Seoul...One More Time

DanFam5 wanted to hit Seoul 'one more time.' (That's an inside joke from church.) It was a three day weekend due to the observance of Memorial Day on June 6. Much like the US Memorial Day, it is a national holiday designated to honor soldiers, especially those who gave their lives during the Korean War. It was first set aside as a holiday in 1856, shortly after the war.

We left bright and early Saturday morning, drove into town and went straight to  롯데월드타워 Lotte World Tower. 

This is a pretty big tourist attraction, for natives and foreigners alike. Thirteen million people a year visit. Naturally, there was a line to get in. I have heard stories of the pushy 아줌마 ajummas, but I have not experienced it. Us people living in South Korea took social distancing seriously, for two and a half years. It worked well until Omicron came and infected the whole ding dong population and we're pretty much over it now. Remember, the entire country is the size of Indiana but with a population of 51 million, so things get really packed, really fast. The entire country is out and about and the ajummas are in full force! 

Technically, an ajumma is a middle-aged married woman. However, the term is often used negatively when referring to older, grouchy women (at least that's how the 외국 waygooks use the term). I read a blog that explains that ajummas are fresh out of hoots go give. 😆

This is the second time in the past few weeks that we have been waiting in a stationary line, and an older woman was taking liberties. The first instance that it happened, the lady just walked right in front of us. I thought she was joining her family who was in line in front of us. Nope. She just pushed past and stood there, then motioned for her daughter to go up in front of us, too. This time, however, the woman was actively pushing us. She kept trying to nudge her way into the middle of our family. 

I have a few issues with this. 1) The line was not moving, so what does it matter if I have a couple feet between me and the person in front of me or a couple inches? The line is still not moving. 2) My family obviously goes together. We totally stand out as waygooks. A Korean knows when they are in the middle of us. 3) Why would she want to stand in the middle of my family with her husband behind us? Much like the JFK mystery, these are answers I will never know. What I DO know is that I need to let the ajummas do their thing because obviously they feel the need to cut in line. But I can't. I can't let it go. So I made myself as wide as I could and started playing defense so the ajumma couldn't sneak in the middle of our family. I had made up my mind that the next time she physically rubbed her body on me to push me I was going to cough and say, "Covid." We got to the entry before I did that, which is probably a good thing. I always try to be on my best behavior since I am a visitor in this country and a reflection of the US; that would not have been my best behavior.

The site for  Lotte World Tower was established in 1987, but the tower did not actually get built until 2016. It contains galleries, cafés, a luxury hotel, a skywalk and an observation deck.

The Sky Shuttle is the elevator that takes you to the 123rd floor. It is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for its technology and speed, carrying 54 passengers per elevator. The pair of high-tech double-deck elevators travel at 10 meters per second, taking just 60 seconds to get to the top. 

Lotte World Tower is the world's 5th tallest building, measuring in at 555 meters (around 600 yards).

The website boasts: The future-oriented vertical metropolis in which globalism, Korea's traditional beauty, human technology, cutting-edge technology, and nature exist in harmony.

Lotte World is an amusement park in which part of it is outdoors on that little lake, and part of it is indoors in that building with the green roof. We had plans to go several times, but, Covid.

At 478 meters, the 118th floor features the world's highest indoor glass floor.

The Han River runs right through Seoul. There are 27 car bridges and 4 railway bridges that connect the north side of Seoul with the south side.

Lotte World Tower was the country's first building to exceed 100 floors. It, along with many other traditional Korean art works, are inspired by sleek, tapered designs that offer contrast to the country's mountainous terrain.

There are 42,000 glass windows on the tower.

Named Seoul Sky, the observatory occupies the top seven floors, containing a glass skywalk, outdoor terraces, shops and restaurants.

After the observation tower we hit the 롯데월아쿠아리움 Lotte World Aquarium.

Thirteen themes from five oceans of the world contain 650 species with over 55,000 marine friends.

This is Korea's longest underwater tunnel, stretching 85 meters.

I think octopuses are so neat to watch.

I have read that some people eat these raw while they are still alive. They say you have to be careful because the suction cups can get stuck in your throat. I'm gonna have to take their word for that.

I also like to watch the jellyfish. They look so neat in the black light.

Lotte Aquarium also houses a 25 meter wide inhabitation water tank, which is the largest in Korea.

According to Lijee, an aquarium isn't worth visiting without penguins.

After viewing marine life, we had to visit a Meercat Cafe.

First we wondered around the block a time or two trying to find it.

It was worth the extra effort to locate it.

The wallabies were friendly and the baby was so cute. I feel sorry for these animals. Some of them had obvious injuries that have healed, so I am hoping that a lot of them were rehabilitated.

These guys are so fun! They are super curious and try to dig in your pockets in search for food.

Daisy wasn't so sure about them. 

