The
Korean Demilitarized Zone (
Korean: 한반도 비무장지대) is a strip of land running across the
Korean Peninsula that serves as a
buffer zone between
North and
South Korea. The
DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the
38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. It is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long,
[1] approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) wide and is the most heavily militarized border in the world.
[2][3] The
Northern Limit Line, or NLL, is the de facto
maritime boundary between North and South Korea in the
Yellow Sea and the coastline and islands on both sides of the NLL are also heavily militarized.
[4]
History
Main article:
Division of Korea
The
38th parallel north—which cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half—was the original boundary between the
US-occupied and
Soviet-occupied areas of Korea at the end of
World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, informally North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South Korea) in 1948, it became a
de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the
Cold War.
Both the North and the South remained heavily dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the
Korean War. The conflict, which claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on June 25, 1950, with a Soviet-sponsored DPRK invasion across the 38th parallel, and ended in 1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th parallel. In the
Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed to move their troops back 2,000 m (2,200 yards) from the front line, creating a buffer zone 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. The
Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed.
Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL. Sporadic outbreaks of violence due to North Korean hostilities killed over 500 South Korean soldiers and 50 U.S. soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999.
[5]
Tae Sung Dong and
Kijong-dong were the only villages allowed by the armistice committee to remain within the boundaries of the DMZ.
[6] Residents of Tae Sung Dong are governed and protected by the United Nations Command and are generally required to spend at least 240 nights per year in the village to maintain their residency.
[6] In 2008, the village had a population of 218 people.
[6] The villagers of Tae Sung Dong are direct descendants of people who owned the land before the 1950-53 Korean War.
[7]
Incidents and Incursions
A portion of the North Korean DMZ seen from the
Joint Security Area in January 1976
Since demarcation, the DMZ has had numerous cases of incidents and incursions by the North Koreans, although the North Korean government never acknowledges direct responsibility for any of these incidents.
[8] These include:
- October 1966 - October 1969: Korean DMZ Conflict (1966-1969), a series of skirmishes along the DMZ results in 43 U.S., 299 South Korean and 397 North Korean soldiers killed[9]
- 17 January 1968: 31 North Korean commandos crossed the border disguised as South Korean soldiers in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung Hee at the Blue House. The failed mission resulted in 29 commandos killed (one committed suicide) and the other two captured. Two South Korean policemen and five civilians were killed by the commandos. Other reports indicated as many as 68 South Koreans killed and 66 wounded, including about 24 civilians. Three Americans were killed and another three wounded in an attempt to prevent the commandos from escaping back via the DMZ.[10]
- October 1968: 130 North Korean commandos entered the Ulchin and Samcheok areas in Gangwon-do. Eventually 110 of them were killed, 7 were captured and 13 escaped.
- March 1969: Six North Korean infiltrators crossed the border near Chumunjin, Gangwon-do and killed a South Korean policeman on guard duty.
- April 1970: Three North Korean infiltrators were killed and five South Korean soldiers wounded at an encounter in Kumchon, Gyeonggi-do.
- 20 November 1974: The first of what would be a series of North Korean infiltration tunnels under the DMZ was discovered. The joint ROK-U.S. investigation team tripped a North Korean booby-trap killing one American and wounding 6 others.
Operation Paul Bunyan, to remove a tree in front of the
Bridge of No Return, takes place following the
Axe Murder Incident
in August 1976.
- March 1975: The second North Korean infiltration tunnel was discovered.
- June 1976: Three North Korean infiltrators and six South Korean soldiers were killed in the eastern sector south of the DMZ. Another six South Korean soldiers were injured.
- 18 August 1976: The Axe Murder Incident results in the death of two U.S. soldiers and injuries to another four U.S. soldiers and five South Korean soldiers. The incident may not be technically considered an "infiltration" however, as it took place in a neutral zone of the Joint Security Area.
- 14 July 1977: American CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down after straying into the north over the DMZ. Three airmen are killed and one is briefly held prisoner (This is the sixth such incident since the Armistice was signed.)[11]
- October 1978: The third North Korean infiltration tunnel was discovered.
- October 1979: Three North Korean agents attempting to infiltrate the eastern sector of the DMZ were intercepted, killing one of the agents.
- 6 December 1979: US patrol in the DMZ accidentally crosses the MDL into a North Korean minefield. One US soldier is killed and four are injured.[12]
- March 1980: Three North Korean infiltrators were killed attempting to enter the south across the estuary of the Han River.
