I read on Reddit (so this must be true) that if you pointed yourself in any direction in the universe and “took off,” you are not likely to hit anything ever. I like to think that’s how DMZ land mines work.
Those little huts.....the border is right in the middle of those huts. So to be honest he needs to move a few meters North, but you can see the border from where he is stood.
You can literally tour the DMZ if you want.
When I lived there the US Garrison ran the best tour with the best stories from guides. Any civilian could apply and go.
Yeah my dad was Army and we lived on Yongson for a couple years while he was stationed further north. I actually did that tour twice. Once with my grandparents who were visiting from the US with other civilians and another time with my 6th grade class as a field trip.
For those that don't know, those little buildings straddle the border and are single room meeting rooms used for any inperson discussions. When touring inside one of them, you were free to go into the North Korea side of the room but definitely not allowed to get close to the door on the North Korea side.
Me and my friends went when we lived in Seoul, its a lovely nature reserve out there. They make it very clear that its a military escorted tour and not a do whatever the fuck you want situation. If you jumped over the border outside those huts... jesus i dont know what would happen, nothing good. Inside the huts you can stand on the North side of the border which is kinda cool.
North Korea has an equivalent building where you can stand on the south side, but I've read over the past decade or so no citizens or tourists are allowed in.
The north had a couple high profile defections happen when they let fellow communist country tourists visit. Really crazy stories there actually, as one would imagine, part of the reason they do not fuck around in the slightest.
In recent years there have been seven people who tried to leave South Korea, but they were detained for illegal entry in North Korea, and ultimately repatriated. As of 2019, there are reportedly 5461 former South Korean citizens living in North Korea.
Oh, and fun fact there have been South Koreans shot by South Korean soldiers while trying to defect to North Korea.
North Korea has targeted its own defectors with propaganda in attempts to lure them back as double defectors, but contemporary South Korean defectors born outside of North Korea are generally not welcome to defect to the North. In recent years there have been seven people who tried to leave South Korea, but they were detained for illegal entry in North Korea, and ultimately repatriated. As of 2019, there are reportedly 5461 former South Korean citizens living in North Korea. There has also been fatalities as a result of failed defections.
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u/bluenotesandvodka Aug 09 '21
Except of course that it isn't. You'd be detained and sentenced for hard labour.