It was nearly feeding time so they were busy looking for the workers to come in and feed them. But this little guy plopped down for some snuggles.

The main reason for this trip was the DMZ. Abe and I had both been wanting to do this before we left Korea. I had it on the books, and then the DMZ in Goseong came up about a month ago. I thought maybe we could cancel this one after doing the other. But they are very different trips, so we kept both. 

The DMZ is a strip of land running along the 38th parallel that serves as a buffer between North and South Korea. After the surrender of imperial Japan at the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union divided Korea into two zones at the 38th parallel. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea--DPRK-- and the Republic of Korea--ROK--otherwise known as North Korea and South Korea in 1948, it became one of the most tense fronts of the Cold War.

About 1.2 million visitors a year come to view this unique area. It has been closed for the past couple years because, Covid. It has recently reopened and people are itching to see the area. Consequently our tour bus left super early to snag a spot in line. We waited for over an hour in this building because everyone has to show their passport in person to get a ticket, even with a tour operator leading you.

Once we got our tickets, we had to wait about another hour. The building is located in 임진각 Imjingak Resort, which was built in 1972 with the hope that someday unification would be possible. So we went on the Paju Imjingak Peace Gondola across the Imjin River. Oh! I forgot to mention that the Ts were also in town for the weekend. They had made plans for the tour, too, but they had a work friend visiting from the US, so we did not make plans together. When we got on our tour bus, low and behold, it was our lucky day!

The 850 meter gondola connects Imjingak Resort with the former US Army base Camp Greaves, which was formally returned to South Korea in 2007.

As the gondola crossed the Imjin River, a view of Freedom Bridge was in sight.

I liked how they used pinwheels to write 'DMZ' on the ground.

Other than one small town of less than 200 people, no one inhabits the DMZ nor walks in it. Because of this, it is teeming with wildlife. However, there are still more than one million land mines located throughout. I sure do hope those animals do not step on the mines.

The DMZ was created at the end of the Korean War (1950-53) when the cease-fire was agreed upon. Both sides pulled back their military forces about 1.2 miles along each side of the military demarcation line. All in all, it stretches about 150 miles across the peninsula.

The Greaves Gallery houses artifacts and information regarding Camp Greaves, which housed US military forces for the 506th Second Infantry Division for more than 50 years after the war. Camp Greaves was one of the oldest US bases in Korea. It included accommodation for officers, a living hall, a physical activity hall, and several other army facilities, including a bowling alley. It is the only accommodation within the restricted area for civilians. Hence the extreme signs. Abe saw them as an opportunity for humor.

Powerful Coupling contains circles and spheres formed by gathering points that are the same distance from their center point.  It explained that many elements must come together for a single goal to achieve great power and concentrated energy, much like would be the case with peace and unification.

This art piece is called Connected 16. The 16 circular structures surrounding the center symbolize the 16 UN countries that participated in the Korean War.

Zeke, Susie and Daisy are viewing the piece Look Hard and Closely. 

A tangled link can be unraveled by severing one, and a misaligned connection can be restored by tailoring it to a new reference point is the idea explained in Chain.

This pagoda was created as a spot for tourists to rest and pray for peace in the Civilian Control Line.

The US military produced this sign in the 1950s to indicate that it was a no-fly zone.

A remnant of the 경위 Gyeongui Train Line that was destroyed in 1950 remains in the park.

Bombed and derailed during the Korean War, the rusty old steam locomotive is left as a reminder of the tragic history of the division of their beloved country. More than 1,020 bullet holes on the train and its bent wheels testify to the terrible violence of the war. Prior to its demise, this train hauled troops, tanks, and ammunition to the front lines. This steam engine was actually the last train to cross the Korean border.

개성 Gaeseong, North Korea is 22km away, and Seoul, South Korea is 53km the opposite direction.

Families who were left divided after the country split come to 

망배단 Mangbaedan Alter to honor the deceased that they cannot visit in North Korea. Ten million citizens were displaced from their families when the borders were drawn. No one is allowed to cross the border directly between the two Koreas. One must travel to a third country first, such as Russia or China, and then to the other Korea. This alter is as close as they can get to their family on the opposite side of the 38th parallel.  All these ribbons are tied in hopes for unification and in memory of their divided families. A few years ago citizens from both sides were given the opportunity to have a chance to meet with their loved ones for the first time since the 1950s. More than 57,000 people had been hoping to take part in the reunions, but of those only 93 families were selected. 

The yellow line on the floor is the Civilian Control Line, which is not permitted to access by the public. This facility is the sole place in South Korea where the public can access the CCL without permission.

