The Financial Express
By Neeraj Rajput
“We don’t want war. North and South Korea are one like brothers,” said a middle aged Buddhist monk sitting in the center of a Seoul square close to city-center with a dozen other religious folks in maroon and saffron robes with placards in their hands which read “No war.”
This was in July ‘17 when the Korean Peninsula was on the boil and the world was witnessing Kim Jong Un’s ‘love’ for ballistic missiles, the tyrant dictator of North Korea. Author, as war-correspondent of an Indian news channel, was travelling to the suave and smart capital of South Korea, less than 70 kms from the world’s heavily fortified border, DMZ amid heightened tension fearing a war. DMZ and the Korean Peninsula is again in the news–again for wrong reasons.
Six years later, the Korean Peninsula is again on the brink of war. For the first time in the past four decades, a US nuclear submarine is visiting South Korea, purportedly in response to hundreds of missile tests by the neighbouring arch-rival, North Korea. South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol stepped into USS Kentucky, Ohio-class SSBN, at Busan port, which has come for a ‘periodic visit’ after an agreement with US President Joe Biden made in the month of April this year.
Periodic visits of nuclear armed submarines was one of the several agreements Yeol made with Biden in view of the ‘nuclear threat’ from Kim Jong Un, another being forming a ‘Nuclear Consultative Group’. But a ballistic missile submarine couldn’t deter the tyrant dictator and North Korea fired two ballistic missiles for tests in response when Yeol was in the nuclear armed US submarine.
“But when North Korea has armed itself with nuclear bombs why South Korea is hesitant in becoming a nuclear power state,” I had asked one of the strategic experts in Seoul during my visit. “The US provides us the umbrella (shield) from such threats and attacks”, he (strategic expert) quipped.
Ever since the Korean War (1950-53), one of the bloodiest wars post World War II, the US has stationed its forces in Seoul to protect South Korea from the ‘invading’ North Korea. US Forces Korea, under US Pacific Command (PACOM) has about 30 thousand soldiers based in South Korea for any external aggression from the DMZ.
Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is one of the most fortified borders in the world with more than one million soldiers (of both North and South Korea) defending every inch of 38th Parallel for their respective nations (plus the US soldiers). It’s a buffer zone which is 4 km wide, created after an armistice in 1953.
It is from this US Korean Command that one of the odd soldiers, 23 year old Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King, crossed over to North Korea on Tuesday. It was a dramatic run of the US soldier who was released from a South Korean jail after two months. King while serving in the US Command was charged for a nightclub brawl and for a ‘disciplinary charge’ sent to the US after being released from the jail. King slipped from the Incheon airport (of Seoul) and reached the JSA area of DMZ.
While DMZ is a heavily fortified border, South Korea has turned the area into a war-tourism zone. Border tours, under UN, are organised by Seoul based travel agencies for national and international tourists who come here to ‘peep’ into an otherwise ‘isolated’ North Korea. Tourists can see North Korea from the military binoculars installed at the border by paying a few dollars. JSA is a blue coloured UN building where the meetings of the military officers of both the countries take place. The 38th Parallel, which divides North and South into halves, passes through one of the meeting places. Neatly clad uninformed personnel of both North and South Korean armies stand there in eyeball to eyeball contact wearing black goggles.
When I first visited DMZ in July ‘17 for reporting, JSA was out of bounds due to the tension in the Peninsula. But we could visit the other areas of DMZ and myself saw North Korean buildings and farmers tiling the lands through binoculars. We entered various tunnels which North Korea had secretly built to attack Seoul in the 70s and 80s.
I visited DMZ again during the media coverage of the historic Korean Summit in April ‘18 when Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In had met to lessen the tension. This meeting along with another one between Kim and (the then) President Donald Trump in ‘19 had really brought much desired peace to the Peninsula–though short lived.
There is a strict vigil of South Korean soldiers on its side so that tourists shouldn’t cross over to the Pyongyang side. But Travis King, as part of the DMZ tour, ran towards the North Korean side giving a slip to the soldiers. Since then not much has been heard about him from the Pyongyang side. US Korea Command as well as the Pentagon is trying to contact Pyongyang but to no avail. This incident of the US soldiers has further worsened the already tense situation in the Korean Peninsula.
“But why doesn’t South Korea counter North’s belligerent behaviour,” I had asked one of the Indians staying in Seoul. “See these multistoried buildings housing world’s renowned brands and products which symbolises the growth and development South Korea has witnessed in the past 3-4 decades,” he responded while pointing towards the city.
