Less Words...More Pictures: Part 2

In November, I was able to tour the DMZ (demilitarization zone between North and South Korea). It was a very unique and humbling experience. The day we went was super foggy, so we were unable to go to the viewing decks or even clearly see North Korea's propoganda city. We were able to go into the tunnels that the N. Korean military secretly dug across the 38th parallel line. 4 Tunnels have been found (and at least 17 more suspected) along the 38th parallel line in order for N. Korea to cross over into S. Korea's territory 44 km from Seoul. 30,000 armed troops accompanied by heavy guns and equipment could pass from N. Korea into S. Korea in just 1 hour. US troops who are stationed at the DMZ only have 1 year assignments, b/c of the secluded nature of it and very little contact with the outside world due to strict time schedules. It's very depressing, and those who serve there are hand-selected after psych evaluations and background checks.

Conference Row: Standing on the southern side looking at N. Korean side. Blue building on left is the Military Armistice Commission Building where the UN has conferences with North Korean officials. The blue buildings are UN or neutral buildings. The large building in the back is N. Korea. The first horizontal line on the ground (cement slab) between the 2 blue buildings marks the line between the 2 countries. There were armed guards on the porch of that building. The men in green that you see are S. Koreans. They stand half covered like the one on the right in order to defend the border.

Guard inside the Military Armistice Commision Building: He's in the center of the room at the end of the "conference table." No touchie! There were 3 black rectangles (mics) that record all conversation/sound in that room 24/7. To his right is N. Korea's side of the building and to his left is S. Korea's side. UN flags in a case above the sound booth/translation booth in the MAC Building. They used to wave freely on a shelf until a surveillance camera caught a N. Korean guard shining his boots with the US flag.
Me and Kate in N. Korea. The guard behind us is S. Korean but is guarding the entrance door into N. Korea.

Me and my friend Kristen standing on the border. N. Korea's about 1,000 meters behind us.

Monument marking the signing of the Armistice that ended the Korean War and gave S. Korea its independence.
N. Korea; There is a guard tower there in the haze. If you look closely through the fog, you can see a N. Korean guard facing us.

Join me in praying for N. Korea and all of the N. Korean refugees who are in other countries. Some have not been reunited with family members in over 60 years. May God change the hearts of those in government positions and shine Truth into the lives of all of those oppressed people.