Heading into Sintan-ri, we pass the 38th Parallel. Everything northward was part of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea before 1953...
The Western Corridor, lowlands linking Pyongyang to Seoul, is dotted with military defenses like tank impediments along the Chatancheon River...
Access control points on the highway...
And abandoned ROK Army installations...
Just short of 2 hours and we're in Cheorwon, a surviving border town and South Korea's "Dream for Unity"
This banner says "end-of-the-road" to Western travelers even though the actual DMZ is a little over 10k from this point...
Cheorwon was the site of a drawn-out, bloody struggle for Hill #255, better known as "Pork Chop," inspiring the 1959 movie...
With rain falling, I stopped for lunch at Sintan-ri Station, took cover in the park...
Notice the station restroom has a rather liberal "open door" policy... ?
Sintan-ri is the last stop on the Gyeongwon Line that once connected Seoul to Wonsan, North Korea. With Mt. Godaesan near by it's a popular destination for hikers...
Tunnel #2 and DMZ tours draw folks here, too. The local shops maintain an association with the border...
One small delay, a flat repair, and it's full retreat from Pork Chop!