“Even an artillery shell fired from the North side can destroy this beautiful city,” he added. Because Seoul is just 70 kms from the DMZ and South Korea cannot afford another war with North Korea, a not so developed country (except in terms of nuclear missiles and bombs).
India’s Role in Korean Armistice
India had played an important role in the Korean armistice (1953) with a contingent of Indian Army under Lt Gen S Thimayya, responsible for the repartition of the PoWs (the Prisoners of War). For the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) it was a ‘big switch’ of around 2 lacs PoWs handled by the Indian contingent (aided by some other neutral nations too) under UN supervision.
The iconic ‘Bridge of No Return’ via which repatriation was conducted during the armistice was popularised by ‘02 James Bond Flick, ‘Die Another Day’ and is still a major attraction for international tourists in the DMZ area. It was named ‘No Return’ as once the PoW had crossed to either side there was no option to return later.
That is the reason, whenever I spoke to any Korean (civilian) during my three tours of South Korea in past six years, he or she will always crave to get ‘reunited’–a theme recently highlighted in much acclaimed web series–’Crash Landing On You’– based on the love story of a North Korean military officer posted at DMZ and a charming business tycoon of Seoul.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
This was in July ‘17 when the Korean Peninsula was on the boil and the world was witnessing Kim Jong Un’s ‘love’ for ballistic missiles, the tyrant dictator of North Korea. Author, as war-correspondent of an Indian news channel, was travelling to the suave and smart capital of South Korea, less than 70 kms from the world’s heavily fortified border, DMZ amid heightened tension fearing a war. DMZ and the Korean Peninsula is again in the news–again for wrong reasons.
Six years later, the Korean Peninsula is again on the brink of war. For the first time in the past four decades, a US nuclear submarine is visiting South Korea, purportedly in response to hundreds of missile tests by the neighbouring arch-rival, North Korea. South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol stepped into USS Kentucky, Ohio-class SSBN, at Busan port, which has come for a ‘periodic visit’ after an agreement with US President Joe Biden made in the month of April this year.
Periodic visits of nuclear armed submarines was one of the several agreements Yeol made with Biden in view of the ‘nuclear threat’ from Kim Jong Un, another being forming a ‘Nuclear Consultative Group’. But a ballistic missile submarine couldn’t deter the tyrant dictator and North Korea fired two ballistic missiles for tests in response when Yeol was in the nuclear armed US submarine.
“But when North Korea has armed itself with nuclear bombs why South Korea is hesitant in becoming a nuclear power state,” I had asked one of the strategic experts in Seoul during my visit. “The US provides us the umbrella (shield) from such threats and attacks”, he (strategic expert) quipped.
Ever since the Korean War (1950-53), one of the bloodiest wars post World War II, the US has stationed its forces in Seoul to protect South Korea from the ‘invading’ North Korea. US Forces Korea, under US Pacific Command (PACOM) has about 30 thousand soldiers based in South Korea for any external aggression from the DMZ.
Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is one of the most fortified borders in the world with more than one million soldiers (of both North and South Korea) defending every inch of 38th Parallel for their respective nations (plus the US soldiers). It’s a buffer zone which is 4 km wide, created after an armistice in 1953.
It is from this US Korean Command that one of the odd soldiers, 23 year old Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King, crossed over to North Korea on Tuesday. It was a dramatic run of the US soldier who was released from a South Korean jail after two months. King while serving in the US Command was charged for a nightclub brawl and for a ‘disciplinary charge’ sent to the US after being released from the jail. King slipped from the Incheon airport (of Seoul) and reached the JSA area of DMZ.
While DMZ is a heavily fortified border, South Korea has turned the area into a war-tourism zone. Border tours, under UN, are organised by Seoul based travel agencies for national and international tourists who come here to ‘peep’ into an otherwise ‘isolated’ North Korea. Tourists can see North Korea from the military binoculars installed at the border by paying a few dollars. JSA is a blue coloured UN building where the meetings of the military officers of both the countries take place. The 38th Parallel, which divides North and South into halves, passes through one of the meeting places. Neatly clad uninformed personnel of both North and South Korean armies stand there in eyeball to eyeball contact wearing black goggles.
