DMZ North Korea: The Scariest Place on Earth?! (2021)

In 1993 Bill Clinton called the DMZ in North Korea “the scariest place on earth”, and since then the DMZ North-South Korean border, otherwise known as Panmunjom, has been referred to as 'the world's scariest border crossing', or 'the world's most dangerous border crossing'.

Having been here a good few more times than Bill Clinton, I get a different opinion. And unless you're trying to cross over the border illegally, I don't think it's all that scary at all.

In this video, I take you through what it's really like to visit Panmunjom from North Korea and also give you some history and background of how it came to be, as well as an exclusive interview with my good buddy / special forces officer Won Chol.

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📍 Panmunjom and the DMZ is nearby the city of Kaesong in North Hwanghae Province. If you travel from Pyongyang, you’ll embark on a 3-hour journey along the reunification highway. (Very bumpy!) Or, you can choose to stay overnight in Kaesong which is just 10 minutes away from the DMZ.

🏯 When the border was originally drawn, Kaesong city belonged to South Korea, so during the Korean War, it was spared much of the bombing that the rest of North Korea suffered and therefore retained many old buildings and structures.

⛰ The Korean DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, was established in the aftermath of the Korean War (1950-1953). It stretches for 250 kilometres (160 miles) across the width of the Korean peninsula between the Mt Kumgang region in the east and the mouth of the Imjin and Han rivers in the west. 

🖌 At the entrance to the DMZ are two propaganda posters, one saying ‘let's pass on a unified motherland’, and the other saying the common slogan ‘조선은 하나다’, Korea is one.

📸 It’s not permitted to take photos of the entrance area of the DMZ, and before you enter, you’ll have an explanation of the area and relevant history from the military guard who will show you around.

🚪 After the explanation, you’ll then line up in a group, cross the white line, and enter the gates marking the entrance of the DMZ area before getting back on the bus.

🚍 It’s then just a short bus journey to the first stop.

🏠 Used by North Korean and UN officials to negotiate and sign the armistice agreement, these two buildings hold important historical significance, and after an explanation in the first, you go on into the second building where a museum has been set up. The original flags and agreement are under glass on a table in the centre of the room along with photos and artefacts from the time.

🙋‍♂️ Whilst everyone is having a look around, I take the opportunity to have a chat with an old friend.

🚍 Next up, a drive to the next location.

🇰🇵 On this drive, the North Korean flag is visible on the right-hand side flying atop one of the largest flagpoles in the world. 
The flagpole was built in the border town of Kijong-dong, one of two towns allowed to exist inside the DMZ. There are 245 families that live here.

✍ This area is known as the JSA, and once you arrive here, you are taken to the signature of Kim Il Sung; a huge marble monument with the President’s signature emblazoned on it. 
It is reported that this is a copy of the signature he wrote on his final document before his death in 1994.


🥇 After this, you are taken to one of the most well-recognised places in North Korea; the DMZ Military demarcation line. If you’re lucky, you may even get the opportunity to head into one of the blue conference buildings and step, technically, into South Korea.

Very rarely, you will see people on the other side visiting from South Korea.


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- Who am I? -

Hello! I'm Zoe and I'm from the UK. I'm here to give you a different insight into North Korea, from someone who has called it their second home for more than 2 years.

I'm not here to play into the media role of saying how crazy and terrifying North Korea is. There are plenty of vlogs out there who give you that "experience".

I'm here to give facts, answer questions, and show a human insight into the DPRK (North Korea).
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