Seoul, June 24 (Representative) After a 50-odd kms drive and half a dozen cramped legs later, a delegation of journalists from India gazed from their VIP bus into a mix of Korean culture and history that would smoulder as memories for the rest of their lives. The delegation was fortunate to tread the famed demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the democratic South Korea from the Communist North Korea. The drive took them through the spectrum of raw emotions, from amusement to thoughtful moments. The delegation’s first stop was at the blue buildings referred to as Tunnel-1, Tunnel-2 and Tunnel-3. Clambering down the centre of the tunnels is the exact line between South Korea and North Korea – democracy and dictatorship. After passing over Imjin River bridge, the next stop was at the Dora Observatory, a nostalgic exhibit, where the delegates zoomed up the lift to get to the top, and had the glimpse of North Korea through the eyes of the telescopes.
Both sides of the villages along the border represented their cultures. Daeseong-dong village on the South Korean side is real, and the North Korean village of Gijeong-dong a Propaganda Village, as per the embassy official who guided them. Daeseong-dong village is a real farming village where only ancestral families of the area, who were living for centuries are allowed to reside there. The trip to the Freedom Road, a stretch of road ending at the border, was a bit more surreal. This monument was a stark reminder of a very emotional barrier that keeps relatives and loved ones from each side permanently separated. Emotional, why? The South Koreans post messages to their northern brethren, knowing very well these soft, loved words would not be read by those intended for them. But still, why do they post? A sense of feeling they value the most.
The most expected stop for the delegation was a heavily-guarded outpost Camp Bonifas, named after Army Captain Arthur Bonifas, one of the soldiers murdered by North Koreans during the infamous axe murders of 1976. But, the South Korean government had stopped entrance into the camp after 2004. Bonifas and first Lt. Mark Barrett were tasked to remove trees that were obstructing the view from the Joint Security Area in an area patrolled by both sides. North Korean soldiers picked up several axes and murdered both Bonifas and Barrett. The delegation were whisked away from this nostalgic tour with raw emotions and sense of history. But more importantly, the Indian delegation returned to their hotel at Seoul, thoughtful why was their visit so valued, considering India-Pakistan hostilities.