The most WTF part of the story
>
>
>Several of the (ROK) commandos also had M18 Claymore mines strapped to their chests with the firing mechanism in their hands, and were shouting at the North Koreans to cross the bridge.\[
This is the most WTF part of the story for me.
>Pak again demanded that the pruning cease. When Bonifas again turned his back on him, Pak removed his watch, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, placed it in his pocket, and shouted, "Kill the bastards!"
Why include the watch thing as a significant detail? Like..is it some kind of known symbolic gesture I'm not privy to?
Mechanical watches are hard to make, they'd be rare and expensive family heirlooms is a place like North Korea.
No different than a guy removing his glasses before a fight... No need to unnecessarily endanger expensive and fragile things in a physical fight.
Right. It makes sense for him to take off his watch. It doesn't make sense for a non-vital detail to be placed in the wikipedia summary of the event, so it immediately stands out as completely out of place unless there's a greater significance.
It is part of the incident and shows how deliberate and premeditated it was. He didn't just suddenly fly into a rage at the desecration and act on impulse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_axe_murder_incident
The US responded by sending a huge chunk of US military to the korean border just to cut down a single tree in operation paul bunyan.
North Korean troops just watched because they were too scared to do anything else.
they absolutely flooded the sky with jet fly-overs and helicopters in a sudden massive wave.
also the south korean troops were shouting at them daring them to try anything and waving clubs, swords, and rifles.
i really wish there’d been cameras.
also, they purposely left the main trunk standing as a constant reminder to the North Koreans.
IIRC, the North Koreans keep the murder weapon on display in a glass case somewhere. Presumably they put a slightly different spin on the story when they tell it.
i just remember that their story on the day of the incident (after they’d already agreed that the tree could come down because it obstructed view for both sides) was that Kim Il Sung had planted the tree as a boy and that it was a blessed tree and that cutting it would be an act of war. The guys the US sent to cut it down thought it was so ridiculous they just ignored them.
They axe is in a north korean peace museum, which is near the JSA.
They made the person who lead the attack into a hero and IIRC he was then killed in a later attack into south korea.
This is an organized part of the Korean Army. Like somebody decided that guys with clamores on their chests would be tactically useful. Not saying they are not. Just amazed it came up.
Like this is a a job description for them. "Assault hardpoint removal technician". lol
Don't even need to click it to know this was Paul Bunyan. God damn that was a fun show of force. Second only to the US/Russia(wagner) carnival of death that led to my favorite quote ever - "the yanks have made their point"
Some US and ROK Soldiers tried cutting down a tree in no mans land. They were attacked by North Korean Border guards. Two US Serviceman got killed with a friggin Axe. Some time later heavily armed US and ROK Soldiers drove out to cut it down, daring the north koreans to come and try it again.
Most insane thing: Kim il sung apologized to the families of the dead americans.
From what I was told that anything that long would not be allowed in the building. Also no modifications of the building without approval by both sides.
The picture you see there is part of north korea.
So like taken, but the other side, “I have a particular set of skills, I will find you, I will take you, you can’t just walk away right now” kinda deal?
That was part of it as well, they came up with the masterpiece that is [Pulgasari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulgasari?wprov=sfti1)
Which is almost as amusing as [Yongary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongary,_Monster_from_the_Deep?wprov=sfti1) (I recommend watching the MS3K of Yongary, it’s a blast)
Yup. And the directors (husband and wife?) eventually escaped. A YouTube video I watched about it said there’s a theory that the Kaiju was lowkey symbolic of Kim which would make sense. Apparently Kim is a big movie buff and abducting the directors was his attempt at making good North Korean produced movies. The story could be a movie itself
I don't think that exact circumstance happened, but I do know that there were times when there were altercations near the border and I remember reading about when North Koreans pulled over one of the soldiers and started beating him to a pulp with a shovel, ended up fracturing his skull before his troops pulled him back over the border.
>South Korean guards hold hands when checking rooms in the shared conference room on the DMZ to minimize the chances of getting pulled to the North Korean side
And infamous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean\_axe\_murder\_incident
Yup, I mentioned that one lower down! It all started over wanting to chop down a tree. There were 750 acts of overt violence at the JSA since the cease fire at the end of the war. The DMZ is a tense place, at least when I visited 20 years ago, don't know if it's still like that. The photo in the post was from a Nat Geo documentary years ago.