'Whistle for Tomorrow' is set up just past the yellow line. The original 독개다리 Dokgaedari Bridge was part of the Gyeongeui Line consisting of two tracks, a northbound and a southbound, and was destroyed by bullets and bombs during the Korean War. When the ceasefire agreement was signed in 1953, the bridge was temporarily repaired to bring back 12,733 Korean and UN prisoners of war. Because of this walk across the bridge by the prisoners of war to their home land, it has been renamed to Freedom Bridge. The name Freedom Bridge recalls the phrase "Long live freedom!" shouted by those soldiers when they stepped onto the South side of the bridge.

'The Whistle for Tomorrow' has three segments representing the past, present and future. The letters DMZ are formed with bullets on the original tracks.

This is the end, looking towards the future when the bridge will be repaired and the Koreas will be reconnected.

These are the original posts for the bridge.

Imjingak Resort has various war-related artifacts in and around Nuri Park.  

As a tribute to Harry S. Truman, who sent US troops to the ROK to help defend against the communist invasion on June 25, 1950, this monument holds his statue.

The whole experience was a bit sobering. Then your senses were assaulted with an amusement park that looked like a traveling fair with rides, snacks, loud music, and lots of families. A sweet man selling cotton candy stopped us and said he wanted to give us a free treat because he likes Americans.

The DMZ is roughly 150 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide. The Armistice Agreement was signed to end hostilities, but peace was not agreed to; the two Koreas have officially been at war for almost 70 years. There are no troops in the DMZ (except in the Joint Security Area), but both sides of the strip of land separating the North and South is the most heavily armed area in the world. Check points, barbed wire, observations posts, military camps, over 1200 warning signs, and infiltration tunnels lend testament to that fact.

Four infiltration tunnels dug by the North have been discovered at present, but there are believed to be up to 20 more. The first tunnel was discovered in 1974 by a S. Korean army patrol that saw steam rising from the ground and heard underground explosions.

We were able to walk through the third infiltration tunnel. Only 27 miles from Seoul, the incomplete tunnel was discovered in 1978 following the detection of an underground explosion four months prior, apparently caused by the tunnelers who had progressed 1,427 feet under the south side of the DMZ. It was discovered after searching for four months. This was seen as an act of aggression. North Korea initially denied building it, but then said, "Alright. You got us. We were mining for coal." Oddly enough, there is no geological likelihood of coal being in the area.

The mile-long, 6 foot by 6 foot tunnel was created to carry 10,000 armed soldiers per hour. 😳 Three preventative concrete barricades have been put in place in the tunnel. Tourists are allowed as far as the first one only. There are no pictures allowed--they even make you check your phone into a locker before entering.  

This One Earth is a well-known statue. The split earth indicates the sadness of a country torn in two. Men, women and children are on both sides of the divide to attempt to push the earth back together, in a symbol of peace and forgiveness.

Eli has the weight of the world on his back.

When the North Korean dictator gives gifts, it is a very big deal and the recipient solemnly swears an oath of loyalty. In 1988 he gave gifts to the troops, including a soccer ball. The young men in the North Korean army are assigned 10 years of service without much, if any, leave. Playing soccer was a highlight for them. While playing with the gifted ball, it was accidentally kicked into the ocean. There happened to be a powerful whirlpool there. Four young soldiers jumped in to save the ball, but all of them drowned. This statue honors them.

The next part of the tour was the Dora Observatory. It was opened in 1987 atop Mt Dora. 

The Axe Murder Incident, in 1976, took place at the demarcation line on the Bridge of No Return. After the Korean war this bridge was used for prisoners of war to either stay on the side of their captors or cross over the bridge. Once you crossed the bridge, you were never allowed back in, even if you changed your mind. The ROK sent some troops, along with 2 American soldiers and a few UN soldiers to trim a poplar tree that was blocking visibility. The North knew they were coming and were ok with it. After working on it a bit, the Northern commander told them to stop. They ignored him. Suddenly the Northern soldiers attacked the Southern group, picking up their axes and brutally murdering them. It was after this attack that US forces built a wall 20 feet high and 50 feet thick on average, stretching 149 miles that has a variety of gadgets to help keep Northern soldiers at bay.

In the middle of the picture you can see the DPRK flagpole. The story, as told from South Korea's point of view, is that South Korea raised their 98 meter flag pole first (about 320 feet). Then North Korea constructed their just a little bit taller. So South Korea raised theirs a little taller. And then North Korea raised theirs a lot taller, to 160 meters. At that point South Korea said 'Whatevs. You can have the tallest flag pole because clearly you really want it.' The weight of the N. Korean flag is over 660 pounds.

At the time it made the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest flag pole in the world. However, it is currently the fourth tallest flagpole in the world, at 160m. 

This is a closer view from looking through the binoculars.

The short South Korean flag flies in the left middle of the picture.

A view of North Korea with the naked eye.

After our tour was over and we had dinner wit the Ts, all the boys were done for the day. Us three girls, however, decided to do some shopping. We started in Insadong. I happened to remember reading about a light show as we passed by, so we stopped in to check it out. It was definitely 'artsy.'

