Thirty-six U.S. Soldiers assigned to 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, take a commemorative photo at Imjingak Peace Park during a Newcomers Tour to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Paju, South Korea, March 20, 2025. The U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey Community Relations Office organized the tour to educate, improve quality of life, and broaden the cross-cultural understanding of Soldiers stationed on Camp Casey. (Stanley James, U.S. Army)
PAJU, South Korea – Just 27 miles away from the capital of South Korea, less than an hour’s drive, a new generation of American Soldiers stare at a tense moment of military history in Korea, carved into 1.1 miles of granite bedrock at Third Tunnel of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), March 20.
Thirty-six U.S. Soldiers assigned to 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, toured the Third Tunnel of the Korean DMZ during a Newcomers Orientation Tour organized by the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey Community Relations Office (CRO). 210th FAB Soldiers are part of the formidable defense network that safeguards the peace and security of the Korean Theater of Operations in modern times.
The Korean DMZ is approximately 160 miles long and 2.5 miles wide and creates a buffer zone between North and South Korea where military activities are prohibited to prevent direct conflicts. It was originally created in 1953 after the signing of the armistice that brought an end to the Korean War.
The DMZ is a literal no-man’s land and remains one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world to this day. It is also the first time most of the Soldiers participating in the tour have been to this iconic location.
Park has been a tour guide for more than 15 years and loves getting to meet people from all over the world. She loves being able to make new friends and introduce them to Korean culture and history.
Monthly Newcomers’ tours are organized by the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey CRO to teach newly arrived Soldiers and civilians in the area more about military history and the significance of their roles while serving in Korea. The tours are free and at no cost to participants, courtesy of U.S. Forces Korea or the installation’s Good Neighbors Program (GNP). The trips are designed to promote cross-cultural understanding, strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance, and enhance the morale and welfare of Soldiers and civilians while creating long-lasting and positive memories of their time in Korea.
Originally discovered in October 1978, the walls of the Third Tunnel still bear the signs of drill markings for dynamite. It is estimated that nearly 30,000 personnel with light weaponry can move through the tunnel every hour.
Other parts of the trip included a gondola ride at Imjingak Peace Park and trip to Dora Observatory. Various relics from the Korean War can be found throughout both locations, enhancing the rich and immersive militarily historic experience of tourists.
For example, a steam locomotive that was derailed by bombs during the war and riddled with bullet holes is one of the main attractions at Imjingak. It stands alongside one of the major walking paths at the park, hauntingly contrasted by colorful peace ribbons lined up along the adjacent barbwire fence that still separates north and south.
Located within the DMZ, Dora Observatory gives a bird’s eye glimpse across the contested area and into the North Korea. From the observatory deck, the group of Soldiers were able to see just how close the very tunnel they walked through a few hours earlier is to North Korea.
Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, is where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was signed and has become a recognized symbol of the Korean peninsula’s divided history. It has been used as a site for discussions between North and South Korean officials.
Tours like the one described above are just one opportunity held throughout the year to educate, improve quality of life, and broaden the cross-cultural understanding of Soldiers and civilians living anywhere within the 72-mile radius of Seoul to the DMZ. Last year, the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey Community Relations Office organized 116 such events to improve the Area I and II community.
