Tag: panmunjom

A Familiar Face

“I’ve seen you before,” he stammered in Korean. And so began my re-acquaintance with Lt. Colonel Nam Dong Ho, our military escort at the Demilitarized Zone. I was surprised that he recognized me from my previous visit. Hundreds of tour groups must have passed by since our first encounter in 2013, but I guess it’s […]

Trouble at the Border

Before the Joint Security Area at the Korean Demilitarized Zone is a slate of marble – an ostentatious memorial that commemorates the Eternal Leader’s visit to the buffer zone. It’s decorated with a number of stone Kimilsungia flowers (yes, Kimilsungia flowers) and features a massive inscription of Kim Il Sung’s signature the size of his ego. […]