Yes, Those Are North Korean Guards
Looking In At Us!
Hello everyone! We just wanted to add in some pictures of a recent trip Chuck took to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The above picture was taken inside the Blue House, the building where the peace talks took place during the Korean War at Panmunjom. The woman to the left is on North Korean soil while the two soldiers to the right are on South Korean soil. The soldiers outside the window are North Korean border guards looking in at us to make sure we aren't planning to launch an attack. At times they will stand face-to-face with the South Korean guards trying to intimidate each other. While it's creepy, it still is mostly a show for tourists (there are daily tours in this area.
The Blue House is located right on the border with North Korea, so that both sides can attend meetings without having to leave their own countries. There are plenty of guards from both sides constantly watching everything you do (don't make any sudden moves here, kids). Both North and South have beautiful war memorials on their own sides of the Blue House.
In
this picture, you can see the South Korean guards standing next to the Blue
House. They stand with only half of their bodies exposed so they are less
of a target for the North Koreans.
This
is a picture looking north at the war memorial/museum on the North Korean Side
of the border. The Blue House is the building on the left. Okay,
there are many blue houses in the area, but this is THE Blue House.
This
picture shows the conference table where the peace talks took place. The
near side is South Korea and the far side is North Korea. You're free to
go anywhere inside the building, albeit under the scrutiny of guards from both
sides.
Here
are some pictures of folks standing on the north end of the building. The
guard standing with them is South Korean. These guards stand at a modified
Tae Kwan Do position to look intimidating and ready to fight. I imagine
they lean on the wall and smoke cigarettes after the show is over. There's
no way I could stand like that for an entire guard duty shift!
Okay, enough of the serious stuff! Here are some cool pictures Chuck took from the helicopter. There's a view of the flight crew from where the COMMO guy sits in the bird, and some aerial views of some landmarks in Seoul. The haze isn't necessarily pollution--it was about to rain that day.
And that's about all Chuck had time to take pictures for. Sorry there aren't any pictures OF Chuck. But you know how it goes--the photographer never gets his picture taken. At least he got to take pictures. Hope you all enjoy!!!
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