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Korean Demilitarized Zone

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Location

The Resume

    (July 27, 1953- )
    Established at the end of the Korean War as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea
    Approximately 150 miles (250 kilometers) long and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide
    Limited numbers of soldiers from each side may patrol the demilitarized zone (DMZ) but may not cross the Military Demarcation Line running through its middle
    Tanks and artillery are not allowed within the DMZ

Why Korean Demilitarized Zone might be annoying:

    Over the years, ‘incidents’ in the DMZ resulted in the deaths of 50 US soldiers, over 500 South Korean soldiers and at least 250 North Korean soldiers.
    North Korea has dug at least four infiltration tunnels beneath the DMZ.
    When the US pledged to eliminate anti-personnel landmines, it specifically exempted the Korean DMZ from the ban (2014).
    The two sides erected loudspeakers in the DMZ to broadcast propaganda at each other. (And, in the case of South Korea, K-pop. The horror, the horror….)
    An attempt by South Korea to have part of the DMZ designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve was scuttled by North Korean opposition (2011).
    South Korean tours of the DMZ enforce a dress code. (Apparently, out of concern that North Korean propagandists will take photos of tourists in ripped jeans and use them as proof that people in the West cannot afford to dress properly.)

Why Korean Demilitarized Zone might not be annoying:

    It contains a Joint Security Area (JSA) at the former village of Panmunjom, where officials from the two Koreas meet when they want to have face-to-face talks.
    The JSA also occasionally hosts reunions of families that had been separated by the Korean War.
    The lack of permanent inhabitants in most of the DMZ inadvertently created a nature preserve that is home to several endangered species, including the red-crowned crane, the Amur leopard and the Asiatic black bear.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying