North Korea alleges that in the 1970s following an order from the United States the South Korean government built a concrete barrier along the length of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). In the outside world the existence of such a wall is denied by the United States and South Korea, who insist the Northern military is merely seeing cliffs.
The North takes tourists to a lookout to view the wall, and asserts that this structure is a physical symbol of American resistance to the reunification of Korea. We were guided by a vivacious army Colonel whose showmanship indicated he frequently serves foreign tourist groups. While delivering a spiel about the history of the wall and the imperialist motivations of the United States he charmed and joked with the tourists - praising us for our courage and promising that he would shield us from any stray bullets from the south.
Many people took the chance to shake hands with the Colonel and have a photo taken with him. When I introduced myself in Korean he was absolutely delighted to meet a southerner, as these photos attest:
He knew our western guide Hannah from her many previous visits, and from memory she called him the "Karaoke Colonel" for his extroverted nature and penchant for singing:
After intently viewing through the provided binoculars trying to figure out whether the wall is real we made our way back to the bus. It was here just before boarding that Tim witnessed a distressing scene - please ask me or Tim if you know us in real life.
After the visit the Colonel got a lift back on our bus, and took the opportunity to sit next to me to have a chat in Korean. He was very interested in my bio' and how I became an Australian to visit North Korea, and he pleaded with me to tell the outside world about the Concrete Wall upon returning home. "I have no reason to lie to you", I distinctly remember him saying.
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