When I first visited DMZ in July ‘17 for reporting, JSA was out of bounds due to the tension in the Peninsula. But we could visit the other areas of DMZ and myself saw North Korean buildings and farmers tiling the lands through binoculars. We entered various tunnels which North Korea had secretly built to attack Seoul in the 70s and 80s.
I visited DMZ again during the media coverage of the historic Korean Summit in April ‘18 when Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In had met to lessen the tension. This meeting along with another one between Kim and (the then) President Donald Trump in ‘19 had really brought much desired peace to the Peninsula–though short lived.
There is a strict vigil of South Korean soldiers on its side so that tourists shouldn’t cross over to the Pyongyang side. But Travis King, as part of the DMZ tour, ran towards the North Korean side giving a slip to the soldiers. Since then not much has been heard about him from the Pyongyang side. US Korea Command as well as the Pentagon is trying to contact Pyongyang but to no avail. This incident of the US soldiers has further worsened the already tense situation in the Korean Peninsula.
“But why doesn’t South Korea counter North’s belligerent behaviour,” I had asked one of the Indians staying in Seoul. “See these multistoried buildings housing world’s renowned brands and products which symbolises the growth and development South Korea has witnessed in the past 3-4 decades,” he responded while pointing towards the city.
“Even an artillery shell fired from the North side can destroy this beautiful city,” he added. Because Seoul is just 70 kms from the DMZ and South Korea cannot afford another war with North Korea, a not so developed country (except in terms of nuclear missiles and bombs).
India’s Role in Korean Armistice
India had played an important role in the Korean armistice (1953) with a contingent of Indian Army under Lt Gen S Thimayya, responsible for the repartition of the PoWs (the Prisoners of War). For the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) it was a ‘big switch’ of around 2 lacs PoWs handled by the Indian contingent (aided by some other neutral nations too) under UN supervision.
The iconic ‘Bridge of No Return’ via which repatriation was conducted during the armistice was popularised by ‘02 James Bond Flick, ‘Die Another Day’ and is still a major attraction for international tourists in the DMZ area. It was named ‘No Return’ as once the PoW had crossed to either side there was no option to return later.
That is the reason, whenever I spoke to any Korean (civilian) during my three tours of South Korea in past six years, he or she will always crave to get ‘reunited’–a theme recently highlighted in much acclaimed web series–’Crash Landing On You’– based on the love story of a North Korean military officer posted at DMZ and a charming business tycoon of Seoul.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
Six years later, the Korean Peninsula is again on the brink of war. For the first time in the past four decades, a US nuclear submarine is visiting South Korea, purportedly in response to hundreds of missile tests by the neighbouring arch-rival, North Korea. South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol stepped into USS Kentucky, Ohio-class SSBN, at Busan port, which has come for a ‘periodic visit’ after an agreement with US President Joe Biden made in the month of April this year.
Periodic visits of nuclear armed submarines was one of the several agreements Yeol made with Biden in view of the ‘nuclear threat’ from Kim Jong Un, another being forming a ‘Nuclear Consultative Group’. But a ballistic missile submarine couldn’t deter the tyrant dictator and North Korea fired two ballistic missiles for tests in response when Yeol was in the nuclear armed US submarine.
“But when North Korea has armed itself with nuclear bombs why South Korea is hesitant in becoming a nuclear power state,” I had asked one of the strategic experts in Seoul during my visit. “The US provides us the umbrella (shield) from such threats and attacks”, he (strategic expert) quipped.
Ever since the Korean War (1950-53), one of the bloodiest wars post World War II, the US has stationed its forces in Seoul to protect South Korea from the ‘invading’ North Korea. US Forces Korea, under US Pacific Command (PACOM) has about 30 thousand soldiers based in South Korea for any external aggression from the DMZ.
Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is one of the most fortified borders in the world with more than one million soldiers (of both North and South Korea) defending every inch of 38th Parallel for their respective nations (plus the US soldiers). It’s a buffer zone which is 4 km wide, created after an armistice in 1953.
It is from this US Korean Command that one of the odd soldiers, 23 year old Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King, crossed over to North Korea on Tuesday. It was a dramatic run of the US soldier who was released from a South Korean jail after two months. King while serving in the US Command was charged for a nightclub brawl and for a ‘disciplinary charge’ sent to the US after being released from the jail. King slipped from the Incheon airport (of Seoul) and reached the JSA area of DMZ.
