs and stepped on the mine and were injured. Even when I am walking around the DMZ, I could see red signs behind barbed wires with the letter LANDMINE. The second picture is a road that directly heads to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It has been closed down due to the tensions between the north and the south. This was a channel which the North and the South communicated. I am worried about North Korea's attacks and threats, but I am also worried this might signify the end of North and the South's interaction.. |
