One thing that is not apparent when you come to Seoul is the fact that South Korea is, at least technically, a country still at war. There are a few bunkers visible in Seoul, sometimes choppers will erupt above your head, you will get across armed vehicles every once in a while, but overall it is hard to feel any sort of insecurity or anxiety associated with a conflict situation.

But a trip to the demilitarized zone is an stark reminder that the two Koreas are fighting since 1950. This zone is the effective border between the north and the south. Both countries are separated by a 3km strip occupied by UN forces.

I went there today, and it was an incredible mix of contradictory things. I saw soldiers and tourists, mines and merry go rounds, watchtowers and souvenir shops, free and restricted areas. The DMZ is a place where tragedy and prosperity cohabit, and it can’t leave anybody indifferent

South Korea is already preparing actively for an hypothetic reunification, having built a railway station (strangely empty and boasting “Trains to Pyeongyang” signs) and a highway to connect to the north.

This country fascinates me a bit more everyday. That’s a good thing, it seems I will have to come back here quite often in the coming months.

For more pictures click here.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 4:06 pm and is filed under travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.