While DMZ is a heavily fortified border, South Korea has turned the area into a war-tourism zone. Border tours, under UN, are organised by Seoul based travel agencies for national and international tourists who come here to ‘peep’ into an otherwise ‘isolated’ North Korea. Tourists can see North Korea from the military binoculars installed at the border by paying a few dollars. JSA is a blue coloured UN building where the meetings of the military officers of both the countries take place. The 38th Parallel, which divides North and South into halves, passes through one of the meeting places. Neatly clad uninformed personnel of both North and South Korean armies stand there in eyeball to eyeball contact wearing black goggles.
When I first visited DMZ in July ‘17 for reporting, JSA was out of bounds due to the tension in the Peninsula. But we could visit the other areas of DMZ and myself saw North Korean buildings and farmers tiling the lands through binoculars. We entered various tunnels which North Korea had secretly built to attack Seoul in the 70s and 80s.
I visited DMZ again during the media coverage of the historic Korean Summit in April ‘18 when Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In had met to lessen the tension. This meeting along with another one between Kim and (the then) President Donald Trump in ‘19 had really brought much desired peace to the Peninsula–though short lived.
There is a strict vigil of South Korean soldiers on its side so that tourists shouldn’t cross over to the Pyongyang side. But Travis King, as part of the DMZ tour, ran towards the North Korean side giving a slip to the soldiers. Since then not much has been heard about him from the Pyongyang side. US Korea Command as well as the Pentagon is trying to contact Pyongyang but to no avail. This incident of the US soldiers has further worsened the already tense situation in the Korean Peninsula.
“But why doesn’t South Korea counter North’s belligerent behaviour,” I had asked one of the Indians staying in Seoul. “See these multistoried buildings housing world’s renowned brands and products which symbolises the growth and development South Korea has witnessed in the past 3-4 decades,” he responded while pointing towards the city.
“Even an artillery shell fired from the North side can destroy this beautiful city,” he added. Because Seoul is just 70 kms from the DMZ and South Korea cannot afford another war with North Korea, a not so developed country (except in terms of nuclear missiles and bombs).
India’s Role in Korean Armistice
India had played an important role in the Korean armistice (1953) with a contingent of Indian Army under Lt Gen S Thimayya, responsible for the repartition of the PoWs (the Prisoners of War). For the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) it was a ‘big switch’ of around 2 lacs PoWs handled by the Indian contingent (aided by some other neutral nations too) under UN supervision.
The iconic ‘Bridge of No Return’ via which repatriation was conducted during the armistice was popularised by ‘02 James Bond Flick, ‘Die Another Day’ and is still a major attraction for international tourists in the DMZ area. It was named ‘No Return’ as once the PoW had crossed to either side there was no option to return later.
That is the reason, whenever I spoke to any Korean (civilian) during my three tours of South Korea in past six years, he or she will always crave to get ‘reunited’–a theme recently highlighted in much acclaimed web series–’Crash Landing On You’– based on the love story of a North Korean military officer posted at DMZ and a charming business tycoon of Seoul.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
Periodic visits of nuclear armed submarines was one of the several agreements Yeol made with Biden in view of the ‘nuclear threat’ from Kim Jong Un, another being forming a ‘Nuclear Consultative Group’. But a ballistic missile submarine couldn’t deter the tyrant dictator and North Korea fired two ballistic missiles for tests in response when Yeol was in the nuclear armed US submarine.
“But when North Korea has armed itself with nuclear bombs why South Korea is hesitant in becoming a nuclear power state,” I had asked one of the strategic experts in Seoul during my visit. “The US provides us the umbrella (shield) from such threats and attacks”, he (strategic expert) quipped.
Ever since the Korean War (1950-53), one of the bloodiest wars post World War II, the US has stationed its forces in Seoul to protect South Korea from the ‘invading’ North Korea. US Forces Korea, under US Pacific Command (PACOM) has about 30 thousand soldiers based in South Korea for any external aggression from the DMZ.
Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) is one of the most fortified borders in the world with more than one million soldiers (of both North and South Korea) defending every inch of 38th Parallel for their respective nations (plus the US soldiers). It’s a buffer zone which is 4 km wide, created after an armistice in 1953.
It is from this US Korean Command that one of the odd soldiers, 23 year old Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King, crossed over to North Korea on Tuesday. It was a dramatic run of the US soldier who was released from a South Korean jail after two months. King while serving in the US Command was charged for a nightclub brawl and for a ‘disciplinary charge’ sent to the US after being released from the jail. King slipped from the Incheon airport (of Seoul) and reached the JSA area of DMZ.
