Welcome to Korea!
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A word about our pictures!
In any picture taking opportunity, it is not unusual to see Koreans adding hand gestures to their pose. Formed by slightly overlapping the thumb and index finger into a heart shape, the gesture has become popular across Asia due to the popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas: the Korean Wave! But perhaps the most powerful – and surprising – supporter of the finger heart trend is none other than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the September 2018 inter-Korean summit, the Supreme Leader and South Korean government officials were photographed by international media on the top of Mount Paektu, making finger hearts for the world. Even President Joe Biden was seen making finger hearts during a recent visit of BTS to the White House! June 2022 |
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US/inspiration/travel/brief-history-korean-finger-hearts.html#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%2C%20a%20Korean,salt%20is%20flashing%20finger%20hearts.
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DMZ-JSA visit
The three year Korean War, or the 6-25 war, or the 'forgotten war' for many Americans, was the single most traumatic event in modern Korean history. It came to a halt in a truce 70 years ago after millions had been killed. A formal peace treaty has never been signed, leaving the Korean penisula still technically at war. Along a 155 mile long stretch known as the Demilitarized Zone (or DMZ), there exists soldiers ready to engage at a moments notice on both sides and a civilian population living in what remains of the unresolved conflict. Initially reunification was the goal, but achieving that goal seems no closer today. Families remain separated and the Cold War is far from over.
Our visit began with a unique privilege: visiting an area of the DMZ known as Arrowhead Hill- a strategically important hilltop position that changed hands several times in 1953. The South Korean government believes there are as many as 300 South Korean, American, and French soldiers unclaimed in the area, as well as a large number of North Korean and Chinese combattants. Greeted by a 2 star General, the Seoul Olympic mascot, and a few hundred MINE signs, traversing the mountain was no easy task after a rainy night. Actually a little scary. As a sign of respect, we took no pictures, and I have been troubled trying to even find the words to express our mood. I had imaged the DMZ as a flat empty land, clearly what remains of my WW I No Man's Land or Berlin Wall thinking. This is an area of lush greenery. Three species that are virtually extinct elsewhere in the world thrive here (a crane species, Chinese deer, and a type of bald eagle) since they need not worry about human encroachment. Years of social studies research and archaeology do not prepare you for the somber moment of uncovering a lost human soul. After a burial is discovered, forensic science comes in and identifies the nation of origin, and the remains are returned to the Veterans Associations of the various nations for further identification. It is an experience I can only compare to a visit to a concentration camp.
After a quiet trip back down the mountain we visited the JSA (Joint Security Area) is a shared space between North and South Korea. Here the two countries can coexist with the help of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC). The former village (Panmunjeom) sits just 60 kilometres northwest of Seoul and was initially called “Neolmun-ri.” The area is rectangular, with a size of 400×800 meters and is set up on the Military Demarcation Line, essentially making it neutral ground. It is here that the July 27, 1953 Armistice was signed and allows for both nations continue ongoing negotiations while still remaining in their own sovereign territory.
The red line indicates the division of territories within the JSA--you will notice North Korean territory is at the top of the red line and South Korean territory is below the line. The buildings in the center which are divided by the line mean that territorial sovereignty is shared.
The soldiers pictured stand in South Korean territoy facing Panmon Hall in North Korea. Since COVID, the border has not appeared to be actively manned by personnel but cameras and seemingly occupied windows were evident. |
The Armistice Agreement allowed for 2 villages to be established in the DMZ: Tae Sung Dong (TSD) and Freedom Village. Pictured in the distance is the North Korean Propaganda village (TSD) which has remained uninhabited. The flag battle wages--which flag flies higher? tags on symbolic importance!
Behind the House of Freedom there are a series of blue buildings that straddle the line of demarcation. Pictured is the Military Armistice Commission Conference Room, the building at the left of the guard picture above. First is a view from the South Korea side, next a historic picture of the Armistice signing July 27, 1953, and then the historic meeting of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jung Un at the historic 2018 historic Korean summit. Moon Jae-in was waiting at the line to greet kim Jung Un. The two leaders shook hands at the line, and then, in a symbolic move, Moon joined Kim on the northern side of the line before they crossed into the southern side together/ Final historic shot: I visit North Korea as does our entire group!
War remembered
Kimchi 1 and Kimchi 5
In December of 1950, the crew of the SS Meredith Victory, a modestly-sized Merchant Marine ship designed to carry at best 60 crew members, performed what the Guinness Book of World Records refers to as “the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship.” The crew of the “Ship of Miracles,” as it came to be known, evacuated 14,000 refugees fleeing from the onslaught of Chinese troops. The unlikely and amazing journey that began in Hungnam Harbor on December 23, and ended on December 26, when 14,000 refugees, and 5 babies born during the voyage, safely arrived on the island of Koje Do. Code named Kimchi 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, we were able to meet Kimchi 1 and Kimchi 5 as a part of our studies. (Wilson Center)
In December of 1950, the crew of the SS Meredith Victory, a modestly-sized Merchant Marine ship designed to carry at best 60 crew members, performed what the Guinness Book of World Records refers to as “the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship.” The crew of the “Ship of Miracles,” as it came to be known, evacuated 14,000 refugees fleeing from the onslaught of Chinese troops. The unlikely and amazing journey that began in Hungnam Harbor on December 23, and ended on December 26, when 14,000 refugees, and 5 babies born during the voyage, safely arrived on the island of Koje Do. Code named Kimchi 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, we were able to meet Kimchi 1 and Kimchi 5 as a part of our studies. (Wilson Center)
The heroic stories and efforts of the seamen on the Meredith Victory are memorialized in the Historic Park of the GEOJE POW Camp.
UN MemoriL Cemetary and IN Peace Memorial,
War Memorial of Korea
Museums
Dabudong Patriotic Peace Museum
Dabudong Patriotic Peace Museum
National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government