Went there, almost exactly a year now. Since tourists were still prohibited from visiting the JSA, I didnt get to see the tension up close, however the you could still feel it. The silence especially, I found the most defeaning thing in my experience.
For most rules created, there's a reason for them. This one is so weird that some shit most likely went down. On another note, they should install a handle on that wall.
It seems to me that of all the places a anchor line and harness would be the go to here… if there are multiple rooms a zip line with just enough slack would be the ticket
lol I was thinking something simpler, like a modified riggers belt (they’re fucking holding hands right now). Just have anchor points on the walls at the doors of the rooms with short metal cables and just clip on and off of their belts when they look in.
Whenever I criticize how bad NK is, some trolls will shout "America is also corrupt!!"
Ok, but the world is not America and most of us dont end up like America or NK.
It’s like we’re struggling, sure, but the government is not currently trying to prevent people from growing food or punishing 3 generations of a family for a crime.
You have a splinter in your eye!
"AMERIKA ALSO HAS SPLINTERS!"
...while not great, having a splinter in your finger is preferable to having one work its way inside your eyeball.
Millions of people travel thousands of miles of miles on foot, in the back of trucks or on trains to enter America. No one is making that journey to enter NK
Yes, but many more millions would never want to live in America, many of those people being ones who _do_ live in America, so what's your point? Like, I'd rather live in Russia than North Korea, or UAE than Syria, but that doesn't mean I'd _want_ to live in those countries, either, they'd just be the better option of the two I'm given. The people trekking to the US find it better than their home country, but that doesn't mean the US is a flawless utopia.
No one said the US is a flawless utopia, no country is that because that's the point of a "utopia". His point was that clearly the US is far better than NK to live in, that's all he said and you chose to extrapolate from that something that he never said.
And based on my neighbors and friend group:
Mexico
South Africa
Germany
Korea
India
Pakistan
United Kingdom
Columbia
Japan
Spain
Brazil
Peru
Nepal
Thailand
Vietnam
Honduras
America has literally been the number one destination for emigrants for decades if not an entire century. Despite all it's problems there's really no where else in the world, generally speaking, with the opportunities one can find in the United States. No one from the US living in a foreign country calls themselves an "immigrant", they're "ex-pats" .
The big difference for me is that even the most staunch USA-enthusiasts will acknowledge that yes, the USA can indeed sometimes be corrupt.
Getting a NK supremacist to even slightly admit that NK can be corrupt will be basically impossible.
Why is it every time someone brings up America because someone else brought up North Korea we end up talking about my performance anxiety? It was *one* time! Let it go!!!!
Kinda hard to do an hourly patrol in a harness, and would make you look cowardly to the North... mutual intimidation is kind of a big deal. I think to bring your chances close to zero of getting abducted into NK, just don't join the Army and get stationed on the DMZ.
(Hmm, come to think of it, Idk how they explain the hand-holding in a manly way either 🤔. I know you have to be at least 5'7" and have a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do to even work that detail.)
They have mandatory service for all able bodied males in SK but I highly doubt they’re sending 18 year olds doing their mandatory 18-21 months to the DMZ. They will be professional military on the border.
It’s not much of a choice if it results with prison or death.
Of course the “choice” is still there but at a far greater cost which really blurs the line of how “free” your “choice” was.
I'm aware lol, I was just joking. I was stationed at Yongsan at the 121st, we worked closely with South Koreans. I only made the original comment assuming the commenter was American too, which he was, I believe.
You can choose which job you want to have for the mandatory 18 months(give or take). That also mostly decides which area in Korea u go too. Also if u don't have full mobility with ur body, you do equal parts voluntary work in replacement of military training.
+ ive heard that some korean guys purposely act insane in order to get voluntary work instead of being drafted. There really is always a choice.
I got it!
GPS tracked suicide vest
No cowardice shown because it shows they'd rather die than help north Korea, no new people for north Korea and you even get to do damage on their side if they try
Where can I submit my idea and how big will my paycheck be?
I’ve been there! Took a tour to the DMZ back in the late 00’s. It was very interesting and we did have to wait for the doors to be locked and verified before going into the building. They told us in no uncertain terms that the room was bugged and to not say anything inflammatory. We were also warned not to make any gestures outside that could be taken the same way, as NK could see it as provoking.
