When you are in Seoul, I do highly recommend EVERYONE visiting Panmunjeon which is around 2 hours journey from Seoul by tour bus. You need to engage a local tour and no personal tour is allowed. Its preferable one week in advance booking for necessary security clearance for this tour. After confirmed a place, I went to designated local tour at 6th floor Lotte Hotel, Seoul and there are more than 10 travel agencies organizing this tour. The tour package is around 50,000 - 100,000won depending on the tour package you selected. I paid 75,000won for this half- day tour. It will be great if you can visit this place during the weekdays as you may see North Korean soldiers performing their routine daily marching. Remember, you must carry your passport on the tour day. South Korean need to make at least 2 months arrangement in advance for this tour due to complicated procedures they need to adhere.
Strict dress code applies here. No jeans, sandals, shorts, miniskirt, revealing clothes are allowed else you will be rejected from the tour on that day. I was told by the tour guide, you need to wear good pair of walking shoes or any shoes that allows you to run fast in case of cease fire happen between the North and South Korea, this is serious. Just make sure wear smartly, even your hair; else the North Korean soldiers will secretly snap a photo of you and end up on the North Korea’s propaganda posters. When the tour guide gives some instructions, we must obey like no smoking at certain area, any photo snapping and etc, else you are risking the whole tour been cancelled due to your stubbornness.
Panmunjeom is located in a no-man's land called the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The road to Panmunjeon is the only remaining link between North and South Korea. Same like my previous DMZ tour, we stopped at Imjingak and waited for 30 minutes before we departed to Panmunjeon via a designated shutter bus.
While waiting at Imjingak, I walked to the South Korean checkpoint in the DMZ. I secretly snapped photo without being caught.
There’s also a bell pavilion nearby.
Half way on the journey, the bus stopped for lunch. A buffet lunch will be provided for this tour that serves a wide range of Korean and Western dishes. This is the opportunity for you to get a taste of Korean dishes like varieties of kimchi. The best dish will be the Bulgogi (a marinated barbecued beef or chicken) which will definitely suit visitor’s taste bud and it’s so tender and less fat.
One of the main highlight of Panmunjeon will be the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside Camp Bonifas. JSA is a hostile zone and you are required to sign a waiver of responsibility form saying the South Korea government is not responsible of any injuries or fatalities during the cease fire. No worry, the tour guide said nothing happen last year.
At Camp Bonifas, tourist will be transferred to a United Nation bus and accompanied by an English speaking sergeant as our tour guide. He will check on our passport and make sure our dress code is complied. An army jeep will be guiding the bus to JSA. Upon reaching at the JSA, the sergeant told us to line up in a line of two and follows him. Every soldier here is allowed to use his weapon in his own defense and in the defense of others without specific orders.
We went up the observation tower called Peace Pagoda which provides a bird eye view of the JSA.
At this point, we are under constant observation by the North Korean soldiers with high-powered binoculars, cameras and guns.
The main buildings in Panmunjeon are the three blue barracks or conference room, each with a door on North and South Korea side.
One of the observation posts belongs to North Korea.
Observation post belongs to South Korea.
The grey barrack is also belonging to North Korea, according to the tour guide.
Freedom Building, view from the Peace Pagoda. It’s built to host reunification meetings between families separated by the Korean War.
Soldier monitored us from doing anything crazy that will provoke the North Korean soldiers’ anger. Do not make any arm or hand gestures while in the presence of the North Korean soldiers. They consider almost anything as obscene gesture.
The conference rooms straddling the demarcation line where the South and North Korean soldiers glare at each other across the demarcation line and are not allowed to cross over it.
The sergeant also warned us not to touch anything in the room or talk to the North Korean soldiers.
Inside the room, we are allowed to take photo with the ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers.
The requirement to be the ROK soldiers, one must be 6-feet tall and owned a Taekwondo black belt. These soldiers have ball bearings in their pants. As the North Korean forces were much larger than the South Korean, when these soldiers marched, ball bearings would make it sound as if many more troops were approaching. They never smile and the way they stand as if they are going to hit you anytime with their grip fist.
By walking around the north side of the table inside the room, you are basically stepping on the North Korea land. The demarcation line, the smooth surface is belongs to North Korea, while the rough surface is belongs to South Korea. Yes, I finally on North Korea land, yippie.
Then the bus drove us to a observation post where we can see the nearest of North Korea.
Observation post of North Korea?
Another North Korea’s observation post
The village of kijong-dong on the North Korea side, the tall pole is the tallest flagpole in the world, at 160m.
Plaque commemorating the Armistice
Trees beyond the demarcation line. The tour guide jokingly said, one sweeper was so joyful as he/she had collected the leaves from the North Korea, haha.
Later we onboard the bus and there was a jeep with us, basically guarding us.
Memorial for the famous 1976 axe murder incident where two American officers were attacked and killed with axes by the North Korean soldiers in JSA.
On the way out of the Joint Security Area, the bus took us to the Bridge of No Return which leads to North Korea.
Then we stopped at a shop inside the JSA that sold sovenirs. The best souvenirs to get will be the key chains, t-shirts, plates to hang on the wall, postcards and shot glass of North Korea. I got myself a North Korea currency notes and shot glass. The shop even sells beer and liquors from North Korea.
It may not be an entertaining tour, but it’s an educational and life experience moment. Totally worth it!!!
