Anyone been to the Korean DMZ? Thoughts, comments.

[The_Green_Basterd]

I recently went to the North/South Korean DMZ.  Excellent tour and walk around of the Joint Security area.  As we moved up the MSR to it, I got the tingly feeling I used to get on my first patrol of the tour, or first patrol after HLTA.  That's one heck of a defensive.  I was told that the, "Armed" north Korean Gaurds used to carry wooden rifles but now, since the last Nuke test, they are carrying real guns and Machine Guns at times and doing all other sorts of games to show aggression in the JSA.

Anyone been?  Thoughts, comments, questions?

 

[AmmoTech90]

I've toured the DMZ on the east coast around Sokcho.  The RoK certainly take things very seriously and are definitely the most motivated and professional conscription based military I've seen.  I know the RoK doesn't carry fake weapons, anywhere.  If the DPRK are doing so then that raises some questions about how much they trust discipline in their military.

 

[The_Green_Basterd]

Yeah it was only the north guards.  Apparently, according to the US soldier that gave the tour, it was because equipment shortages and the fact they are lazy and an all wood weapon is lighter.  They were made to look real.

I didn't want to jump the gun, and it's kind of what I wanted to get at in posting this, the ROK soldiers look hard as Christmas Candy and really take their job serious.  talk about hating your enemy, those guys would love to get into a scrap.  The ones in the JSA took a modified attention position that was a Judo or Taekwondo stance.  It looked cool and the guy guarding the door while I was in the conference room was definitely ready to punch the first North Korean to stick his head into the room. (Double locked door, not happening)

The security is impressive and I like how the ROK have a buffer between the DMZ and the citizens but the North build right up to the DMZ with communities and any other Collateral damage causing infrastructure they can muster.  They are definitly better, soldier for soldier kit not included, than the ANA!

 

[Pryce]

The security is impressive and I like how the ROK have a buffer between the DMZ and the citizens but the North build right up to the DMZ with communities and any other Collateral damage causing infrastructure they can muster.  They are definitly better, soldier for soldier kit not included, than the ANA!

The 'cities' lining the DMZ on the North Side are fake. an example would be Kijong-dong.

" However, observation from the South suggests that the town is an uninhabited village built in the 1950s in a propaganda effort to encourage South Korean defection and to house the DPRK soldiers manning the network of artillery positions, fortifications and underground marshalling bunkers that abut the border zone.
The village features a number of brightly painted, poured-concrete multi-story buildings and apartments, many apparently wired for electricity. The town was oriented so that the bright blue roofs and white sides of the buildings next to the massive DPRK flag would be the most distinguishing features when viewed from across the border. Scrutiny with modern telescopic lenses, however, has led to the conclusion that the buildings are concrete shells lacking window glass or even interior rooms, with building lights turned on and off at set times and empty sidewalks swept by caretakers in an effort to preserve the illusion of activity."

 

[AmmoTech90]

Picture of the border at the east end.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The 'cities' lining the DMZ on the North Side are fake. an example would be Kijong-dong.

" However, observation from the South suggests that the town is an uninhabited village built in the 1950s in a propaganda effort to encourage South Korean defection and to house the DPRK soldiers manning the network of artillery positions, fortifications and underground marshalling bunkers that abut the border zone.
The village features a number of brightly painted, poured-concrete multi-story buildings and apartments, many apparently wired for electricity. The town was oriented so that the bright blue roofs and white sides of the buildings next to the massive DPRK flag would be the most distinguishing features when viewed from across the border. Scrutiny with modern telescopic lenses, however, has led to the conclusion that the buildings are concrete shells lacking window glass or even interior rooms, with building lights turned on and off at set times and empty sidewalks swept by caretakers in an effort to preserve the illusion of activity."

And guess who treid to get rid of the largest minefield in the world? (that is between North and South Korea for a very good reason)

You're right, it's a Canadian!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Axworthy  :facepalm: