This area, designed specifically for military containment, is hostile in nature and almost depopulated by civilians. In accordance with the Panmunjon treaty, where the Korean War armistice was signed, the southern part of the DMZ is administered by the United States, while the northern part is administered by North Korea.

In the middle of the demilitarized zone is the town of Panmunjom, where the Joint Security Area (JSA) is located, the only sector of the DMZ where military forces from North Korea and the United States have direct contact. The current military installations are built in that space, just above the Military Demarcation Line (LMD), and are often used by both parties for diplomatic agreements between the two countries, or military negotiations between North Korea and the United Nations Command.

Since its demarcation, the demilitarized zone has been the part of numerous incursions, mostly by North Korean troops, many times ending in firefights between the two sides. Hostilities continue to this day. Three tunnels used for espionage were discovered in the 1970s, and one more was found twenty years later, all built by the North Korean military. It was one of the most conflictive areas during the Cold War.

At present, and although formally there is a certain risk of mutual hostility, the place is an interesting tourist destination, and both countries allow organized excursions, always maintaining security protocols. The tours usually include a visit to the facilities where the armistice was signed, various viewpoints and monuments for reunification, as well as access to one of the infiltration tunnels below the border of both nations.

On the other hand, and thanks to being depopulated by civilians since 1953, a great ecological biodiversity in flora and fauna has strongly developed in the demilitarized zone. Various research teams have been able to find more than 50 animal and 12 plant species in the area, and estimate that more than 80 types of marine species and 50 types of mammalian animals can be found, including bears, the Siberian tiger, the Amur leopard, the red-crowned crane or the yellow-throated marten.

Welcome to the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas!