[Citizen College] DMZ Field Visit Program

On July 24, 2018, members of “Citizen College: Citizens between Life and Knowledge”, which is organized by Seongbuk Village Citizenship Education Center and the Korea University Peace and Democracy Institute, went Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) spot experience. The course was in the order of Imjingak – steam locomotive – Peace Bell – Dorasan Station – Dora Observatory – 3rd tunnel.

The steam locomotive was a train that traveled from Goseong Station to Hanpo Station to carry military supplies at the time of the Korean War.

After looking at the steam locomotive, we stood in front of the Peace Bell and prayed for peaceful unification. After the bell was played, everyone touched the bell to feel the vibration.

Dorasan Station is the northernmost station of Kyung Eui Line connecting Seoul and Shinuiju. In 2002 when President George W. Bush visited Korea, President Kim Dae Jung and President Bush visited and made speeches. After that, it became a representative place for peaceful unification on the Korean peninsula. With the surprise of being on the way to Pyongyang, many people were shamed by the fact that they could not go.

After a simple lunch, the next destination was the Dora Observatory. Dora Observatory is an observation deck located at the northernmost tip of the Western Front Military Demarcation Line. The weather was very clear at the time of the visit, so the DMZ and North Korea seemed clear. Recently, there has been the expectation in the face of people looking at North Korea.

The final destination was the third tunnel. This tunnel was discovered based on the intelligence of Kim Bum-sung of North Korea. This tunnel is 2m wide, 2m high, 1,635m in length, capable of moving 30,000 troops per hour, and its location is only 52km away from Seoul. It was evaluated to be more threatening than the 1, 2nd tunnels. Photography was prohibited inside the tunnel. The inside of the tunnel was very cool but had to walk about 11-degree slope to reach the third tunnel. It was narrow and tilted, but everyone did not give up and finished the tunnel exploration.

The DMZ spot experience was a great opportunity to pray for peace once again . Thank you to all the citizens who have enjoyed the experience even though the weather is very hot. (Summary: Moon Hyung Lee)