Korea’s DMZ is More Than Just Soldiers
One photojournalist was granted rare access to the demilitarized zone. This is what he saw.
Park Jongwoo
- Park Jongwoo01The Korean Demilitarized Zone was established in 1953 as part of the armistice agreement that ended three years of brutal fighting between North and South Korea.
- Park Jongwoo02In 2009, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense granted photojournalist Park Jongwoo rare access to this two-mile-wide swath of land.
- Park Jongwoo03Jongwoo spent the next eight years photographing the DMZ. Because of the thousands of land mines that litter the area, he was accompanied at all times by a squadron of South Korean soldiers.
- Park Jongwoo04The DMZ stretches across the 155-mile width of the Korean peninsula and is bounded on both sides by barbed-wire fences—and one of the largest concentrations of soldiers and artillery in the world.
- Park Jongwoo05Here, a South Korean soldier stands guard at the Southern Limit Line overlooking the frozen Han River, which flows from North Korea to South Korea through the DMZ.
- Park Jongwoo06“I thought inside the DMZ would be this fully armed area with artillery and machine guns and missiles,” Jongwoo said. “But when I first went in, it just looked like a really peaceful area.”
- Park Jongwoo07Because the zone is off-limits to human development, it has become something of a wildlife refuge for endangered birds; more than 6,000 animal and plant species have been identified in the area, including 106 labeled endangered or protected.
- Park Jongwoo08This abandoned bridge has remained untouched since the 1953 armistice. With no humans allowed to enter this area, it has become a resting place for migrating cormorants.
- Park Jongwoo09Despite the recent thaw in inter-Korean relations due to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Jongwoo expressed skepticism about the prospect for reunification, at least within his lifetime.
- Park Jongwoo10“There are so many obstacles to peace talks, so most people are still worried about that,” Jongwoo said. “But for this moment, for the Olympics, we’re happy.”
South Korea Wants to Fire Up a Hyperloop in Just 4 Years
Turning a three-hour journey from Seoul to Busan into a half-hour hop.
Beyond the DMZ: Pyongyang's Hidden Jewel is its Subway System
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, known as North Korea, is known for its Stalinistic dictatorship, severe human rights violations, extensive prison camp system, and food shortages. But within the country, which is the home to “some of the world’s most brutalized people,” according to Human Rights Watch, the capital’s subway system contrasts the rest […]
North Korea's Plenty Scary Without an Overhyped EMP Threat
While an electromagnetic pulse attack could cause plenty of trouble, don't expect one to come from North Korea.
Uncensored Instagrams From North Korea Buck Brutal Trend of Secrecy
As the AP's chief photographer for Asia, David Guttenfelder now sends out images from the Pyongyang bureau and posts daily to Instagram. In a country without the Internet, a reporter with social media is king, so we asked Guttenfelder for his report from the inside.
Here's How Activists Smuggle Friends Into North Korea
Western movies, TV shows, documentaries, news—despite a ban on foreign media in North Korea, many of its citizens are able to watch all this stuff. And activists have found plenty of ways to smuggle digital contraband into the “darkest place on Earth.” Dissident groups like the North Korea Strategy Center, North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity, and […]
The ‘Surge’ of Troops May Not Come to San Francisco, but the City Is Ready Anyway
San Francisco is preparing for federal law enforcement’s invasion of the Bay Area, whether it happens or not.
Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Figured Out How to Channel Fandom
Much of the content about Mamdani online hasn’t come from his campaign or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It has also come from fans.
The Long History of Frogs as Protest Symbols
Inflatable frog costumes are selling out following the weekend's “No Kings” protests and to counter Trump’s demonization of US cities more broadly.
A Collision With Space Debris Leaves 3 Chinese Astronauts Stranded in Orbit
The only craft docked at Tiangong space station has been damaged and “does not meet the release conditions for a safe manned return.”
Mexico City Is the Most Video-Surveilled Metropolis in the Americas
Despite 83,000 public cameras, crime in Mexico City remains high—and widespread surveillance raises myriad ethical issues.
ICE Wants to Build a Shadow Deportation Network in Texas
A new ICE proposal outlines a 24/7 transport operation run by armed contractors—turning Texas into the logistical backbone of an industrialized deportation machine.
DHS Wants a Fleet of AI-Powered Surveillance Trucks
US border patrol is asking companies to submit plans to turn standard 4x4 trucks into AI-powered watchtowers—combining radar, cameras, and autonomous tracking to extend surveillance on demand.