A group of foreigners who participated in a South Korea-ASEAN tourism workshop in Seoul visits the “Eco-Peace Park” near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in Cherwon, located some 88 kilometers north of Seoul, on June 12, 2016. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Seoul-based ASEAN-Korea Center provided this photo. (Yonhap)
This will definitely be a unique ultra-marathon for those who decide to run it:
A 100-kilometer (62 mile) long ultra-marathon near the demilitarized zone, which divides the South and North, will be hosted over the course of three days in early September, announced the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Tuesday.
The marathon will take place in the far northern part of Gyeonggi – Gimpo, Paju and Yeonchon District – from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4.
The sports event was organized to publicize the history, culture and ecological diversity of the demilitarized zone as well as deliver a message about peace and the importance of life to race participants.
Over 80 percent of the marathon’s trails are unpaved roads, and runners will have to run through mountainous environs and meadows. As many as 1,700 runners will participate in the race, and the course will be divided into two parts – one for foreign and domestic professional runners and another for amateur runners. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link.
Over at The DMZ War there is a very interesting document posted that is a transcript of a 1976 phone conversation between Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft. Kissinger and Scowcroft talk about a lot of interesting things in regards to the US response to the killing of two US Army officers during the DMZ Axe Murder Incident. For example Kissinger believed that the North Korean barracks inside of the Joint Security Area (JSA) should have been bombed. Something else I did not know was that the two officers killed in the attack had their bodies shipped home in coffins made from the wood of the tree that was chopped down:
You can read the rest of the transcript at this link.
The US soldiers stationed at the Joint Security Area on the DMZ are specifically trained to be very professional when interacting with the North Koreans that is why I have a hard time believing the North Koreans. Considering all the video cameras at the JSA you would think the North Koreans would have released video footage of their claimed infractions:
The American-led U.N. command on Saturday dismissed as unsubstantiated accusations from North Korea that U.S. troops at a border village tried to provoke its frontline troops with “disgusting acts.”
A North Korean military statement Friday warned U.S. soldiers to stop what it called “hooliganism” at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom or they’ll meet a “dog’s death any time and any place.”
It said U.S. troops pointed their fingers at North Korean soldiers and made strange noises and unspecified “disgusting” facial expressions. It also said that American troops encouraged South Korean soldiers to aim their guns at the North. [Stars & Stripes]
You can read the rest at the link.
Fortunately this accidental discharge did not turn into a larger incident with North Korea:
A South Korean machine gun was recently accidentally discharged toward North Korea, the military in Seoul said Tuesday, though it remained unclear where the shots had landed.
A South Korean military official said two shots from a K-6 heavy machine gun were accidentally fired from a guard post (GP) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the eastern front on Sunday. The official said the misfire happened during maintenance, but no injuries were reported.
On three occasions, South Korea broadcast messages to North Korea that the shots had been accidentally fired.
“The North Korean military didn’t respond to our messages and didn’t show any particular movement,” the South Korean official added. “We don’t believe the shots reached their GP.” [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
The UK’s Guardian has an article published that describes what life is like for ROK Army soldiers tasked with patrolling the DMZ:
Because the border is supposed to be a “demilitarised zone”, it takes some creative accounting to allow the soldiers to be posted there.
“All of the rangers are given a chest patch that says ‘DMZ police’ and an armband that says ‘military police,’” Shin said. “As as long as we wear the armband before entering the DMZ, no matter how armed we are, we are nothing but the ‘armed police’ not the armed ‘military’ force.”
It’s a posting that comes with many hazards, not just North Korean ones. Instead of four seasons there are just three at the DMZ: “the steaming summer, cold winter and the ice age when everything freezes,” he said.
Shin and his fellow soldiers had to endure temperatures that dropped below -19C (-2.2F), with endless, biting winds blowing in from the North.
“The wind was so strong it could literally blow you around,” said Shin. “Most general outposts are on the top of the mountain, directly facing the wind.” [The Guardian]
You can read more at the link.
Via a reader tip comes news that North Korea flew a drone across the DMZ that the ROK military took shots at:
South Korea on Wednesday fired 20 machine gun warning shots after a North Korean drone briefly crossed the rivals’ border, officials said, the first shots fired in a Cold War-style standoff between the Koreas in the wake of the North’s nuclear test last week.
The North Korean drone was flying dozens of meters (yards) south of the border and turned back to the North after the South fired the shots, South Korean defense and military officials said, requesting anonymity because of office rules. The shots did not hit the drone.
North Korean drone flights across the world’s most heavily armed border are rare, but have happened before.
North Korea has in recent years touted its drone program, a relatively new addition to its arsenal. In 2013, state media said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had watched a drone attack drill on a simulated South Korean target. [Associated Press]
You can read more at the link.
A leg-shaped sculpture is seen at a park in Imjingak near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas on Dec. 23, 2013, as the Army holds an event to unveil the structure symbolizing the legs that the two soldiers — Ssg. Kim Jung-won and Ssg. Hah Jae-hun — lost in a landmine blast blamed on North Korea in August. At the event, the two soldiers were awarded national orders for their “bravery and contributions” to national security. Kim is walking again with a prosthetic leg while Ha, who lost both legs, is continuing his rehabilitation. (Yonhap)
An eagle flies in the air over the western part of the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, bordering Yeoncheon, north of Seoul, on Dec. 4, 2015. The migratory bird, designated as Natural Treasure No. 243 in South Korea, spends the winter at the DMZ every year. (Yonhap)
With the amount of wildlife around the DMZ it seems to me these sensors will just be filled with false alarms all day:
South Korea will develop and deploy new ground sensor technology aimed at detecting North Korean movement inside the Demilitarized Zone, defense officials said Tuesday.
The initial planning phase for the 3.6 billion won ($3.1 million) project should be complete by next year, with further systems development slated through 2019, multiple defense officials told Stars and Stripes on condition of anonymity, which is customary in South Korea.
The sensors would be capable of notifying commanders of early-stage movement by North Korean special operations in the event of an attack, according to a statement from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
Concerns over DMZ movement increased in August when two South Korean soldiers were maimed by land mines planted near a guard post. South Korean officials labeled the incident a “clear provocation” by North Korea and vowed retaliation. Pyongyang expressed regret for the incident but did not admit involvement. [Stars & Stripes]
You can read the rest at the link.