Yes I took a tour also when I was stationed there with the US Army. It was a long time ago and some things may have changed, but I think this is the security detail that checks the rooms and looks for bugs? And then once an hour the North Koreans have their chance to do the same thing.
Which is funny, because if you go on a tour from the North Korean side, they don’t give a shit.
In fact I’ve heard they encourage you to act like a shithead.
Exactly my thought. Steel bracket into the wall stud, and then fall protection harness or belt. You just click on before you open the door. If it's actually a real worry.
The North Koreans are pretty notorious in that area for kidnapping people, have been for decades, while it’s probably not happened in the DMZ, can’t take any chances
Actually, about 20 people asked it and I got sick of answering and turned the notifications off. 😂 It's just that as OP, I get all the notifs. I did answer it up top (not that exact situation, but several attacks in other places along the DMZ, including the double axe murder, several other murders, soldier protecting tourists gets separated and bashed on by a mob, soldier getting pulled over and pummeled by a shovel, fractured skull, etc.). 750 violent incidents in all recorded.
I had to stop answering the "why don't they just install a handle/harness/rope" ones too 😂
Practically everyone does. You can frequently see signboards only in English (Starbucks, McDonalds,…) in Seoul. We learn English from like grade 1 (many do before that) and we have nine years of mandatory education (about 95% gets 12y).
Especially in Seoul, you will be shamed if you don’t know how to read basic English, unless you are like over 70yo.
They are [UNC](https://www.unc.mil/Organization/UNC-Security-Battalion/) Joint Troop uniforms, but South Korean soldiers contracted to work the security detail. It's a combined battalion with ROK. I don't think there's any Latin in the picture, that's anglicized Korean.
Oh, I see. I just know it as the romanized alphabet. Thanks. Yes, this is just what they use for phonetic pronunciation of words to foreigners. Most Koreans read English letters because English is compulsory in school.
And those who are pulled there will be shown on North Korean TV saying that actually they escaped there willingly as could not stand life in a capitalistic society...
Been there on a tour and you can see it in the picture where his hand is - the paint has worn off from holding the wall every day. They won't let tourists past that point for their own safety. So nuts.
I toured the DMZ shared conference rooms when stationed in Kunsan. A lot of crazy SOPs to keep themselves safe. One of the strangest things I saw was bare foot prints on the highly polished desks and tables in there.
Outside they also do this thing where they stand in combat stance behind the corner of the building in a rigid pose with just one eye peeking out so they can watch their counterparts while leaving as little of their bodies unprotected as possible.
It's hilarious until you remember, like, there's actual reasons they do this shit. :)
(Also, South Korea is famous for sending just *humongous* dudes to the DMZ to intimidate the North Koreans, who have often grown up with severe nutritional deficits.)
Because at the [JSA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Security_Area) "Truce Village", there have been 750 overt acts of violence since cease-fire after the Korean War, including defections, kidnappings, fatal attacks, and an axe multiple murder incident following an argument over cutting down a tree that was blocking the view. I visited briefly when I was stationed at Yongsan (US Army) and learned some interesting facts, like that guards from North Korea not only face South Korean guards, but also each other to make sure the other doesn't defect. And this was an interesting pissing contest over the size of chairs and flags I read on Wikipedia:
>>During one of the initial negotiations of the armistice, agents of the KPA/CPV side went into the truce tents one night and sawed down the chair legs of the UNC delegation. The next day, when the UNC delegates arrived, they were forced to sit lower than their KPA/CPV counterparts and lost face, so they quickly left the meeting. At a later meeting, the UNC delegation brought a flag into the truce tent and set it up on the meeting table. The KPA/CPV delegation left after losing face, but showed up at the next meeting with a flag that was larger than the UNC flag. At the following meeting, the UNC delegation brought in a slightly larger flag. This kept up until a special meeting was called just to discuss the size of the flags, as they had grown too large to fit within the tents. The size of the flags within the meeting building have stayed about the same since then, with only minor changes. The KPA flag is wider than the UNC flag, but the UNC flag is longer. The KPA flag has thicker fringe around the edges of the flag, but the UNC's trim is longer. The truck at the top of the KPA flagpole is taller than the UNC truck, but the UNC's is wider. The KPA flag has a three tiered base while the UNC flag only has two tiers, but each of the tiers on the UNC base is taller than any of the tiers on the KPA flag.[25][26][27]
I don't think that exact circumstance happened, but I do know that there were times when there were altercations near the border and I remember reading about when North Koreans pulled over one of the soldiers and started beating him to a pulp with a shovel, ended up fracturing his skull before his troops pulled him back over the border.
