Day Five: The Korean Demilitarized Zone

On our fifth day in South Korea, our group rode a bus to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a weapons-free line near the 38th parallel that runs around 150 miles long and a little over two miles wide. I would have never thought of visiting the DMZ, going inside the Third Tunnel made by soldiers, and viewing parts of North Korea. Moreover, I would have never learned about the environment within the DMZ area. Since the DMZ area has little human intervention due to major restrictions, ecosystems have been able to thrive. According to the Natural History Museum, 102 out of 267 endangered species live within the area, and a total of over 6,000 species currently reside in the untouched area. Golden eagles, rare orchids (Pogonia Japonica), other species, insects, and plants. Due to the thriving ecosystems and environment within the DMZ area, organizations like the DMZECORI have advocated for the area's protection. However, current proposals to build a highway near the southern border of North Korea as a part of a reconciliation effort (known as the Munsan-Dorasan Highway Project). Although the project was waived, implementing projects like this would severely threaten the almost untouched ecosystems and thriving environments of the DMZ area. This, in turn, threatens endangered ecosystems and produces long-term negative impacts. After learning about the DMZ area and its unique, untouched ecosystems and environments, I can't help but feel a little protective over the area when it comes to projects like the Munsan-Dorasan Highway. Nonetheless, I had an interesting time visiting the DMZ and learning more about the history between the two divided counties.