The 38th Parallel

The invisible line that divides South Korea from North Korea is called the 38th Parallel.    At the end of WWII, Korea was finally liberated from Japanese occupation.  Because the victors could not agree on a single government, the country was divided with a line.  The northern half of Korea established a communist government and an anti-communist government developed in the southern region.  Korean families whose members lived among both areas were separated forever.

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, a sad horrific war ensued that pitted brothers and cousins against brothers and cousins on either side of the border.  The war, commonly called the Forgotten War, went on for three years until the United Nations stepped in to assist. Its greatest strength came from the USA.  Before the war ended, millions of Korean soldiers and civilians on both sides, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers, and more than 36,000 U.S. soldiers lost their lives. Ultimately, a cease-fire was agreed upon in 1953, and the DMZ was established that marked a meandering swath of no man’s land on each side of the 38^th parallel coast to coast in Korea.  That was 70 years ago.  Today families in the country divided at the end of WWII are still separated and cannot visit each other.  Citizens of each country cannot cross the 38^th Parallel and no one can enter the DMZ.

My God, we are a heartless species.

While Stan and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Seoul, we came to Korea not particularly to see the DMZ, or the bustling city of Seoul with its huge shopping districts, and its ultra-modern metro/subway systems. We did not seek to see its temples, and palaces or to try the food and learn about the culture.  We came here to visit our granddaughter, Tessa, who is studying here.  This young person that we love so much is smart, capable, and worldly.  The independent spirit that rules our Tess is amazing to us.   Were we happy to see her?   Oh goodness yes, and visiting her adopted city was a welcome bonus!!!  The three of us navigated the huge metro system and managed to find each other several times during our stay.  Sadly, our timing could have been a bit better.  Her recent session of school finished on June 9.  Since she is staying through the summer, she had to quickly find and move into a short-term apartment until her school resumes in September.  Her hope is to ultimately be accepted at Seoul University but in the meanwhile she will continue language studies here.  Busy as she found herself this week, she made sure to carve out time with us.

Seoul is about one-tenth the size of Tokyo but it too is a modern, mobile city populated with driven, success-oriented, madly fashion-conscious people.  Designer everything is important here.  Those who cannot afford the real thing buy knock-offs that even experts have difficulty identifying.  Yes, fakes are equally illegal to sell and purchase here but the practice is generally tolerated. Seoul has mile-high skyscrapers, glamourous exclusive hotels, huge shopping markets, several Michelin-rated restaurants, rocking all-day, all-night party districts, ancient temples and palaces, and in contrast, tiny nooks of traditional villages as well as areas where ordinary working people live.  We came to see Tessa but found Seoul to be a wonderful place to explore as well.

We visited the enormous Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty.  The palace structure itself is quite large but the grounds with its hundreds of buildings are enormous.  Nearly all of the buildings originally built in the 1300s were destroyed over the years by fires and by Imperial Japan in 1592.  Afterward, it sat in ruins for the next 240 years. Reconstruction took place in 1867 but Japan destroyed it again during its occupation of Korea in the 1940s. Finally, in 1990, with only 10 percent of the palace remaining, reconstruction began once again when the palace was declared a national treasure of Korea. The restoration project is nearly complete. Original designs, original paint colors, and authentic materials are being used to restore its look of yesteryear.  Work continues today.   When guests visit the palace wearing traditional Hanbok clothing, admission is free.  Many men and women enjoyed strolling about and taking photos in their elaborate but delicate-looking costumes. Several nearby opportunistic shops rent these lovely costumes to visitors and tourists. 

From the palace grounds, we walked through the Insadong shopping street. There are so many such pedestrian shopping streets we found it hard to choose which one to visit.  They all are colorful, lively, and crowded. Because we move from place to place for 6 months at a time, limited luggage space is an ongoing issue.  Shopping for this and that is not an option for us.  Although we buy very little, we always enjoy browsing and taking a look.

A whole day of our visit was consumed in visiting the DMZ.  While I believe visiting the DMZ is a mandatory outing in Seoul, I must admit, it was a slow-paced trip.  First and foremost, this is a highly restricted area.  Visitors cannot visit independently.  Visitors must be on an organized tour and must show passports at two checkpoints.  Located only 33 miles from Seoul, South Korea’s largest city, the area is a hot spot.  If North Korean forces ever crossed the DMZ again the United States is automatically at war — under a 1954 treaty backed by United Nations resolutions the U.S. is committed to defending South Korea.  That’s a wake-you-up and take-notice fact.