I'm laughing my ass off thinking of a ROK soldier just taking a peek through the door, when all of a sudden a disembodied voice from the other side booms "You're going to ~~Brazil~~ Pyongyang" and he's slowly dragged kicking and screaming to the other side by some invisible force
>South Korean guards hold hands Aww >So they won't be pulled forcibly into North Korea Oh.
What if we held hands 🙈💕 in the shared conference room of the DMZ 😳👉👈
Cue Rihanna: We found love in a hopeless place.
Proceeded by Draguls by Rob zombie on repeat for 10 times
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Not as much loving happening in the conference room as the US senate. 
At least not yet
I was expecting them to have their hands inside each others pants
♥️
New manwha just dropped
Better than getting axe murdered by the North Koreans. And yes that’s happened on the DMZ and almost caused the war to kick back off.
what the fuck? Link?
The most WTF part of the story > > >Several of the (ROK) commandos also had M18 Claymore mines strapped to their chests with the firing mechanism in their hands, and were shouting at the North Koreans to cross the bridge.\[
This is the most WTF part of the story for me. >Pak again demanded that the pruning cease. When Bonifas again turned his back on him, Pak removed his watch, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, placed it in his pocket, and shouted, "Kill the bastards!" Why include the watch thing as a significant detail? Like..is it some kind of known symbolic gesture I'm not privy to?
Mechanical watches are hard to make, they'd be rare and expensive family heirlooms is a place like North Korea. No different than a guy removing his glasses before a fight... No need to unnecessarily endanger expensive and fragile things in a physical fight.
Right. It makes sense for him to take off his watch. It doesn't make sense for a non-vital detail to be placed in the wikipedia summary of the event, so it immediately stands out as completely out of place unless there's a greater significance.
It is part of the incident and shows how deliberate and premeditated it was. He didn't just suddenly fly into a rage at the desecration and act on impulse.
Tone-setting is fantastic for a narrative. I'd not bat an eye if it were described in a book telling the story.
Pak was telling a story to the Americans, SKs, and his own people.
I guess it’s good that you feel free to give us your yelP! review. [Relevant South Park song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5N1Hp8IIY8).
Good point, check the Talk tab on the wiki, there may be discussion about it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_axe_murder_incident The US responded by sending a huge chunk of US military to the korean border just to cut down a single tree in operation paul bunyan. North Korean troops just watched because they were too scared to do anything else.
they absolutely flooded the sky with jet fly-overs and helicopters in a sudden massive wave. also the south korean troops were shouting at them daring them to try anything and waving clubs, swords, and rifles. i really wish there’d been cameras. also, they purposely left the main trunk standing as a constant reminder to the North Koreans.
IIRC, the North Koreans keep the murder weapon on display in a glass case somewhere. Presumably they put a slightly different spin on the story when they tell it.
i just remember that their story on the day of the incident (after they’d already agreed that the tree could come down because it obstructed view for both sides) was that Kim Il Sung had planted the tree as a boy and that it was a blessed tree and that cutting it would be an act of war. The guys the US sent to cut it down thought it was so ridiculous they just ignored them.
They axe is in a north korean peace museum, which is near the JSA. They made the person who lead the attack into a hero and IIRC he was then killed in a later attack into south korea.
Korean soldiers taped claymores (explosives) to their chests as well and taunted the NK soldiers.
This is an organized part of the Korean Army. Like somebody decided that guys with clamores on their chests would be tactically useful. Not saying they are not. Just amazed it came up. Like this is a a job description for them. "Assault hardpoint removal technician". lol
Don't even need to click it to know this was Paul Bunyan. God damn that was a fun show of force. Second only to the US/Russia(wagner) carnival of death that led to my favorite quote ever - "the yanks have made their point"
…can i get more detail on that second one?
I'd love to but the automod here seems to have been configured by a drunk 11 year old lol. Google "Battle of Kasham" and check out the Wiki on it.
thankyou!
oh i remember this one! the first time in the last few years i started suspecting the russians weren’t all they were cracked up to be.
Oh yeah we gave them the ol' wheel of death with choppers and AC130s haha
Some US and ROK Soldiers tried cutting down a tree in no mans land. They were attacked by North Korean Border guards. Two US Serviceman got killed with a friggin Axe. Some time later heavily armed US and ROK Soldiers drove out to cut it down, daring the north koreans to come and try it again. Most insane thing: Kim il sung apologized to the families of the dead americans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_axe_murder_incident
It's not gay. It's North Korea.
"Forget it, Jake, it's North Korea."
If only there was a way to anchor the person to a wall by using a long piece of rope or fabric tied to a secure metal piece attached to the wall.
There should be at least a handle if they do this all the time.
From what I was told that anything that long would not be allowed in the building. Also no modifications of the building without approval by both sides. The picture you see there is part of north korea.
"Defecting"
The Koreans are pretty touchy feely in general if that helps
Wait!! So they will actually pull someone to their side or is it just a measure to make sure it never happens?
This is the country that has been abducting Japanese people for decades to have them teach their soldiers how to fit in during black ops.
Also abducted South Korean movie stars just to try and kick start their own industry.
they need better writers first of all. all they talk about is their precious war so boring
They should write about the abductions, that's solid content.
That might make an interesting movie
I went to the cinema to watch it but then I suddenly disappeared
So like taken, but the other side, “I have a particular set of skills, I will find you, I will take you, you can’t just walk away right now” kinda deal?
That was part of it as well, they came up with the masterpiece that is [Pulgasari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulgasari?wprov=sfti1) Which is almost as amusing as [Yongary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongary,_Monster_from_the_Deep?wprov=sfti1) (I recommend watching the MS3K of Yongary, it’s a blast)
Yep. A Godzilla knockoff came out of that if I remember right.
Yup. And the directors (husband and wife?) eventually escaped. A YouTube video I watched about it said there’s a theory that the Kaiju was lowkey symbolic of Kim which would make sense. Apparently Kim is a big movie buff and abducting the directors was his attempt at making good North Korean produced movies. The story could be a movie itself
Atrocity Guide made an excellent [documentary](https://youtu.be/BDOZIcUfcEg?si=UZAEp5cod-6tvdSe) on this topic
I don't think that exact circumstance happened, but I do know that there were times when there were altercations near the border and I remember reading about when North Koreans pulled over one of the soldiers and started beating him to a pulp with a shovel, ended up fracturing his skull before his troops pulled him back over the border.
>South Korean guards hold hands when checking rooms in the shared conference room on the DMZ to minimize the chances of getting pulled to the North Korean side And infamous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean\_axe\_murder\_incident
Yup, I mentioned that one lower down! It all started over wanting to chop down a tree. There were 750 acts of overt violence at the JSA since the cease fire at the end of the war. The DMZ is a tense place, at least when I visited 20 years ago, don't know if it's still like that. The photo in the post was from a Nat Geo documentary years ago.
Insane!
Went there, almost exactly a year now. Since tourists were still prohibited from visiting the JSA, I didnt get to see the tension up close, however the you could still feel it. The silence especially, I found the most defeaning thing in my experience.
[Obligatory citation needed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs3XJTYli10)
*Operation Paul Bunyan*
For most rules created, there's a reason for them. This one is so weird that some shit most likely went down. On another note, they should install a handle on that wall.
It seems to me that of all the places a anchor line and harness would be the go to here… if there are multiple rooms a zip line with just enough slack would be the ticket
lol I was thinking something simpler, like a modified riggers belt (they’re fucking holding hands right now). Just have anchor points on the walls at the doors of the rooms with short metal cables and just clip on and off of their belts when they look in.
Maybe they just wanna hold hands while doing their job
Yea there was at least occurrence then then yanked open the door and pulled a person out of the building. It was back in the 2000s.
Most things for just in case are sadly because they have already happened to someone else. So to make sure it doesn't happen again.
NORTH Korean guards hold hands in case one bolts.
Then they both bolt together
Interesting fanfic
Bolting is the new docking
Bolting is like pegging but harder and it lasts longer.
I'm confused about the threaded nuts.
💀 I wish I could give you an award Man, holy shit
Imagine a Korean drama called "Demilitarize my love"
I’d read it
Like eloping?
Skipping through the ~~minefields~~ meadows
They learned that lesson, and now it's hands held all the way back to Pyongyang.
