July 13, 2019
So it turns out that KASC’s two-country model was not the most accurate description of the conference… because we technically visited three countries!
In my favorite excursion of the entire conference, our delegation had the amazing opportunity to have a glimpse into North Korea.
As many people are well aware, the Korean peninsula has been divided by the 38th parallel that has become a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), or the most heavily guarded border in the world. But recent events have dramatically changed the state of the Joint Security Area, the area right on the 38th parallel that is patrolled by both ROK and US military personnel. With the election of the liberal President Moon Jae In, there have been a number of instances where President Moon and Chairman Kim have met and taken steps toward more peaceable relations. President Trump has also met with Chairman Kim at two separate shocking conferences – the first being in Singapore, followed by the one in Hanoi that regrettably ended in failure – all of which has led to a changing atmosphere at the JSA.
The first thing I remember about our excursion to the JSA was the constant and repeated reminders for us to remember our passports. The executive committee made the point to physically check that we, indeed, had our passports with us, before we left GMU. And it was a good thing, too, because when we arrived, we had not one but two checks. The first check was conducted by a ROK soldier who came in and made sure that we all had passports. Afterward, we were told to wait until a second soldier – from the U.S. Army – came aboard, once again checked our passports, and led us to the JSA Visitor Center.
There was a brief orientation, and a video showing. The video explained the history of the JSA and the contributions of both the ROK and US military in ensuring the security of the border. I was quite impressed with how up-to-date the video was, and how visually captivating it was. According to an EC who had been there last year, the video had been greatly updated and improved.
We piled onto a bus – this time one provided by the JSA – and left for the DMZ with two American soldiers as our escorts and guides. After passing through a typical looking gray government building, a view that had been my visual representation of North Korea for most of my life greeted us. The notable blue buildings. The thick line that ran through the middle of the buildings, marking the border into North Korea. It was quite surreal to realize just how close we were, as well as how historically significant the area was. It was also amazing because we got to take a group picture, in that very spot – with North Korea and the symbolic building looming in the background. The ECs were all shocked, because apparently, last year, the pictures had only been allowed when the South Korean side was in the picture. Another clear indicator that the tensions were in decline was the absence of the North Korean guard on the other side of the border.
After a hurried photo shoot – the soldier gave us precisely one minute – we headed into one of the blue buildings – T3. The blue buildings had been built to allow for communication between the two countries and once we entered the building and crossed to the other side… we were in North Korea! One of our delegates made the mistake of trying to sit at one of the chairs and was immediately told off by one of the soldiers. The entire area had an immense aura of tension and history. It was absolutely amazing.
We exited the building and headed along a road right of the buildings. There, looking quite ordinary, was the tree that Chairman Kim and President Moon had planted together in one of their summits, to symbolize cooperation. Just… there like it was any other tree with no political or historical significance. It was absolutely wild.
Further along, was the blue bridge – at which Chairman Kim and President Trump had shared a “private conversation”. Again, cue photoshoot. I was honestly enjoying myself quite a bit with the ridiculous pictures we were taking – even with the government building in the background that we realized afterward was one of the “no picture” buildings – until it started to drizzle. And that drizzle soon turned into an outright downpour. Great. It really must have been a sight to see – students in business professional clothes laughing and running in the rain with the military personnel not blinking an eye at the rain… and not changing their walking pace at all, either.
All of us were soaking by the time we made it to the bus – but if anything, the rain made sure that we would remember this experience!