DMZ U.S. Army barracks remodeled to national defense tourism site

Just 2 kilometers off of the southern limit of the demilitarized zone there is the Camp Greaves DMZ Experience Center. Currently operated as a youth hostel, the place is the only lodging facility for civilians within the private entry control line.

The DMZ Experience Center has been remodeled after Camp Greaves facility, which had been home to the troops of Second U.S. Army for 50 years since the Korean War but was unattended after the army left in 2004. Since its opening in December 2013, the center has been reborn as a historical tourism site where military base symbolic of inter-Korean struggle has turned into a place of peace and national defense.

The DMZ Experience Center is situated 1.2 kilometers from the Tongilchon three-way intersection, which is located after crossing the Great Tongil Bridge. While it was an army barracks used by U.S. soldiers, the center has turned into a quarter for Korean soldiers. There are 20 rooms accommodating 230 soldiers, with 12 people in one room. There are also an auditorium that can fill 150 people, a meeting room, cafeteria and a discussion room. The center can be used for a group of more than 30 people if they apply two weeks earlier.

One can also enjoy a travel course linking to the DMZ. The Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Dorasan Station, Dorasan Peace Park, Imjingak Peace Park are all near the site. People can tour the site with explanations from commentators. Children can enjoy ecological experience at wetlands near the Imjin River and at Chopyeong Island. Inside the youth hostel people can enjoy various programs. Particularly popular are music concert and magic show performed by Army First Division Band, DMZ Golden Bell, a quiz program on South-North division issues and strategic domino games. As some 11,000 people visited the popular national security experience site last year, more than 13,000 people are expected to visit this place this year.

Gyeonggi Province plans to inject 35.5 billion won (29.47 million U.S. dollars) up to 2018 to create a historical park (102,000 square meters) and a cultural facility (160,000 square meters) by utilizing 34 of 60 U.S. military facilities within Camp Greaves. One lodging facility, an outdoor gallery, U.S. military documentary gallery, ecological arts exhibition center, camping site, a walkway and rest areas will be created there. U.S. Officer's club has been remodeled to turn into a restaurant with an extraordinary landscape of the Imjin River and Imjin Peace Park.

An official at Gyeonggi Tourism Organization said, "When additional construction is completed, Camp Greaves will truly become the best historical and national defense experience tourism facility." People hoping to visit the camp can submit the application form from its homepage (www.dmzcamp131.or.kr).

남경현기자 bibulus@donga.com