While in Seoul, I took a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Korea's.  The DMZ, only 30 miles or so north of Seoul, is a 2.5 km wide "No Mans Land" that is supposed to serve as a buffer zone between the countries, which are still technically at war.  The tour took me to the Tora Observatory, the Third Infiltration Tunnel, and the Freedom Bridge.  The tour was very interesting, but not detailed enough.  For example, the tour did not go to the truce village of P'anmumjom, where the armistice ending the Korean War was signed, and where ongoing negotiations between the UN and the North have been conducted for the last 50 years.

Not surprising, there wasn't much I was allowed to photograph, but I did manage to get a few pictures.
 
 

The Tora Observatory.  The observatory overlooks the DMZ.  In the distance, with the aid of binoculars, you can see into North Korea, including the village of Kijong-dong (Propaganda Village), with the largest flagpole in the world.  You also notice the wall with guard posts all along it, which demarks the DMZ from South Korean territory. Unfortunately, I could only take a picture of the observatory from the parking lot, lest I incur the wrath of several South Korean soldiers.

Donning my hard-hat, I am ready to enter the Third Tunnel of Aggression.  This tunnel was dug under the DMZ by the North Koreans in the 1970's  presumably to invade the South.  But before that could happen, the American forces discovered it.  This is the third out of four tunnels that have been discovered thus far. Indeed, there is an ongoing effort to locate more tunnels.

 

Some views inside the tunnel.  Fortunately, I did not encounter any hostile North Koreans.

 

Your friendly South Korean soldier posing for the tourists.

 

The Freedom Bridge at Imjingak, over which 12,373 prisoners of war crossed into the South after the armistice was signed ending the Korean War, along with the railway bridge.  A barbed wire fence prevents any such crossings today.

 

Looking out on the DMZ from Imjingak Park.  In the background is the newly built Unification Bridge. Somewhere yonder is communist North Korea.