Leading up to this trip, I had people asking me if I was going to do a DMZ tour. I honestly hadn't given it any thought and when I finally did the idea scared me (if you don't know, the DMZ or Demilitarized Zone is essentially a 4km border between North and South Korea). The more I looked into it and talked to people about it, though, the more intriguing it became and I decided I wanted to go. I looked into all my possible options and decided I wanted a DMZ/JSA tour and found one through the USO for a reasonable price.
The first stop on the tour was to the 3rd infiltration tunnel. Since the war ended, South Korea has found 4 tunnels that North Korea was in the process of making to use for a sneak attack on South Korea. As the name suggests, this is the 3rd tunnel that was found. Many South Koreans believe there are around 20 more tunnels that have yet to be discovered. Before you can enter the tunnel, you have to leave all bags and cell phones/cameras in a locker and go through security (no pictures are allowed in the tunnel for security reasons). You walk down a steep, long path to the tunnel itself and once you reach the tunnel you can walk a few hundred meters to where it has been walled off. The tunnel is very short in height and narrow in width, and at the end are 3 bulletproof walls that were installed to prevent North Korea from invading.
After gathering our belongings, we headed to the next stop: The Dora Observatory. From here, you can see North Korea. I was lucky to go on a clear day and I could see everything very well. It was surreal to be looking into North Korea and to be so close!
After the Dora Observatory, we went to Dorasan Station. This is the last train station before the border. It is still in use today and could eventually be used to go between the two countries if they ever reunite (the tracks are currently connected, but no trains run between the two countries at this time, although they have in the past and even as recently as a few years ago).
After Dorasan Station, we headed to the highlight of the tour: The JSA or Joint Security Area. This is the only place where you'll find both North and South Koreans. It is where any meetings between the two countries take place and it is always staffed by military from both countries, as well as United Nations and U.S. military. We were able to see the buildings where these meetings take place and even step inside one. Halfway through this building, you are in North Korea - so I've stepped a few feet into North Korea!
I'm so happy I decided to book this tour because it was fascinating to learn more about Korean history and see things that not many people have the opportunity to see. I would highly, highly recommend it to anyone visiting Korea. It's a great reminder to be extremely thankful for the freedom we have.