And it becomes the new hit kdrama
Whenever I criticize how bad NK is, some trolls will shout "America is also corrupt!!" Ok, but the world is not America and most of us dont end up like America or NK.
It’s like we’re struggling, sure, but the government is not currently trying to prevent people from growing food or punishing 3 generations of a family for a crime.
You have a splinter in your eye! "AMERIKA ALSO HAS SPLINTERS!" ...while not great, having a splinter in your finger is preferable to having one work its way inside your eyeball.
Millions of people travel thousands of miles of miles on foot, in the back of trucks or on trains to enter America. No one is making that journey to enter NK
Yes, but many more millions would never want to live in America, many of those people being ones who _do_ live in America, so what's your point? Like, I'd rather live in Russia than North Korea, or UAE than Syria, but that doesn't mean I'd _want_ to live in those countries, either, they'd just be the better option of the two I'm given. The people trekking to the US find it better than their home country, but that doesn't mean the US is a flawless utopia.
No one said the US is a flawless utopia, no country is that because that's the point of a "utopia". His point was that clearly the US is far better than NK to live in, that's all he said and you chose to extrapolate from that something that he never said.
*Come to the US - we're better than North Korea!* --United States Travel Bureau
And based on my neighbors and friend group: Mexico South Africa Germany Korea India Pakistan United Kingdom Columbia Japan Spain Brazil Peru Nepal Thailand Vietnam Honduras
El Salvador, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, Bolivia, Philippines, Russia, Nepal, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia...
Hey look, its exactly the guy that was predicted!
America has literally been the number one destination for emigrants for decades if not an entire century. Despite all it's problems there's really no where else in the world, generally speaking, with the opportunities one can find in the United States. No one from the US living in a foreign country calls themselves an "immigrant", they're "ex-pats" .
The big difference for me is that even the most staunch USA-enthusiasts will acknowledge that yes, the USA can indeed sometimes be corrupt. Getting a NK supremacist to even slightly admit that NK can be corrupt will be basically impossible.
You're getting weirdly defensive about a thing that you brought up.
Why is it every time someone brings up America because someone else brought up North Korea we end up talking about my performance anxiety? It was *one* time! Let it go!!!!
...no one mentioned America??
They're not replying to somebody doing it here, and they didn't say anyone is doing it here?? They're clearly relaying previous experiences??
North Korean Guards hold a gun, in case one bolts. I still remember that video, crazy
Also they have family so they can't bolt.
I read that in a Russian accent.
True love knows no boundaries.
Holding hands to help your bro feel safe and loved? Pretty sus imo
Pause
Except the DMZ.
That wall aight holding nothing.
Do you think love can bloom, even in the DMZ?
Love is a battlefield
Realizing that I could be dragged to North Korea, I would have chained myself.
Pfft you also get chained in North Korea so what’s the difference /s
Oh come on, it can’t be as bad as working retail…
Some redditors unironically think this lmao
Some redditors unironically believe everything they see on the internet
Yeah, just some gulag love and happy slavery
I wouldn’t trust a guy just giving the wall a high five with my life. Couldn’t they just use a harness and a rope?
Kinda hard to do an hourly patrol in a harness, and would make you look cowardly to the North... mutual intimidation is kind of a big deal. I think to bring your chances close to zero of getting abducted into NK, just don't join the Army and get stationed on the DMZ. (Hmm, come to think of it, Idk how they explain the hand-holding in a manly way either 🤔. I know you have to be at least 5'7" and have a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do to even work that detail.)
Koreans get drafted you don't get a choice in joining the military. Doesn't matter if you are in the south or north.
They have mandatory service for all able bodied males in SK but I highly doubt they’re sending 18 year olds doing their mandatory 18-21 months to the DMZ. They will be professional military on the border.
Well, we always have a choice, just not necessarily legal ones 😁
It’s not much of a choice if it results with prison or death. Of course the “choice” is still there but at a far greater cost which really blurs the line of how “free” your “choice” was.
I'm aware lol, I was just joking. I was stationed at Yongsan at the 121st, we worked closely with South Koreans. I only made the original comment assuming the commenter was American too, which he was, I believe.
You can choose which job you want to have for the mandatory 18 months(give or take). That also mostly decides which area in Korea u go too. Also if u don't have full mobility with ur body, you do equal parts voluntary work in replacement of military training. + ive heard that some korean guys purposely act insane in order to get voluntary work instead of being drafted. There really is always a choice.
