I went to a city named Paju on two occasions. Paju is about 30-40 minutes’ drive from Seoul.
One way to look at Paju is through the landmarks which bear witness to the North/South Korea relationship through the last 60 years. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Joint Security Area (JSA), Mount Dora on which North Korean territory and Kaesong City can be seen, Road of Freedom, Third Infiltration Tunnel, Dorasan Station, Unification Village etc. are all in Paju.
Another way, which is how the city government is positioning Paju, is to see it as the Land of Hope and City of Peace. Although Dorasan station, the northernmost train station of South Korea and a symbol of the north-south Korean reconciliation, is still not operational, it spells hope. Paju is also gaining a reputation for being an environmentally-friendly city with educational facilities, culture and arts.
My two visits to Paju offer glimpses into both aspects of this city.
The first trip was made with the United Services Office (USO)’s tour to the DMZ, JSA, Third Tunnel, Dorasan Station and Observatory. Travel within the DMZ is possible only in UN vehicles, visitors will be transferred to a UN bus at Camp Bonifas, accompanied by a member of the U.S. Army who will serve as a tour guide in the JSA, therefore visits must be arranged in advance as part of an organized tour.
Like my visit to the Eastern bloc countries before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, I am always intrigued by places where tension can be felt, places which are shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Visits to these places always make me very grateful for the freedom that I enjoy, and often a reminder to exercise self restraint on my words and behavior.
When booking the trip, security check on the visitor will be made. Once accepted on the tour, grim warning and strict rules on dress code, behavior and photography are emphasized repeatedly. Tours do get suspended at short notice if tensions flare up, as is the case in the aftermath of Cheonan sinking in May, so I was lucky to be there in April.
It was a very cold morning when we left Camp Kim in Seoul for Camp Bonifas. The 60 odd kilometers journey towards Panmunjeom is a sight in itself. The 12-lane Freedom Road becomes eerily empty as we approach the border.
Camp Bonifas is located at the southern entrance to the DMZ. This is the US/South Korean military base standing "In Front of Them All" should an attack come. We were briefed here, and then each was asked to sign a paper where we agree to accept responsibility for "injury or death as a direct result of enemy action" within the DMZ/JSA. When the tour ended in Dorasan station, we had the satisfaction of putting a commemorative stamp on our paper to celebrate our sojourn into the DMZ/JSA.
We left our tour bus for the UN bus at Camp Bonifas. We had to leave our back packs, hand bags and the like on our tour bus. Our passports were checked by the army personnel. Within the JSA, we are not to hold anything in our hands, not even a camera bag. We must stay together with the group and follow the tour leader's instructions at all times. We are not to point, wave or gesture. We have to walk in two lines when in sight of the North Korean side. We are constantly told where we can and cannot take photographs, along which line we cannot cross else we will be man-handled.....This is stricter than school days, so grim. Maybe it is this sense that we have to be extremely careful and the unusually cold weather, our group was very quiet. I felt as if I have to hold my breath.
Finally we were at that famous or infamous blue building where inter-Korea dialogue and military armistice conferences are held. Just a strip of concrete on the floor to mark the two sides. Inside the room, demarcation line runs across the floor and table. Only in this room can we technically “crossed” safely into North Korea territory, as long as we do not exit on that side. The ROK soldier standing at the exit will ensure that.
Although the truce that ended hostilities were signed here, peace was never agreed to. Technically, no military activity is allowed in the DMZ, but both sides of this 4-kilometer strip of land separating the Koreas are the most heavily armed in the world.
I have little recollection of the places we drove past within the JSA – Freedom House, Bridge of No Return, Checkpoint 3 or 4....they can be re-visited on the internet. I remember powerful binoculars from the silver buildings and North Korean soldiers in the distance watching our every movement. I remember what came to my mind: Why are Koreans on guard against each other? Do they want to be united? How many people passed in regret that they never saw their kith and kin again? For how long more do they have to live like this? I am no authority on this subject and I do not have the answers. It was a depressing feeling.
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