- March 1981: Three North Korean infiltrators spotted at Kumhwa, Gangwon-do, one was killed.
- July 1981: Three North Korean infiltrators were killed in the upper stream of Imjin River.
- May 1982: Two North Korean infiltrators were spotted on the east coast, one was killed.
- March 1990: The fourth North Korean infiltration tunnel was discovered, in what may be a total of 17 tunnels in all.
- May 1992: Three North Korean infiltrators dressed in South Korean uniforms were killed at Cheorwon, Gangwon-do. Three South Koreans were also wounded.
- December 17, 1994: American OH-58A+ helicopter crosses 10 km into North Korean territory and is shot down.[12]
- October 1995: Two North Korean infiltrators were intercepted at Imjin River. One was killed, the other escaped.
- April 1996: Several hundred North Korean armed troops entered the Joint Security Area and elsewhere on three occasions in violation of the Korean armistice agreement.
- May 1996: Seven North Korean soldiers crossed the DMZ but withdrew when fired upon by South Korean troops.
- April 1997: Five North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line's Cheorwon sector and fired at South Korean positions.
- July 1997: Fourteen North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL, causing a 23-minute exchange of heavy gunfire.
- October 26, 2000: Two US aircraft observing a ROK army military exercise accidentally cross over the DMZ.[12]
- May 26, 2006: Two North Korean soldiers entered the DMZ and crossed into South Korea. They returned after South Korean soldiers fired warning shots.
- October 7, 2006: South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed briefly into their side of the border.
- October 27, 2009: A South Korean pig farmer, who was wanted for assault, cut a hole in the DMZ fence and defected to North Korea.[13]
- October 29, 2010: Two shots were fired from North Korea towards a South Korean post near Hwacheon and South Korean troops fired three shots in return.[14]
Joint Security Area Main article:
Joint Security Area
Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, is a place called
Panmunjeom, home of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Originally, it was the only connection between North and South Korea
[15] but that changed in 2007 when a
Korail train crossed the DMZ to the North on the new
Donghae Bukbu Line built on the east coast of Korea.
There are several buildings on both the north and the south side of the Military Demarcation Line, and a few are built right on top of the MDL. The Joint Security Area is the location where all negotiations since 1953 have been held, including statements of Korean solidarity, which have generally amounted to little except a slight decline of tensions. The MDL goes through the conference rooms and down the middle of the conference tables where the North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and Americans) meet face to face.
Though generally calm, the DMZ has been the scene of much
saber-rattling between the two Koreas over the years. Several small skirmishes have occurred within the Joint Security Area since 1953. The
Axe Murder Incident in August 1976 involved the attempted trimming of a
poplar tree which resulted in two deaths (CPT Arthur Bonifas and 1LT Mark Barrett) and
Operation Paul Bunyan. Beforehand, the soldiers of both sides were permitted to go back and forth across the MDL inside of the JSA, a privilege since revoked as a result of this incident.
Another incident occurred on November 23, 1984, when a Soviet tourist, who was part of an official trip to the JSA (hosted by the North), ran across the
Military Demarcation Line (MDL) shouting that he wanted to
defect. North Korean troops immediately chased after him opening fire. Border guards on the South Korean side returned fire eventually surrounding the North Koreans as they pursued the Russian national. One South Korean and three North Korean soldiers were killed in the action. The defector was not captured.
[16]
In late 2009, South Korean forces in conjunction with the
United Nations Command began renovation of its three guard posts and two checkpoint buildings within the JSA compound. Construction was designed to enlarge and modernise the structures. Work was undertaken a year after North Korea finished replacing four JSA guard posts on its side of the MDL.
[17]
Incursion tunnels
U.S. Soldiers from the
United Nations Command on observational operations in South Korea (circa 1997).
Since November 15, 1974, the South has discovered that four tunnels crossing the DMZ have been dug by North Korea. This is indicated by the orientation of the blasting lines within each tunnel. Upon their discovery, North Korea claimed that the tunnels were for
coal mining; however, no coal has been found in the tunnels, which are dug through
granite, but some of the tunnel walls have been painted black to give the appearance of
anthracite.
[18]
The tunnels are believed to have been planned as a military invasion route by North Korea. Each shaft is large enough to permit the passage of an entire infantry
division in one hour, though the tunnels are not wide enough for tanks or vehicles. All the tunnels run in a north-south direction and do not have branches. Following each discovery, engineering within the tunnels has become progressively more advanced. For example, the third tunnel sloped slightly upwards as it progressed southward, to prevent
water stagnation. Today, visitors may visit the second, third and fourth tunnels through guided tours.