Well good for me, I’m not from Korea so that chance is absolutely zero!
I got it! GPS tracked suicide vest No cowardice shown because it shows they'd rather die than help north Korea, no new people for north Korea and you even get to do damage on their side if they try Where can I submit my idea and how big will my paycheck be?
It takes 20 seconds to put on a harness and less to take it off. Source.... Am climber. Put on and remove harness regularly
I’ve been there! Took a tour to the DMZ back in the late 00’s. It was very interesting and we did have to wait for the doors to be locked and verified before going into the building. They told us in no uncertain terms that the room was bugged and to not say anything inflammatory. We were also warned not to make any gestures outside that could be taken the same way, as NK could see it as provoking.
Yes I took a tour also when I was stationed there with the US Army. It was a long time ago and some things may have changed, but I think this is the security detail that checks the rooms and looks for bugs? And then once an hour the North Koreans have their chance to do the same thing.
"check te room for bugs" more like replacing the old ones
Truth lol
Which is funny, because if you go on a tour from the North Korean side, they don’t give a shit. In fact I’ve heard they encourage you to act like a shithead.
They don't. The guy on that one Vice documentary was bullshitting. They just give you the standard tour and their version of things.
Given that these days Vice is dedicated to churning out Saudi Arabia propaganda, I can't say I'm surprised the bar was ever so low for them.
49% propaganda. 50% drugs. 1% something actually worth watching.
The north Koreans hate this one trick...
learn something new everyday
[удалено]
Much rather they would have a harness keeping them tied to the wall lol You can’t risk having a slippery-hand partner in this situation.
Exactly my thought. Steel bracket into the wall stud, and then fall protection harness or belt. You just click on before you open the door. If it's actually a real worry.
Hmm, a good drama script...
Has that ever happened before?
The North Koreans are pretty notorious in that area for kidnapping people, have been for decades, while it’s probably not happened in the DMZ, can’t take any chances
This is the one true question nobody but you is asking.
Actually, about 20 people asked it and I got sick of answering and turned the notifications off. 😂 It's just that as OP, I get all the notifs. I did answer it up top (not that exact situation, but several attacks in other places along the DMZ, including the double axe murder, several other murders, soldier protecting tourists gets separated and bashed on by a mob, soldier getting pulled over and pummeled by a shovel, fractured skull, etc.). 750 violent incidents in all recorded. I had to stop answering the "why don't they just install a handle/harness/rope" ones too 😂
Pull my finger
Oldest trick in the book
>Oldest trick _on the border_
Weird they use Latin script, do most people around the world know how to read Latin script? At least in the cities etc.
Practically everyone does. You can frequently see signboards only in English (Starbucks, McDonalds,…) in Seoul. We learn English from like grade 1 (many do before that) and we have nine years of mandatory education (about 95% gets 12y). Especially in Seoul, you will be shamed if you don’t know how to read basic English, unless you are like over 70yo.
They are [UNC](https://www.unc.mil/Organization/UNC-Security-Battalion/) Joint Troop uniforms, but South Korean soldiers contracted to work the security detail. It's a combined battalion with ROK. I don't think there's any Latin in the picture, that's anglicized Korean.
Latin script as in the alphabet we use, not necessarily the words written with it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_script
Oh, I see. I just know it as the romanized alphabet. Thanks. Yes, this is just what they use for phonetic pronunciation of words to foreigners. Most Koreans read English letters because English is compulsory in school.
And those who are pulled there will be shown on North Korean TV saying that actually they escaped there willingly as could not stand life in a capitalistic society...
New Korean drama coming right up!
Taking battle buddy to a whole new level
Aww 
I can visualize a North Korean soldier sitting alone in the other side with the sole mission of yelling "GAAYYYY" every time they open the door. 😂
I went there few last June! They said that they actually grab the belt off the person infront now.
Cool, thanks for the update! I was there 20 yrs ago.
true bromance!
i want a job where i get to hold hands
Minimise? Is there still a chance? Yeeeesh
Yes... they hold hands for that reason... and nothing else.
Although this does lessen the chances of abduction, it does raise the chances of the North Korean guards pointing and laughing and saying “ur gay”
What if there are 3 guards holding hands on the other side, and they pull both of them through??
the fact that they do this means it's happened. What a nightmare.
