The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separates North and South Korea, crosses the 38th parallel, and is heavily guarded. It is a buffer zone between the two countries, which are technically still at war. The area is also a nature reserve and a tourist attraction.
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a strip of land that cuts across the Korean peninsula, separating North Korea from South Korea. It crosses the 38th parallel, extends approximately 151 miles (248 kilometers), and is 2.5 miles wide ( 4km). It is an area intended to buffer tensions between the two countries, technically still at war with each other. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL), established during the 1953 Armistice Agreement, runs through the center of the area.
The DMZ is said to be one of the last remaining fronts from the Cold War, part of a yet-to-be-resolved conflict between the two countries. Although the ceasefire was signed in 1953, no peace agreement or treaty was signed and as a result, fighting could resume at any time. This explains the extreme tension and hostility that remains in the area to this day. It is the most heavily armed and guarded border in the world: nearly two million soldiers patrol both sides of the area. This number is made up of approximately one million North Korean soldiers, 600,000 South Korean and 37,000 American soldiers.
At the end of World War II, the 38th parallel represented the border between the US-controlled and Soviet-controlled parts of Korea. In 1948, it became a battlefront between supporters of democracy and supporters of communism. The northerners, supported by the Soviets, pushed south, but were eventually driven back beyond the 38th parallel. The negotiations took place in what is now called the Joint Security Area, a complex that sits directly above the MDL. This is a place where North Koreans can meet with South Koreans and Americans.
A watchdog group, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, made up of Swedish and Swiss officials, watches the DMZ. The US contingent is present for the most part thanks to a treaty signed in 1954, when the Americans pledged to defend South Korea should the war resume.
Soldiers from both sides can patrol within the DMZ, but cannot trample the MDL. There were a few isolated skirmishes, including the ax murder incident in 1976, which ended in the deaths of two American soldiers. Several tunnels have been discovered under the area which were dug by the North Koreans, possibly as part of a plan to invade the South. North Koreans often broadcast propaganda over loudspeakers and have built what is known as the tallest flagpole, at 525 feet (160 meters) high. Oddly enough, the area has also become a tourist attraction, attracting thousands of people every year.
Since this strip of land has remained intact, except for barbed wire and landmines, it has become a de facto nature reserve. It currently protects endangered or extinct species in other parts of the Korean peninsula, including the Korean tiger. Untouched by industrialization and agricultural development, the ZOC ironically offers a peaceful refuge for indigenous species.
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