[19]
First tunnel
The first of the tunnels was discovered by a South Korean Army patrol, noticing steam rising from the ground. The initial discovery was met with machine gun fire from North Korean soldiers. Five days later, during a subsequent exploration of this tunnel, U.S. Navy Commander Robert M. Ballinger and ROK Marine Corps Major Kim Hah Chul were killed in the tunnel by a North Korean explosive device. The blast also wounded five Americans and one South Korean from the United Nations Command.
The tunnel, which was about 1.2 m (4 ft) high by 0.9 m (3 ft) wide, extended more than 1,000 m (1,100 yd) beyond the MDL into South Korea. The tunnel was reinforced with concrete slabs and had electric power and lighting. There were weapons storage and sleeping areas. A narrow gauge railway with carts had also been installed. Estimates based on the tunnel's size, suggest it would have allowed approximately 2,000
KPA soldiers (one regiment) to pass through it per hour.
[20]
Second tunnel
The second tunnel was discovered on March 19, 1975. It is of similar length to the first tunnel. It is located between 50 and 160 m (160 and 520 ft) below ground, but is larger than the first, approximately 2 by 2 m (7 by 7 feet).
Third tunnel
Main article:
Third Tunnel of Aggression
The third tunnel was discovered on October 17, 1978. Unlike the previous two, the third tunnel was discovered following a tip from a North Korean defector. This tunnel is about 1,600 m (1,700 yd) long and about 150 m (490 ft) below ground. Foreign visitors touring the South Korean DMZ may view inside this tunnel using a sloped access shaft.
Fourth tunnel
Entrance to the 4th Infiltration Tunnel, Korean DMZ
A fourth tunnel was discovered on March 3, 1990 north of
Haen town in the former
Punchbowl battlefield. The tunnel's dimensions are 2m x 2m and it is 145m underground, the method of construction is almost identical in structure to the second and the third tunnels
[21].
Propaganda
Buildings
The empty s s of
Kijong-dong seen from South Korea.
The world's second-tallest
flagpole flying a
North Korean flag over
Kijŏng-dong near
Panmunjom.
Both North and South Korea maintain
peace villages in sight of each other's side of the DMZ. In the South,
Daeseong-dong is administered under the terms of the DMZ. Villagers are classed as Republic of Korea citizens, however they are exempt from paying tax and other civic requirements such as military service.
In the North,
Kijong-dong features a number of brightly painted, poured-concrete multi-story buildings and apartments with electric lighting. These features represented an unheard of level of luxury for rural Koreans, north or south, in the 1950s. The town was oriented so that the bright blue roofs and white sides of the buildings would be the most distinguishing features when viewed from the border. However scrutiny with modern telescopic lenses reveals that the buildings are mere concrete s s lacking window glass or even interior rooms,
[22][23] with the building lights turned on and off at set times and the empty sidewalks swept by a skeleton crew of caretakers in an effort to preserve the illusion of activity.
[24]
Until 2004, massive loudspeakers mounted on several of the buildings continuously delivered DPRK propaganda broadcasts directed towards the south as well as propaganda radio broadcasts across the border.
[22]
Within the
JSA are a number of
U.N. buildings called Conference Row. These are used for direct talks between the two Koreas. Facing the UN buildings is DPRK's Panmungak (
English:
Panmun Hall) and ROK's Freedom House. In 1994, North Korea enlarged Panmungak by adding a third floor. In 1998, South Korea built a new Freedom House for its Red Cross staff and to possibly host reunions of families separated by the
Korean War. The new building incorporated the old Freedom House Pagoda within its design.
In 1980s, the South Korean government built a 98.4 m (323 ft) tall
flagpole with a 130 kg (287 lb)
South Korean flag in
Daeseong-dong. The North Korean government responded by building what was then the tallest flagpole in the world at 160 m (525 ft) with a 270 kg (595 lb)
North Korean flag in
Kijŏng-dong near
Panmunjom, in what some have called the "flagpole war." The flagpole is the second tallest in the world, after the flagpole in
Baku's
National Flag Square at 162 m (531 ft).
[22][25][26][27]
Korean wall
The alleged Korean Wall in the Demilitarized Zone seen through binoculars from the
North Korean side.