While DMZ is a heavily fortified border, South Korea has turned the area into a war-tourism zone. Border tours, under UN, are organised by Seoul based travel agencies for national and international tourists who come here to ‘peep’ into an otherwise ‘isolated’ North Korea. Tourists can see North Korea from the military binoculars installed at the border by paying a few dollars. JSA is a blue coloured UN building where the meetings of the military officers of both the countries take place. The 38th Parallel, which divides North and South into halves, passes through one of the meeting places. Neatly clad uninformed personnel of both North and South Korean armies stand there in eyeball to eyeball contact wearing black goggles.
When I first visited DMZ in July ‘17 for reporting, JSA was out of bounds due to the tension in the Peninsula. But we could visit the other areas of DMZ and myself saw North Korean buildings and farmers tiling the lands through binoculars. We entered various tunnels which North Korea had secretly built to attack Seoul in the 70s and 80s.
I visited DMZ again during the media coverage of the historic Korean Summit in April ‘18 when Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In had met to lessen the tension. This meeting along with another one between Kim and (the then) President Donald Trump in ‘19 had really brought much desired peace to the Peninsula–though short lived.
There is a strict vigil of South Korean soldiers on its side so that tourists shouldn’t cross over to the Pyongyang side. But Travis King, as part of the DMZ tour, ran towards the North Korean side giving a slip to the soldiers. Since then not much has been heard about him from the Pyongyang side. US Korea Command as well as the Pentagon is trying to contact Pyongyang but to no avail. This incident of the US soldiers has further worsened the already tense situation in the Korean Peninsula.
“But why doesn’t South Korea counter North’s belligerent behaviour,” I had asked one of the Indians staying in Seoul. “See these multistoried buildings housing world’s renowned brands and products which symbolises the growth and development South Korea has witnessed in the past 3-4 decades,” he responded while pointing towards the city.
“Even an artillery shell fired from the North side can destroy this beautiful city,” he added. Because Seoul is just 70 kms from the DMZ and South Korea cannot afford another war with North Korea, a not so developed country (except in terms of nuclear missiles and bombs).
India’s Role in Korean Armistice
India had played an important role in the Korean armistice (1953) with a contingent of Indian Army under Lt Gen S Thimayya, responsible for the repartition of the PoWs (the Prisoners of War). For the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) it was a ‘big switch’ of around 2 lacs PoWs handled by the Indian contingent (aided by some other neutral nations too) under UN supervision.
The iconic ‘Bridge of No Return’ via which repatriation was conducted during the armistice was popularised by ‘02 James Bond Flick, ‘Die Another Day’ and is still a major attraction for international tourists in the DMZ area. It was named ‘No Return’ as once the PoW had crossed to either side there was no option to return later.
That is the reason, whenever I spoke to any Korean (civilian) during my three tours of South Korea in past six years, he or she will always crave to get ‘reunited’–a theme recently highlighted in much acclaimed web series–’Crash Landing On You’– based on the love story of a North Korean military officer posted at DMZ and a charming business tycoon of Seoul.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
India had played an important role in the Korean armistice (1953) with a contingent of Indian Army under Lt Gen S Thimayya, responsible for the repartition of the PoWs (the Prisoners of War). For the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (the NNRC) it was a ‘big switch’ of around 2 lacs PoWs handled by the Indian contingent (aided by some other neutral nations too) under UN supervision.
The iconic ‘Bridge of No Return’ via which repatriation was conducted during the armistice was popularised by ‘02 James Bond Flick, ‘Die Another Day’ and is still a major attraction for international tourists in the DMZ area. It was named ‘No Return’ as once the PoW had crossed to either side there was no option to return later.
That is the reason, whenever I spoke to any Korean (civilian) during my three tours of South Korea in past six years, he or she will always crave to get ‘reunited’–a theme recently highlighted in much acclaimed web series–’Crash Landing On You’– based on the love story of a North Korean military officer posted at DMZ and a charming business tycoon of Seoul.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
The author is a Senior War-journalist having more than two decades of multimedia experience with specialization in defense, conflict, security, strategic affairs & geopolitics. He has done ground reporting from the Korean Peninsula and his book on the Russia-Ukraine war, ‘Operation Z Live’ in Hindi has just been released.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.
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