Panmunjeom (Joint Security Area)

Welcome one and all to the Paju City Tour’s Peace Sightseeing course! On this course, we visit locations that tell the pain of North and South separation. We’ll be visiting the National Memorial for Abductees during the Korean War, Imjingak Tourist Site, and the DMZ Peace Tour. Through these places, we hope you can feel just how precious peace is. First, we go to the National Memorial for Abductees during the Korean War. Many were kidnapped by North Korea during the Korean War in 1950. The space is a reminder of that painful history and aims to comfort the missing victims and their families. Each abductee was someone’s friend and neighbor. The memorial is there to remember them and wish for their safe return. You can look to the abductees and their families, their sadness, and begin to understand the need and meaning of peace and unification. Next, we head to the Imjingak Tourist Site. It is located 7km south of the Military Demarcation Line. Imjingak still holds the tragic memories of war and was established in 1972. Now it is used as the Gyeonggi Peace Center. Here you can see life in North Korea through various materials and videos, but you can also actually see North Korean land through a telescope on the third floor of the observatory. Concluding the course, let us go to the DMZ Peace Tour’s main attractions: The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel and Dora Observatory. The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel was an underground tunnel for infiltration and was discovered at the Panmunjom 4km southwards. Discovered in 1978 inside the DMZ, it is 1,635m long and only 265m of it is available to the public for their safety. Inside there is the DMZ clip theater, exhibits, and symbolistic installations. Using the monorails, venturing inside the tunnel takes only 15 minutes and allows for comfortable viewing. Dora Observatory is a security tourism location and was installed by the Ministry of National Defense in 1986. It is located on the far north of the Military Demarcation Line. There are tens of telescopes, around 500 seats in their theater, VIP rooms, and a situation room in the observatory. You can also see the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, Songaksan Mountain, and the Peace Village with your own eyes.

Hello, everyone. This is your DMZ Live audio curator, Saengsaengi DMZ stands for the (Korean) Demilitarized Zone. The DMZ is an area where South and North Korea agreed not to deploy military forces 2 km from each Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which was mutually decided upon during the armistice negotiations of the Korean War. As a result of the area being restricted to civilian access for over 70 years, the DMZ has been preserved, and the scars of war have healed naturally. The DMZ has now become the repository for the ecosystem of the Korean Peninsula. It has a total area of 903.3 km2, accounting for 0.41% of the entire Korean Peninsula, or is a similar area to about half the size of Jeju Island, and is home to 101 out of 267 endangered species (38% of the total endangered species) and the estimated total species is about 6,000. However, considering the challenges of conducting an ecological examination in the DMZ, the actual number of species is believed to be higher than what is known. Despite being considered a beautiful ecological site, the DMZ is viewed as a symbol of division associated with the dark history of war or a place we cannot visit. People think of it as a terrifying and dangerous place before anything else. Although we might think of it as a “place where we cannot visit” or “a place where no one can visit,” the DMZ would be a magical and meaningful place for us if we thought of it as a “place that will become our lives’ foundation.” The DMZ holds value as a carefully preserved pristine environment supporting diverse flora and fauna. It also carries a symbolic meaning that reminds us of the division between the South and the North. Although it is currently not freely accessible to the public, I hope you can experience the DMZ more closely and vividly through various virtual experiences and realistic media experiences at the DMZ Live Immersive Media Center.

Hello. DMZ Live is located at the Korean Peninsula Ecological Peace Tourism Information Center in Imjingak, Paju. Here, you can get a closer and more vivid experience of the DMZ. It is designed to provide visitors with enjoyable and meaningful experiences with the theme “various values, such as historical, symbolic, and ecological significance” through realistic media content. In the experience space, visitors can engage in physical activities and digital experiences designed to deliver DMZ-related content and other information, as well as video experiences integrated with simulators and virtual reality (VR) devices, digital interactive experiences, and more. The first floor consists of six experiential zones: “Drone Rider” and “Shuttle Rider” for an indirect immersive experience of the DMZ and main tourist attractions by using cutting-edge information and communication technology (ICT), and “DMZ 248km,” “DMZ Four Seasons,” DMZ Coloring Zoo,” and “DMZ Secret Forest,” which are focused on the DMZ’s ecological environment. On the second floor is DMZ Live Media Hall, where various media art centered around the large, 24-m L-shaped media wall are found.

“Shuttle Rider” is designed to provide information and guidance about the DMZ by traveling around major tourist attractions while riding on a futuristic shuttle. While enjoying videos on a moving futuristic shuttle, visitors can watch a tour of the peaceful DMZ. This also conveys the wishes for the Korean Peninsula’s reunification to the audience. “Shuttle Rider” offers different content per day, providing visitors with various delightful experiences. ① The video of a transcontinental train journey from the Gwanghwamun Gate to Paris on a futuristic train is scheduled every Tuesday and Wednesday. ② The virtual video showcasing the Korean Peninsula and the opening of the Trans-Korean Railway, seen from the universe, is scheduled every Thursday and Friday. ③ Videos exploring historical relics related to the DMZ’s history are scheduled on Saturdays. ④ Videos introducing tourist attractions in adjacent areas of the DMZ and providing a preview of the places are scheduled on Sundays or public holidays. Children below 110 cm are not allowed to ride for safety reasons. Safety is our top priority, and we kindly ask for your understanding.

“Drone Rider” allows viewers to experience as if they are flying across the entire Korean Peninsula by integrating a high-definition, live-action video with simulators and VR devices. Once the viewer wears the VR device inside the ride, the simulator synchronizes with the video in up-down and right-left motions, adding a sense of immersion. Each content is approximately 5 minutes and 10 seconds long, and viewers may choose to watch one of the four themed videos. ① World Cultural Heritage: A video showcasing Korea’s tourist attractions designated as World Heritage sites, such as the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon or Hahoe Folk Village, Namhansanseong Fortress, Beopjusa Temple, Magoksa Temple, Sosuseowon Confucian Academy, Dosanseowon Confucian Academy. ② Baekdudaegan Mountain Range: An introduction video of the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range, including the Jirisan or Seoraksan Mountains. ③ Baengnyeongdo Island: An introduction video of the major tourist attractions of Baengnyeongdo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage. ④ DMZ off-road: Videos featuring virtual traveling in the DMZ border area in a vehicle, showcasing the ecological environment and more. Children below 110 cm are not allowed to ride for safety reasons. Safety is our top priority, and we kindly ask for your understanding.