SEOUL - The Korean-American Friendship Circle organization sponsored a tour of the Demilitarized Zone and other sites along the north Korean border for more than 30 college students July 26-27.
The goal of the trip was to have an educational and cultural experience.
The first stop for the students on the tour was the “Bridge of No Return.” The students learned that at the end of the Korean War, many war prisoners did not wish to return to North Korea. The prisoners were brought to the bridge and given the choice to remain in the country of their captivity or cross over to their native land. But if they chose to cross the bridge, they would never be allowed to return.
“We see the ‘Bridge of No Return’ today where the Korean people left their families forever. There is a wall where people can place ribbons to remember their lost families,” said Uhm, Tae-young, Kyungpook National University student.
Next on the trip, the students were back on the bus on their way to “Panmunjeom,” also known as the Joint Security Area.
There is a visitor center a few kilometers away from the actual JSA, and the students saw displays to help the public to better understand Korean War history.
“The JSA visitor center has photos and exhibits that show exactly how strong and dangerous the North Korean army really is. We saw the location at the DMZ where North Korea murdered U.S. Army officers with an axe,” said Lee, Jae-hyuk, Kyungpook National University student.
When the students went to the JSA portion of the DMZ, they entered a building straddling the demarcation line and after South Korean soldiers locked the door on the North Korean side, the students were able to enter and walk over to North Korea’s side of the building.
“The North Korean soldiers were very close to us at the JSA. We saw their faces and the buttons on their uniforms,” said Lee. “They did not look very happy to be in the army.”
The last stop on day one of the trip was the Third Tunnel of Aggression. Before going into the tunnel, the students learned that the 1.1 mile tunnel is one of the four tunnels that has been discovered.
The tunnel is only 27 miles north of Seoul and was discovered in 1978 when a defector revealed its existence. As the students descended into the tunnel,they saw how the North Koreans dug through bedrock to a depth of about 240 ft below ground.
“I knew about the third tunnel and the other tunnels, but I had no idea it was so large and long until I walk through it today,” Lee said, “I’m much colder when I get to the bottom, it is very far below the ground.”
The second day of the trip the group headed to the defensive and strategically located Ganghwa Island, which has been a gateway in Korea for centuries. While on the island. The group visited Gwangseongbo Fortress on Ganghwa, which was built in the early 1600’s during the Joseon Dynasty to fight against foreign invaders.
“It is the older generation’s responsibility to educate the young about Korean history. With our strength now we can easily forget how hard things were for past generations,” said Kim, Beum-dae, K-AFC co-president.
The K-AFC trip gave Korean students the opportunity to see their history.
“I read about the DMZ and North Korea’s history in school. Today, I am seeing it with my own eyes,” Uhm said.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2011 21:34 |
| Story ID: | 74652 |
| Location: | SEOUL, SEOUL TEUGBYEOLSI [SEOUL-T'UKPYOLSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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