"Please do not wave at North Korea"

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"Please do not wave at North Korea"

The part-circus/part-most-dangerous-place-on-the-planet-that-you-can-visit that is the Joint Security Area within the DMZ on the border between North and South Korea.

The blue buildings in the foreground are UN operated and lie across the official border between the two countries, the southern end being in South Korea, the northern end in North Korea. The building on the left is the MAC Conference Room where delegates from North and South hold negotiations whenever they meet. You can usually go into this building on the tour but we couldn't as it was being renovated. The eagle-eyed amongst you may spot two men in blue helmets painting the roof of the building on the far left. Even the most dangerous place on earth needs a lick of paint every now and then.

The building in the background is Panmon Hall in North Korea, built in 1969. Directly behind us is a building that faces Panmon Hall built by the South Koreans and called Freedom House, which was built in 1998. The North Koreans then added the top level to Panmon Hall after Freedom House was built so that it would be the taller of the two buildings.

Outside of Panmon Hall stands one solitary North Korean guard. We were told by our US Army guide that inside there will be other guards taking photos of us and he told us to take as many photos of them as we liked in return. We were also told not to wave at North Korea, mainly to avoid any kind of diplomatic scene but also because they won't wave back.

The guards in the foreground are South Korean soldiers standing in their traditional taekwondo pose that they do in two hour shifts. The two that are partially hidden by the buildings do this in order to motion discreetly towards their colleagues if needed and to be less of a target if it did suddenly kick off. The guy in the middle seems to be a bit buggered.

Prior to the axe murder incident in 1976 the whole of the Joint Security Area was essentially neutral and guards from both sides were free to roam on either side of the border that dissects this area. Since then the border has been reinforced and members from both armies have to stick to their side of the fence.

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Taken on: November 2, 2012
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Sets appears in:   • -South Korea-   
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