00:00A Walk Through Camp Greaves in the Demilitarized Zone of Korea
00:04Many of us got a pretty good view of Korea's demilitarized zone, or DMZ,
00:10when Son Ye-jin's Chaebol Harris, Yoon Se-ri from the South, tumbled into the life of North
00:17Korean officer Captain Ri Jong-hyuk in the K-drama Crash Landing on You.
00:22While the series did add the place onto many recent must-see tourist lists,
00:27it used to receive about 1.2 million visitors annually pre-pandemic,
00:33as per the Korean tourist authorities.
00:36Not your average tourist spot, the isolated area of DMZ seems to attract many,
00:42especially as it allows you a glimpse of life across the border.
00:46From the observation deck on top of Mount Dora or Dorasan, you can see a North Korean village,
00:53literally a stone's throw away from a South Korean village, along with stretches of forest
01:00cover that apparently house endangered otters, water deer, and spoonbills.
01:05Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, between North and South Korea,
01:13when the Korean War that began on June 25, 1950, was suspended, not ended.
01:22Both armies withdrew by two kilometers on either side from the Military Demarcation Line,
01:28also known as MDL, or the border between the two countries along the 38th parallel north latitude.
01:36This area is called the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ. It essentially refers to an area that
01:43belongs to a nation but troops cannot be stationed on it, as per international laws.
01:49The Korean DMZ is located in the Gyeonggi-do Province outside Seoul, which is known for
01:55its ceramics, the Hwasong Fortress, and the Royal Buddhist Temple. Extending from the DMZ,
02:03for about 10 kilometers on either side, is the Civilian Control Line or CCL.
02:09Traditionally, this is a highly restricted area, but there were always villages here prior to the
02:15partition, especially soybean farmers. So, following the armistice, as the focus was
02:21changed to defense of the DMZ area and that of the ceasefire line, the South allowed residents
02:28of the farming village to continue living there and farming. But they do have to follow strict
02:34access rules and have curfews and a checkpoint. About two kilometers away from the DMZ,
02:41within the civilian area is located Camp Greaves. What is Camp Greaves? It is one of the oldest US
02:48military bases in South Korea, which was built in 1953 and served as a base for the 506th
02:56US 2nd Infantry Division for about 50 years, until the division withdrew in August 2004,
03:05according to the Camp Greaves literature provided to visitors. It was then turned
03:11into what is now known as an experiential facility in 2013 by the Korean Provincial
03:18Authorities. It features several exhibition halls and projects as part of Cultural Regeneration
03:25Initiative, the only one of its kind within the Civilian Control Line. In fact, Camp Greaves is
03:32now known as a filming site for K-dramas, TV shows and music videos. A famous example is the Song Joong-ki
03:41Song Hae-ko starrer, Descendants of the Sun. Uruk is a fictional place in the series and Captain
03:48Yoo Se-jin, along with his troops, were filmed at the Camp Greaves Experience Center. One of the most
03:55interesting exhibits at the center is the Powder Magazine, which is essentially a concrete building
04:01that can withstand within it in case of an explosion. It was built to supply ammunition
04:07to US bases in the Monsan area. Currently, it houses various art installations that aim to
04:13promote peace. The other major project is the Gallery Greaves special exhibition titled
04:19Portrait of the Days of Youth, Days of Our Youth. It includes moving images, footage, pictures and
04:26stories of soldiers and correspondents from the Korean War fought for three years from 1950 to
04:331953 with over three million casualties. It encapsulates the loss, pain, tragedy and brutality
04:42of the Korean War. The scars it left on the hearts and minds of a people still hoping for a peace
04:50treaty.
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