I’ve been in Korea for more than six weeks now. Seen amazing things, met amazing people and ate the best foods Korea could offer. During my Chusok holiday, I’ve been to the Demilitarized zone, also known as the DMZ where we spent the entire day on the road with our guide and sometimes guards. It was here where I officially crossed the border in North-Korea, how awesome it may sound… The tour was amazing. With all participants, you could feel the excitement and anxiousness of danger that could be lying in the corner, or in this instance, the front. We were told about the Korean war, the history of the neutral grounds around the border and the series of events that almost caused another war.
Our guide told us about North-Korean workers who work for the South-Korean government for more or less than 65 dollars every month for their labor. From the salary, the North Korean government takes 60(!) and leaves the worker with 5 dollars to live from… Every break they get lunch and a treat in form of Choco pie. These delicious treats are apparently worth a lot in North-Korea, so that’s why the workers don’t eat them. They don’t accept bonuses, knowing, that the government is going to take it away anyway… So, every year there’s an annual bonus for workers in Korea. For the North-Korean workers, it means they get more Choco pie to take home. At the border, they also mentioned military service, which is a big deal in both Korea’s, whereas a North-Korean must be in service for 10 years, a South-Korean serves for 2 years. The DMZ is not an experience for everyone, for it can be dangerous if you don’t listen to what you’re told. But in the end, I would highly recommend anyone to do it.
After my experiences in Seoul, we went south, to the west side of Korea to settle for a few days in Gwangju. This city is quite like Daegu, except that it's smaller but very famous for the student uprising in 1980 where they tried to defy a military regime that took over after the president died in 1979. A three-hour bus ride from Gwangju we visited the green tea fields. Now for you nature lovers out there, it’s a must-see location in Korea if you got the time! Words couldn’t describe how beautiful it's there.
Our last experience was the temple stay at Mihwangsa temple. This temple is in the South-Western part of Korea, where we could stay for a day or longer to experience Buddhism and living like a monk. Which was, by the way, much harder than expected. We had to pray and meditate in such a way I was not used to because in my culture we do not sit or pray that way! For the average foreigner, it was quite difficult to maintain form. Thankfully, the monks were as tolerable as they were kind. After our first night at the temple, we decided to do a hike, which was the most physical and mental challenge I’ve come across in a long time. Just like the tea fields, it was indescribably beautiful and will I let the pictures speak for itself.
I want to dedicate this blog to my Grandma, who passed away on the 9th of October 2017. Rest in peace and I love you.
Having a good one,
Wouter