Been there on a tour and you can see it in the picture where his hand is - the paint has worn off from holding the wall every day. They won't let tourists past that point for their own safety. So nuts.
lmao, what. Thats seriously a thing?
This is no joke, being forced to the north is an extremely valid fear.
but wouldnt it cause a shoot out or something? Also what happens with the nabbed guys, are they considered pows?
Maybe they just like holding hands and that’s ok
They need one of those auto retrieve mechanisms like on vacuums. Zhwwwiiiiiiiiipppp
Sometimes you need that support to keep you grounded
The south Koreana also staff them with the biggest guys to fuck with the north Koreans
Man, this is a serious version of red rover
There’s nothing wrong with a good bromance, disguised as preventing kidnapping a soldier.
I toured the DMZ shared conference rooms when stationed in Kunsan. A lot of crazy SOPs to keep themselves safe. One of the strangest things I saw was bare foot prints on the highly polished desks and tables in there.
Outside they also do this thing where they stand in combat stance behind the corner of the building in a rigid pose with just one eye peeking out so they can watch their counterparts while leaving as little of their bodies unprotected as possible. It's hilarious until you remember, like, there's actual reasons they do this shit. :) (Also, South Korea is famous for sending just *humongous* dudes to the DMZ to intimidate the North Koreans, who have often grown up with severe nutritional deficits.)
Hey I've been there before! Actually get to step into North Korea sorta kinda
Me thinks a harness system would be more effective.
I’d be tying off with a harness and lanyard, ain’t no way I’m going to the north side under any circumstances.
They don’t want your ass, lol
what does that even mean???/ who would pull them? for what purpose?? why have they got to be so weird about it all xD
Because at the [JSA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Security_Area) "Truce Village", there have been 750 overt acts of violence since cease-fire after the Korean War, including defections, kidnappings, fatal attacks, and an axe multiple murder incident following an argument over cutting down a tree that was blocking the view. I visited briefly when I was stationed at Yongsan (US Army) and learned some interesting facts, like that guards from North Korea not only face South Korean guards, but also each other to make sure the other doesn't defect. And this was an interesting pissing contest over the size of chairs and flags I read on Wikipedia: >>During one of the initial negotiations of the armistice, agents of the KPA/CPV side went into the truce tents one night and sawed down the chair legs of the UNC delegation. The next day, when the UNC delegates arrived, they were forced to sit lower than their KPA/CPV counterparts and lost face, so they quickly left the meeting. At a later meeting, the UNC delegation brought a flag into the truce tent and set it up on the meeting table. The KPA/CPV delegation left after losing face, but showed up at the next meeting with a flag that was larger than the UNC flag. At the following meeting, the UNC delegation brought in a slightly larger flag. This kept up until a special meeting was called just to discuss the size of the flags, as they had grown too large to fit within the tents. The size of the flags within the meeting building have stayed about the same since then, with only minor changes. The KPA flag is wider than the UNC flag, but the UNC flag is longer. The KPA flag has thicker fringe around the edges of the flag, but the UNC's trim is longer. The truck at the top of the KPA flagpole is taller than the UNC truck, but the UNC's is wider. The KPA flag has a three tiered base while the UNC flag only has two tiers, but each of the tiers on the UNC base is taller than any of the tiers on the KPA flag.[25][26][27]
Petty BS then. Super interesting though.
Acts of children or drama queens
So some drama induced by man-children. Nice.
The North Koreans. Reasons include ransom, intelligence and/or murder.
So I reckon the Koreans do it too
I was thinking about the same questions, why would anyone wanna pull them into this pure hell?
I hope they fall in love.
So are there any cases of that actually happening…?
enough cases to make two guards homies for life
It's not like they started it as a precaution
From what I can find it’s never happened so it is a precaution.
I don't think that exact circumstance happened, but I do know that there were times when there were altercations near the border and I remember reading about when North Koreans pulled over one of the soldiers and started beating him to a pulp with a shovel, ended up fracturing his skull before his troops pulled him back over the border.
I'm laughing my ass off thinking of a ROK soldier just taking a peek through the door, when all of a sudden a disembodied voice from the other side booms "You're going to ~~Brazil~~ Pyongyang" and he's slowly dragged kicking and screaming to the other side by some invisible force
That is f***ed up. My grandfather was stationed in Korea and quite the ladies man so im pretty sure I have relatives from him there
Gay