For more than half a century, the Korean peninsula has been divided into two halves - the North and the South, and now the demilitarized zone serving as the border has become not only a relic of the Cold War era but also a tourist object of world significance. And southerners, who, unlike the northerners, have mastered the skills of capitalist entrepreneurship, are actively using it.

All the tragedy of the artificial division of the peninsula is embodied by the sculptural group in that part of the DMZ that is intended for tourists. Two families try to connect the halves of the ball, on the section of which - the map of the Korean peninsula. The images of the citizens of the two Koreas are very eloquent: the South is represented by a well-dressed intelligent family, the North is a family of people who are obviously simple and poor.

Excursion program on the demilitarized zone is uncomplicated: first tourists are brought to the Imzhingak Pavilion. There is a museum of North Korea, and next to the Unification Park. In the outer courtyard of the pavilion, tanks, airplanes and military implements used during the Korean War are exposed

The next point of the route is underground tunnel No. 3, which was discovered by the South Korean forces in 1978 (another version of finding the tunnel is a desert defector from the North) . The tunnel, two meters in width and height, was dug by the North Koreans, so that they could attack the Koreans of the South without hindrance. However, North Korea immediately after the discovery of the tunnel said that it was dug by South Korea - and exactly the same purposes.

Then the tourists are taken to the DMZ Theater & Exhibition Hall, where they are shown a 7-minute film about the past and future Korea. Another notable DMZ facility is the Dorasan station on the Trans-Korean Railway. This border checkpoint still has its official stamp - there are not only passengers. For lack of these, his employees kindly put him in the passport of all tourists.

The area of ​​the DMZ itself is very beautiful: thanks to the mine fields and the vigilance of the border guards, the poachers did not come here. And for half a century on this narrow strip of land wild nature has recovered in all its glory

An independent visit to the DMZ is prohibited. It takes a day for a group excursion, but if you take the shortest option (tunnel, observation platform and Dorasan station), everything will take about 3 hours (plus 2 hours for the road). Satisfied tourists happily leave for the capitalist world in one bus with contented Korean schoolchildren

Monument , Demilitarized Zone

Demilitarized Zone

Conference Building, Demilitarized Zone