Courtesy Korea Tourism Organization
At the DMZ, it will certainly sink in that Korea is still one-step away from a drawn-out civil war.
Type:
Monuments & Historic Sites
Take a trip out to the Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ, where it will certainly sink in that Korea is still one-step away from a drawn-out civil war. In fact, it is the only divided country in the world. The border between North and South Korea, which cuts the Korean peninsula roughly in half, was established after the Korean War. Stretching for 2 kilometers on either side of this border, the DMZ has become a tourist hotspot, believe it or not.
As one of the last relics of the Cold War, the attraction—the most heavily fortified border in the world—is surprisingly safe, as hostilities taking place here are extremely rare. Various organizations offer DMZ guided tours, and though itineraries differ, most include a bird’s eye view from an observatory, a peek at one of North Korea’s infiltration tunnels, a stroll through a military base and a sortie right into Panmunjeon, the Joint Security Area where negotiations between the two sides are held.