After a couple of stops to walk along the Freedom Bridge and to watch a video explaining the DMZ, the actual border, and the MDLs, we took a hike into the third tunnel, called the Tunnel of Aggression.  So far, four connected tunnels dug from North Korea into South Korea have been discovered. They were built by the North Koreans with designs to infiltrate South Korea.  It is believed many more may exist.  Although the tunnels are neither tall nor wide, they could accommodate 30,000 troops with light war gear per hour passing through them for a surprise attack.   Short people like me, easily pass through the tunnel but tall ones like Stan have to lean over to avoid hitting the low ceiling.  The third tunnel runs a length of 558 feet sloping downward 224 below ground level. A solid concrete wall blocks the passage at that point and prevents movement between the two countries.  The trek down into the tunnel to the wall is easy but the steep and sometimes wet return trip showed to be very difficult for people not used to that kind of necessary exertion.

Finally, the finale!  The Dori Observation Platform looks out over the DMZ and onward to North Korea.  With the help of binoculars, the view is quite sedate and peaceful-looking yet at the same time it is eerily haunting. Realizing that somewhere, to the north in that pretty green country below lives an unleashed dictator who seems to seek glory and power regardless of the cost to mankind, makes one a little queasy.  On either side of the border, armies are ready to respond at a moment’s notice. In his 2003 visit here, Bill Clinton called it the “scariest place on earth.”

Over and over, though, it was pointed out that there are unrelenting desires and great hopes on both sides of the border for unification restoring Korea to a single sovereign country.  I pray for these people.

One of our most inspiring destinations in Seoul was the Korean War Memorial.  Many people our age had fathers, uncles, and other relatives who served in this war, one that few of us understood very well.  The beautiful memorial park and museum pay tribute to those who served and those who lost their lives.  It also reminds us all of the deadly consequences of military engagement, the agony of seeing men fighting against men, and the everlasting sorrow of war.

On a happier note,  Tessa took us to her favorite area, Hongdae, and her favorite restaurants.   Hongdae district is a happening place, especially for young people.  Some areas of Hongdae specialize in stores selling trendy clothing and shoes, in other areas strings of bustling restaurants are found, and in another is the club area.  Tess says Seoul never sleeps.  Hongdae clubs rock all night long every night.  Several huge markets in Hondae and other spots in Seoul stay open all night too. 

South Korean food is spicy but not overpoweringly so. Dishes like udon (determined by big fat noodles), ramen (determined by skinny noodles), and gimbap (similar to sushi but larger rolls that do not contain cucumber or seafood) are very popular.  And of course, rice is always available. Many restaurants feature DIY cooking food on flame-fired or charcoal grills built into the table.  The food is fresh, comes in big servings, and is fabulous!  One dish Tessa introduced us to was fresh cheese chicken galbi.  Here is how this dish was prepared: chicken cubes heavily marinated in a sweet red chili sauce and roughly chopped cabbage, potato slices, and little rice logs were brought to the table.  A big round pan was placed over a pit in the table containing red-hot coals.  In this case, a cook prepared our food by first adding the meat to the hot pan. He stirred it around the pan; a few minutes later he added the vegetables and stirred some more.  While the meat and veggies finished cooking, he put a big quantity of shredded cheese into the ring that surrounds the pan.  When the cheese became bubbly, the dish was ready to eat.  Each person pinched a bit of chicken and vegetable with chopsticks and dipped it into the melted cheese surrounding the bowl.  We topped off the bite with a bit of kimchi, and wow, perfection!

Before saying farewell, we took fun photos in a photo booth!  The three of us have been a crew for a long time.  When she was just a tot, Tessa stayed with us three or four nights each week for almost four years while her mom worked her 3- and 4-day overnight trips with Southwest Airlines.  Stan made Tess a fancy pancake with a blueberry and whipped cream face for breakfast each day and I dropped her off at preschool.  Before they knew the story, my young co-workers were a bit taken aback when they first saw the child car seat in the back seat as we went out for lunch saying, Miss Janie?????

After their move to California when Tess was six, she spent six or seven weeks with us each summer during school break.  During those times, we traveled the US, and made trips to Arkansas canoeing on the Buffalo River and also visiting family so Tess might get to know great aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We went to the beach, to Disney World, swam with manatees, tubed down the Chattahoochee River, and romped and stomped all over Stone Mountain.  Each day young Tess would eagerly ask, what are we going to do today???

As she grew older, her time became more limited.  Still, we found time for each other.  We took skiing lessons together – but that’s another story!!!  We went on an African Safari and we cruised the inside passage of Alaska.  Stan and I treasure our close and special relationship with Tessa, our only grandchild.  A visit with her was a very special way to end this wonderful journey. 

This, my friends, completes this nearly six full month segment of travel.  For Stan and me, it has been adventure-filled, thrilling, educational, and simply great fun.  Stay tuned, mid-July will find us in Eastern Europe for more exploration and escapades.  I hope you come along with us.