Mustapha
Senior Member
Above: Seoul. Gwanghwamun Square is flanked on both sides by a very broad street [Sejong Ro] of 5 lanes in each direction. This square is popular for political assembly. A few hundred yards past the parked bus is the American Embassy. And a few hundred yards beyond that is one of the very impressive restored royal palaces from the Joseon era. So this is very much THE business, cultural and diplomatic district of Seoul
On this very spot, where these ladies are walking, where I took this picture; there stood the Japanese General Government Building - an imposing structure in the vein of a State or National capital building. You can Goggle it. It was built by the occupying Japanese in 1926 to symbolically erase Korean culture. In it's turn it was razed in 1996 and these grounds returned to their original state.
It's a quiet scene in this picture, but Busan is a city of 3.5million and is a major industrial and ship building centre. It's also the closest place in Korea to Japan (31 miles to the Japanese coast) and many (and there have been many) Japanese invasions came ashore here.
There is a movie called 'Train to Busan'. You can Goggle it.
Above: 'Imjingak' Village, 42km north of Seoul, is a popular area. It's 7km from the actual DMZ. It's also where most tour buses stop for a short break before entering the DMZ. If you are not visiting the DMZ or Joint Security Area, this is as far as one can journey before any Security Check points. There are various war memorial monuments around the park, the Freedom Bridge, an observation deck with Niagara Falls style coin operated binoculars and a decent restaurant and even an amusement park.
My picture was taken from the observation deck. On the left is the Freedom Bridge. A footbridge. It used to connect to the North via the railway bridge [described in the paragraph below] but now physically ends where a group of a dozen or so people are standing in front of what looks like sheets and placards. The 'sheets and placards' are Korean flags, messages inscribed on ribbons and cardboard and whatnot and personal mementos all hung or flung over the barrier that is the end of the bridge. And the end of that bridge is the farthest you can go.
A few of the people I saw here today Sunday April 15, seemed distressed. Perhaps thinking of family on the other side of the border...
In the right distance is a gray railing. That's the railway link - only one track, not two - between the two Koreas and is kept up in mechanical conditional but is not in use.
Some general thoughts on Korea: A visit is a altogether different experience than Saigon or Hong Kong, the only other Asian cities I have experience of. The subway is mind boggling extensive and just works.
Thanks for reading.
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