The soldiers are carrying out a night patrol mission along the iron fence. ()
Editor’s Note: This story was translated by the Korea Defense Daily and originally appeared on their website.
Cheorwon and Yeoncheon County were the places where countless young individuals risked their lives for the freedom of Republic of Korea during the Korean War. The unit currently assigned to protect this area is the ROK Army’s 5th Infantry Division.
The path to 'A' post was covered with white snow. The soldiers had a hard time clearing the heavy snow that fell a few days ago throughout the weekend. Even on this day, the soldiers at the post had no spare time for snow removal.
"Even though it seemed like the snow would never end no matter how much we cleared, it eventually stopped," said Lieutenant Lee Jong-geun, a post commander, with a smile.
The patrol route along the steel fence of the A post was narrow and slippery, making it difficult to climb up and down. However, for the soldiers here, it was just a daily routine. They say it takes less than an hour to patrol a 2~2.5km section.
As I left 'A' post and arrived at B post, the sun was setting. The soldiers deployed for night guard duty were equipped with various new types of equipment, such as night vision goggles and multi-function observation scopes from the 'Warrior Platform'. This is a tremendous change compared to the past when everything was resolved with the naked eye. As the variety of equipment has increased, thorough military equipment inspections have become even more important.
I asked Private First Class Jo Seung-woo, who was heading out for a night patrol operation, "Isn't winter patrol difficult?" He responded, "Not at all," and said this:
"It's OK because the lights are bright and the snow removal is well done. Rather, what we need to be careful of is complacency. Although we have a scientific surveillance system and it seems like the camera can capture all situations, we always have to be on guard for that 1% chance. Even if the camera catches it, it's our job to resolve the situation."
First Lieutenant Kim Yeon-woong, the team leader, said this: 'The moment we become complacent can put everyone in danger. It's a chilling thought when you consider scenarios where a mine could explode or when enemy artillery shells could come our way. We strive not to get caught up in similar environments and operations.'
I went out for a night patrol with the soldiers. The lights lined up along the fence extended to the nearby area of the 6th Infantry Division. The winding fence and lights along the ridge resembled a nighttime view of a large city. However, this place was indeed the front line
The next day, I visited 'Baengmagoji', where fierce hill battles took place during the Korean War. Numerous soldiers were conducting operations here to excavate the remains of those killed in action during the Korean War, buried in the ground.
The operation to excavate the remains was carried out very carefully. This was due to the fact that the remains buried in the ground were intertwined with each other.
The pride of the soldiers participating in the remains excavation operation was tremendous. They knew that it was not a task that anyone could do, nor a task that one could simply say they wanted to do.
Even today, the Cheorwon and Yeoncheon areas are considered important military strongholds on the Korean Peninsula. The 5th Infantry Division soldiers guarding this place were the 'inheritors of the soul'. I had a strong belief that as long as the courage of their senior comrades continues to be passed on to the 5th Infantry Division soldiers, peace will continue.
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국방일보 정전협정 70주년 특별기획 [다시, DMZ]
7) 육군5사단 (철원·연천)
6·25전쟁 당시 수많은 젊음이 이 땅의 자유를 위해 몸을 던졌던 강원도 철원·연천군. 현재 이곳을 지키는 부대는 육군5보병사단이다.·
A 소초로 가는 길, 능선은 하얀 눈으로 뒤덮여 있었다. 며칠 전 덮친 큰 눈을 치우느라 주말 내내 장병들의 고생이 많았다. 이날도 소초 장병들은 제설에 여념이 없었다. 소초장 이종근 중위는 "치워도 치워도 끝이 없을 것 같았던 눈도 결국 언젠가는 그치더라"며 웃어 보였다.
철책을 따라 이어진 A 소초의 순찰로는 좁고 미끄러워 오르내리기 쉽지 않았다. 하지만 이곳 장병들에게는 그저 일상일 뿐이었다. 2~2.5㎞ 구간을 순찰하는데 1시간도 걸리지 않는다고 한다.
A 소초를 떠나 B 소초에 도착하자 해가 저물고 있었다. 야간 경계 근무에 투입된 장병들은 ‘워리어 플랫폼’ 장비인 야간투시경, 다기능 관측경 등 다양한 신형 장비를 착용하고 있었다. 육안으로 모든 것을 해결하던 과거에 비하면 엄청난 변화이다. 장비가 다양해진 만큼 철저한 군장 검사가 더욱 중요해졌다.
나는 야간 경계 작전에 나서는 조승우 일병에게 "겨울철 순찰은 힘들지 않느냐"고 물었다. 그는 "전혀 그렇지 않다"며 이렇게 말했다.
"불이 밝고 제설도 잘 돼 있기 때문에 큰 문제는 없습니다. 오히려 조심해야 하는 것은 방심입니다. 과학화 경계 시스템이 있어서 카메라가 모든 상황을 잡을 수 있을 것 같지만 늘 1%의 확률도 경계해야 합니다. 카메라가 잡는다고 해도 상황을 종결하는 것은 우리의 몫이기 때문입니다."
장병들과 함께 야간 순찰에 나섰다. 철책을 따라 늘어선 불빛은 인근 육군6보병사단 지역까지 이어지고 있었다. 능선을 따라 구불구불 연결된 철책과 불빛들은 대도시의 야경을 방불케 했다. 하지만 이곳은 엄연한 대한민국의 최전방이었다.
다음 날 방문한 장소는 6·25전쟁 당시 치열한 고지전이 벌어졌던 ‘백마고지’였다. 이곳에서 장병들은 한국전쟁 전사자 유해발굴 작전을 펼치고 있었다.
유해발굴 작전은 아주 조심스럽게 진행됐다. 전사자 수도 많았고 유해가 뒤엉켜 있기 때문이다. 작전에 참가한 5사단 장병들의 자부심은 대단했다. 누구나 할 수 있는 임무가 아니고, 하고 싶다고 할 수 있는 임무가 아님을 알고 있기 때문이다.
오늘날에도 철원·연천 지역은 한반도의 중요한 군사적 요충지로 꼽힌다. 그런 이곳을 지키고 있는 5사단 장병들은 ‘영혼을 이어 받은 자’였다. 선배 전우들의 용기가 5사단 장병들에게 이어지는 한 평화는 계속될 것이라는 강한 믿음이 들었다.
글 : 맹수열 기자 <guns13@dema.mil.kr> 사진 : 조용학 기자 <catcho@dema.mil.kr>
Write: Maing Suyeol <guns13@dema.mil.kr> Photo: Jo Yonghak <catcho@dema.mil.kr>
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