Korea

On Friday, June 16^th we flew on a Navy transport plane from Atsugi to the Air Force base in Osan. The first thing I really noticed about Korea was from when we were on final approach to the base. Surrounding the airfield are anti-aircraft batteries, missile batteries and troop emplacements. Just as we were heading to the Officers quarters a U-2 spy plane took off undoubtedly for some secret squirrel mission over some hostile territory. It really drives home the thought that this is a nation poised for war at any moment. Penetrating the hovering air of invasion was our lunch at the Chili’s on base. It was like walking through a wormhole and finding yourself somewhere in Southern California. We spent the remainder of the day in the town outside the base shopping (you can get some great deals on custom clothes, handmade shoes and whatnot there).

The next morning (Saturday the 17^th) we traveled by bus to Seoul to meet our tour group at the USO. The group was a mixture of American military personnel, a few American tourists, some Dutch tourists, a couple of Canadians and some other assorted nationalities that I can’t remember. At the beginning of the trip the tour guide is responsible for checking everyone’s nationality because Koreans are not allowed in the DMZ. Even our tour guides weren’t allowed to stay with us the entire time and during those periods we were escorted by American soldiers.

It was an hour and fifteen minute bus ride to our first stop which was the Dorasan Train Station. On the way there you pass a river on one side. The DMZ traverses the river in several spots. Due to this the banks of the river are heavily guarded and blocked with serious barbed wire fences. The heavy fortifications are to prevent North Korean spies from swimming down the river into South Korea, which has apparently been attempted and thwarted numerous times (and probably succeeded many more). The closer you get to the DMZ the faster buildings make way for rice paddies and other farm areas. There are a few business that take advantage of the sparsely populated (and I’m sure low rent) area for sprawling industrial areas and the Korean Soccer team’s training facility is out that way but I guess the tradeoff is being located in what is thought to be the primary battlefield in the event of further hostilities.

Before you reach the Dorasan Train Station you have to cross the “Freedom Bridge”. This heavily fortified bridge controls the only access road into the DMZ area. Security is extremely tight and everyone has their ID’s checked by Korean soldiers who man one of several checkpoints along the bridge. This entire time I can’t help but feel this is what the border areas between East and West Germany must have been like during the height of the Cold War; checkpoints, barbed wire fences and stern-faced guards continuously asking for your papers. After the bus is given the once over by the sentries we continue to Dorasan Station.