A few months ago, in February, I finally got the chance to head to the DMZ. While I didn't really know what to expect, it definitely wasn't this.
To get to the DMZ you must board a train at Seoul Station, called the 'DMZ train'. This train is painted nicely and the interior is covered in colourful paintings and murals. After travelling for around an hour through the Korean countryside, the train is stopped and everyone must have their passport (and if they are Korean or a registered alien, their ID card) checked before proceeding. Certain items are also banned (such as alcohol, and I'm sure, weapons) and some people are picked for bag searches.
After everyone has been processed, you board the train again, but this time with soldiers. These soldiers stay on the train until the last stop.
The whole area we explored on the South Korean side of the DMZ is eerie. Everything is quiet, buildings are abandoned, barbed wire lays on the ground randomly. Soldiers are the only people here. The actual DMZ is the opposite of quiet, with North Korean music blaring for kilometers in all directions (at least it was North Korean music at the time we visited... I have heard South Korea does the same sometimes).
I apologise for the not-fantastic image quality of these images. They were taken on my Galaxy S7 and then compressed a few times.
Crossing a bridge on the way to the final stop.
Some species of animals have managed to thrive in the DMZ since they have no human problems. It is now basically a massive nature reserve, and these deer are some of the inhabitants.
A soldiers lunch! We ate lunch with the soldiers. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the taste and quality of the food... Although it may not look appealing, it tasted pretty good!
And finally two images of the actual DMZ. For some reason I didn't have my camera that day. The hills on the far side of the DMZ are covered in North Korean artillery that is aimed towards South Korea at all times in case of a war. Imagine this scene but with North Korean music blaring from speakers, music you can't not hear.
The DMZ was an amazing experience and if I get another opportunity I will definitely go again. This time with my camera!