North Korea/South Korea Border
(from North Korea)

A rare visit to the world's most heavily-fortified border from the northern side. I've been to this spot three separate times, and the photos below are a combination of those three experiences.

For those wanting to see some of my video of the DMZ from the North Korean side, please click  here  and  here .

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Leaving Pyongyang behind, we're now heading south towards the DMZ. The massive Monument to the Three Charters towers over Reunification Highway; the symbolism of the two Koreas joining as one in the middle is impossible to miss, as is the almost complete lack of traffic.

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Very close to the actual DMZ, a hopeful sign reads "Seoul 70km".

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"Korea is one!"

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A North Korean soldier goes over some of the important sites we will visit inside the DMZ.

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The Armistice Hall where the signing ceremony was held is on North Korean territory. Needless to say, it presents a completely one-sided view of the war and its aftermath. The North Korean flag and Korean copy of the armistice is on the left, the UN flag and English copy is on the right.

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Pictures of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung are ubiquitous.

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As we had come to expect by this point, there are lots of photographs of North Korean soldiers celebrating their "victory" in the Korean War coupled with tons of pictures of Americans throwing up their hands in surrender.

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One of the more grisly artifacts in this Peace Museum, the actual weapon used in the Axe Murder Incident of 1976.

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Getting very close to the actual border now, our bus races by a rather frightening vision: a quick glimpse of the electrified fence that keeps North Koreans from escaping to the South. Also notice the ground is carefully raked in front of the fence so that footsteps would be easy to spot.

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Monument to Kim Il Sung's visit to the DMZ in 1994.
The Korean characters were lifted from his actual signature.

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Literally a stone's throw away from the border, a stylized artistic representation of Korea as a unified country. This shot was taken in the North Korean pavilion right next to the Military Armistice Commission buildings that straddle the actual border. For people who have been to the DMZ from the South and seen the large North Korean concrete building just inside North Korean territory, this is a picture from inside that structure.

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Here it is in all its glory -- the border betwen North and South Korea. Each country has built a massive concrete pavilion directly across from each other in a show of intimidation. This picture was taken from the top of the North Korean pavilion, facing south. The tall concrete buildings in the background visible here are in South Korea. The three blue buildings straddle the actual border between the two countries, which cuts them in half. Visible in this picture are 10 North Korean guards in formation waiting for our tour group to approach.

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The actual border between North & South Korea is the raised concrete stripe at the exact center point of these buildings. Notice how all the North Korean guards are careful to stay on their side.

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This pavilion lies just a few feet across the border in South Korea.

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Two American soldiers take a leisurely stroll just a few feet across the border, completely ignoring us.

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The concrete buildings in the foreground are in South Korea. The buildings and flag pole in the far background are in the North.

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We climb down the stairs and start walking slowly towards the actual border...

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The door to one of the buildings is opened for our group.

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We are herded in two lines as we are led to the conference room.

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We are warned that while outside the buildings we must not cross the white line in front of where the nearest soldier is standing.

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A shot of me before stepping inside...

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A last quick glance to the right before stepping into the border building.

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From just inside the building, looking out through a window at two of the North Korean border guards. Everything visible in this shot is in North Korea.

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Moving further into the building where the actual North Korea/South Korea border cuts the building in half. You can see this shot was taken from North Korean territory by virtue of the fact that I am standing on the same side of the concrete border marker as the North Korean guards.

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Same shot of the same two guards, only this time from my vantage point in South Korea.

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Closeup of one of the DPRK guards through the window.

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The only thing standing between me and South Korea. The door behind this guard opens to the south.

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Leaving the UN building behind and heading back inside the North Korean DMZ pavilion. This is the building facing the South Korean building seen in the previous pictures.