The
Korean wall is a concrete barrier that was allegedly built along the length of the DMZ in
South Korea between 1977 and 1979. Dutch journalist and filmmaker
Peter Tetteroo shows footage of what he believes (at the prompting of his North Korean guides) to be the Korean Wall.
[28] North Korea contends:
In the area south of the Military Demarcation Line, which cuts across our country at its waist, there is a concrete wall which [...] stretches more than 240 km (149 mi) from east to west, is 5–8 m (16–26 ft) high, 10–19 m (33–62 ft) thick at the bottom, and 3–7 m (10–23 ft) wide in the upper part. It is set with wire entanglements and dotted with gun embrasures, look-outs and varieties of military establishments [...] the
South Korean rulers built this wall over a period of many years from 1977.
[28]In December 1999, Chu Chang Jun, North Korea's longtime ambassador to
China, repeated claims that a "wall" divided Korea. He said the south side of the wall is packed with soil, which permits access to the top of the wall and makes it effectively invisible from the south side. He also claimed that it served as a bridgehead for any northward
invasion.
[29][30]
According to the
United States, the wall does not exist, although there are anti-tank barriers along some sections of the DMZ.
[29]
Transportation
Main article:
Panmunjeom
Military Demarcation Line marker on the South Korean side of the Bridge of No Return.
Panmunjeom is the site of the negotiations that ended the Korean War and is the main centre of human activity in the DMZ. The village is located on the main highway and near a railroad connecting the two Koreas.
The railway, which connects
Seoul and
Pyongyang, was called the
Gyeongui Line before division in the 1940s. Currently the South uses the original name, but the North refers to the route as the P'yŏngbu Line. The railway line has been mainly used to carry materials and South Korean workers to the
industrial complexes at
Kaesong. Its reconnection has been seen as part of the general thawing in the relations between North and South in the early part of this century. However in November 2008 North Korean authorities closed the railway amid growing tensions with the South.
[31] Following the death of former
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, conciliatory talks were held between South Korean officials and a North Korean delegation who attended Kim's funeral. In September 2009, the Kaesong rail and road crossing was reopened.
[32]
The road at Panmunjeom, which was known historically as
Highway One in the South, was originally the only access point between the two countries on the Korean Peninsula. Passage is comparable to the strict movements that occurred at
Checkpoint Charlie in
Berlin at the height of the
Cold War. Both North and South Korea's roads end in the Joint Security Area; neither highway meets because there is a 20-centimetre (8 in) concrete line that divides the entire site. People given the rare permission to cross this border must do so on foot before continuing their journey by road.
In 2007, on the east coast of Korea, the first train crossed the DMZ on the new
Donghae Bukbu (Tonghae Pukpu) Line. The new rail crossing was built adjacent to the road which took South Koreans to
Kŭmgangsan, a region that has significant cultural importance for all Koreans. More than one million civilian visitors crossed the DMZ until the route was closed following the shooting of a 53-year-old South Korean tourist in July 2008.
[33] After a joint investigation was rebuffed by the North, the Republic of Korean government suspended tours to the resort. Since then the resort and the Donghae Bukbu Line have effectively been closed by the North.
[34][35]
Nature reserve
The endangered
Amur Leopard that may have found unlikely protection within the Korean DMZ.
In the past half century, the Korean DMZ has been a deadly place for humans, making habitation impossible. Only around the village of
Panmunjeom and more recently the Dong Bukbu Line on Korea's east coast have there been regular incursions by people.
This natural isolation along the 155 miles (249 km) length of the DMZ has created an
involuntary park which is now recognised as one of the most well-preserved areas of temperate
habitat in the world.
[36]
Several endangered animal and plant species now exist among the heavily fortified fences,
landmines and listening posts. These include the extremely rare
Red-crowned Crane (a staple of Asian art), and the
White-naped Crane as well as, potentially, the extremely rare
Korean Tiger,
[36] Amur leopard and
Asiatic black bear.
Ecologists have identified some 2,900 plant species, 70 types of mammals and 320 kinds of birds within the narrow buffer zone.
[36] Additional surveys are now being conducted throughout the region.
[37]
The DMZ owes its varied
biodiversity to its geography which crosses mountains, prairies, swamps, lakes and tidal marshes.
Environmentalists hope that the DMZ will be conserved as a
wildlife refuge, with a well-developed set of objective and management plans vetted and in place. In 2005,
CNN founder and
media mogul,
Ted Turner, on a visit to North Korea, said that he would financially support any plans to turn the DMZ into a peace park and a
UN-protected World Heritage Site.
[38]
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