23.7.27 Why tourists are drawn to the DMZ between the two Koreas

[김상태]

The DMZ is much quieter since the Covid pandemic

By Sam Cabral

BBC News

It is one of the world's most heavily fortified areas, a no-man's land that stands as a remnant of the Cold War. It was also a tourist magnet before the Covid pandemic.

From Gyeonggi-do in the west to Gangwon-do in the east, the 160-mile (258km) long Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) divides the Korean Peninsula in two.

And in the truce village of Panmunjom, where a concrete slab signifies that split, tour groups used to flock daily. They still come but now in smaller groups.

On Tuesday, Private 2nd Class Travis King, an American serviceman due to be sent home for disciplinary reasons, joined one tour group in the South and crossed over the DMZ into the North.

It remains unclear if the man defected or hopes to return, but the US military has confirmed he crossed over "wilfully and without authorisation", adding he was probably detained.