The name of the temporary exhitbit was called Curious 12 Tales. This theme of this area was the old stories that began with stone and wood. The idea is that animal-like symbolic creatures of old come to life in this place. 

The legend of the katsura tree says that it protects people and grants wishes.

This room was called the Story of Shadows.

This room hosted the various ghosts that inhabit the streets of Seoul. The sign reads, "Have you ever seen a ghost?"

Household gods keep peace over our homes and oversee the various parts of them have always existed, according to this area.

Here we were able to find the constellation that fit our birth date.

Our own guardian spirit was created by us, scanned and then projected on the wall. Mine is the little face in the center saying hello.

This crazy room was the magical door.

We passed this big church on the way back. It is very western-looking.

We enjoyed the view, a treat, and the company at 동대문 Dongdaemun Plaza before walking Susie to her hotel.

Abe and my morning walk was a wet one along Seoullo 7017 Skygarden.

숭래문 Sungnyemun Gate was one of the four main gates of the Seoul City Wall, which was the fortress that encircled the capital of the Joseon Dynasty from 1392-1910. The wooden pavilion at the top is the oldest wooden structure of the Seoul City wall. Of course it has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times.

We were looking forward to lunch at the 2-D Cafe, but it was closed.

On our walk we passed a photo booth. This boy cracks me up.       

The final stop on the drive home was 광명동굴 Gwangmyeong Cave.

The entrance has a statue of a woman. She commemorates the countless number of girls that were taken and used as "comfort women" by the Japanese army during the Japanese occupation.

The miner stone statue was commissioned at the entrance to the cave to commemorate the sweat and suffering of the miners that were exploited and mistreated at the mine during Japanese rule. Although some of the history with the cave has tainted memories, the city has now created beauty from ashes.

Unlike the other caves we have visited, this one was a mining cave. The cave was in operation from 1912-1972. Gwangmyeong Cave has a rich history. Gold, silver, bronze and zinc were first mined from the cave in 1912, and people were drafted to work by force and abused during the Japanese Colonial rule, as explained above. The mine was abandoned for a time, used as a refuge during the Korean War (it was even a maternity ward for the birth of a refugee during that time), and then used as a storage unit for salted shrimp. After being abandoned for forty years, the city purchased the cave and has turned it into a cave-themed park that has elements of culture and art, attracting over a million guests per year.

After entering through the 'wormhole,' we passed through a rainbow light tunnel, called Space of Light,

luminous creatures of the gold cave,

and then viewed a light show projected on the cave wall at the Cave Arts Media Center. The site says, "beautiful existence in the dark, art expressing the cave through the theme of light."

The country's first Cave Aqua World houses fish found everywhere in the world.

The Supernova of Wishes is made up of 4,219 gold plaques with each containing the written wishes of visitors to the cave during 2015. "The mysterious and beautiful starlight glow transmits an air of hopeful energy exploding like a supernova falling all around us." 

Gwangmyong Cave was initially developed as a gold mine. The total mineral deposit of the cave as of 1950 was estimated at 19,000 tons. Experts agree there is still a large sum of gold buried inside the cave waiting to be discovered. The Golden Road is where the gold was first mined and is considered to be a road of 'long life, happiness and peace that brings health and happiness'

Gold plaques bought are kept for one year as a way of helping each visitors' wish for health and happiness come true. Or so they say.

If you touch the golden coins flowing out of the Goddess of Prosperity's cornucopia, she will bring you affluence and happiness. We can thank Zekers for touching it so we we can share in his affluence and happiness.

This little lady is the cave fairy Aixia, sitting in front of the Golden Palace. She has a treasure chest that stores the gold that may be made by hitting a rock, which explains the sledge hammer in her hand.

This little room is the Golden Chamber. Something that is based on fact and not legend, is that you can toss coins into the treasure chest so that they can be used as a scholarship for the region's children and teens.

The Golden Falls were created by the flow of underground water. It is almost 30 feet high and 28 feet wide, with 1.4 tons of water flowing through it per minute. When there was mining in the area, there was whole called a 'hopper' through which mined ore was dropped. 

The entire cave is almost 5 miles long, but only about 1.2 miles are open to the public. It is 900 feet deep. 

This is called an underground lake, but it's more like a pool. Still cool, though.

The 1700-pound, 135-foot dragon, The Lord of the Cave is the biggest dragon made in the country. It was created by a New Zealand company and fashioned after Lord of the Rings. 

This is a restored wench that was once used for mining

Oddly enough there is a 194 meter long wine cave down there. There are 170 types of wine from all around Korea offered for sale. The Gwangmyeong wine cave is the only place in Korea that sells all types of domestic wine in one place.

These two don't always fight. Even after being in Seoul...one more time.

[June 4-6]