Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone
National borders are geographic boundaries that are established through agreements between states that control those areas. Some countries are naturally and historically bordered by rivers, waters, or mountain lines, and others are artificially divided by agreements. While most borders are open and unguarded, some are controlled, walled or fenced, such as the Berlin Wall during the Cold War period, US-Mexico borders to block illegal entries from Mexico, and the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, between North and South Korea, which was set as part of the armistice in 1953 to cease the deadly Korean War. The DMZ is a 250-kilometer long, four-kilometer long strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula. It is now the world’s most strictly controlled and militarized borders.
In the meantime, it is also a popular tourist spot, which is visited by over a million travelers a year. About 50 kilometers north-northwest of Seoul, there is the Joint Security Area, or JSA, where discussions between North and South Korea still take place in blue buildings that straddle the Military Demarcation Line. From the observatory, tourists from South Korean side can enjoy seeing distinctively different sides of the peninsula and feeling the tension between the two countries. For those need a little more fun, there is even a theme park nearby.
Interested? Then, book a flight to Seoul and join a private or group tour. You need to be guided to walk around there.
Enjoy reading and learn about this most divisive guarded border in the world.
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