DMZ (Korea)


 * The Panmunjeom article provides a more specific guide to the 'peace village' in the DMZ that many tourists will visit.

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) runs along the complete 248-km land border between North Korea and South Korea and is 4 km wide. This article will cover visiting only from South Korea for practical purposes. Visiting the peace village of Panmunjeom covers tours from North Korea and South Korea for that part of the DMZ.

Understand
The DMZ runs from the Yellow Sea to the west to the East Sea (Sea of Japan) with the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) directly in the middle. It runs along the northern border of the two South Korean regions of Gyeonggi and Gangwon.

The DMZ is highly militarized on both sides, and very little civilian or military activity occurs within the DMZ region. It has become a wildlife haven for animals and migratory birds, and there are calls to preserve it as a national park and sanctuary for wildlife in the event of reunification of the Korean peninsula.

History
The DMZ was created in 1953 at the end of the Korean War as a result of the armistice agreement between the United Nations, North Korea, China and the Soviet Union. It was agreed to create a buffer zone 4-km wide, with only a minimal military presence and patrols occurring within the DMZ. This has resulted in a zone with minimal development and thereby allowing nature to take over.

Landscape
The DMZ has very varied landscape, from the rivers and estuaries of the west near Seoul, to the mountainous areas to the east in Gangwon. Nature has very much taken over and forests and grasslands exist all along the border.

Flora and fauna

 * The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) weighing up to about 200 kg is endangered and can be found roaming the DMZ. Moose, leopard, Eurasian lynx, and Goral sheep are other mammals found in the zone. It has been often rumored that the Siberian Tiger lives here as well, although this seems unlikely considering the creature had disappeared from the Korean peninsula long before World War II.
 * The DMZ is a perfect spot for migratory birds to rest during winter before returning to Siberia in the summer. Black-faced spoonbills, red-crowned cranes and white-naped cranes can be seen.

Climate
The DMZ is very long, spanning two provinces in South Korea from coast to coast, and the climate will vary along it. The eastern part is especially mountainous and cold in winter.

For general climate indications, please see the climate section for Seoul.

Get in

 * The most popular tour for western tourists is to Panmunjeom. That article has more details on tours specific to that destination.
 * There is a dedicated DMZ Train that leaves from Seoul station and stops at Neunggok, Munsan, Uncheon, Imjingang and Dorasan. Dorasan is 2 km from the border and it is not really possible to leave the station (although the station itself is worth visiting). The train line is supposed to extend all the way to Pyongyang, although this option won't be available for the foreseeable future.

Fees and permits
There are strong nationality restrictions for entering the DMZ area. Tours to Panmunjeom have the strongest restrictions.

Get around
Many of the destinations listed as inside the DMZ will usually require a guided tour bus with a fixed itinerary. Destinations just outside of the DMZ do not have these travel restrictions.

From Seoul




Places of interest in the South
The following locations are not near the DMZ, however they may be of interest to DMZ visitors.



DMZ tours
The easiest way to experience the DMZ is to take a tour that will organize all the permit issues for you:


 * The Panmunjeom DMZ tour is the most popular, with visitors able to visit the iconic 'peace village', and it is the closest to Seoul.
 * Gangwon Province DMZ tour in Cheorwon
 * Gangwon Province DMZ tour in Yanggu
 * Gangwon Province DMZ tour on the east coast at Goseong, about 50 km north of Sokcho.

Buy

 * The gift shop at the American Camp Bonifas near Panmunjeom has some exclusive souvenirs (such as T-shirts and mugs) to remind you of having gotten close to North Korea, or even having walked into North Korea proper in the peace village.

Eat

 * DMZ chocolate

Sleep
Generally speaking, there are almost no accommodation options in the DMZ and surrounding control areas.

Lodging
There are towns along the DMZ and outside of the control areas that would have hotel options. Seoul is close enough for a day trip. The eastern parts of the DMZ are more remote, and it is more challenging to find hotels.



Camping
There are no camping facilities in the DMZ, and it would anyway be unlikely for you to get permission from the United Nations command to do so.

Stay safe
Although the DMZ is considered an active war zone, and patrolled by significant armed military forces on both sides, visiting the DMZ is actually very safe as long as you follow all the rules.

The rules will vary depending on your tour and how close to the border zone you actually get. There are many restrictions as you approach the border line itself and can include not taking photographs when instructed by your military guard to not wearing torn cloths. As a generalization most of the rules are in place to protect you so as long as you follow the orders you will be safe.

Non-human threats include a great number of landmines along the border, although you will never really get an opportunity to stray into such an area.

Go next
Assuming you are on the South Korean side, you will have all the usual possibilities in South Korea:


 * Seoul - Capital of South Korea near the DMZ