As part of the terms of the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, the opposing armies pulled back their frontline positions to create a 4-km-wide demilitarized zone. CNN cameraman Brad Olson shares his images of the DMZ.
{"Image ImageDescription": "Filming at the DMZ\r\r1.\tAt the end of the Korean war, the opposing armies pulled back 2 km from their front line positions creating a 4 km wide demilitarized zone that spans the breadth of the country. We went there to film a story about tensions in Korea because of North Korea???s threats to explode a nuclear bomb.\r\r2.\tThe armies only have contact at one point, the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjun where the two sides can meet for talks. \r\r3.\tThere have been several violent incidents in the JSA and tensions are always quite high.  Because of this South Korean soldiers stand half behind the buildings in order to present a smaller target in case shooting breaks out.\r\r4.\tWhen we went to film. There was one North Korean soldier on duty.  He looked at us with his binoculars through the icicles.  It made for a good shot.\r\r5.\tOur guide, specialist Wilson, stressed to us that we were in an active war zone and so we had to be sure to do nothing to surprise the other side such as shouting and gesturing.  We were also made to stay within a very limited area.\r\r6.\t After visiting the border, we went to a high point overlooking Kij ngdong village about 2km away on the North Korean side.  \r\r7.\tThe JSA troops refer to it as propaganda village because nobody really lives there and it is just for show.\r\r8.\tIt has a huge North Korean flag flying over it.  It???s the biggest flag in the world.  We were restricted from filming anything on the South Korean side.\r\r9.\tFinally we went to the bridge of no return where prisoner exchanges were once held.  The JSA troops made a bit of a show of force when marching up to the limit line.  Again we were told not to stray into restricted areas or make any sudden gestures.  Pointing is considered a hostile act here.\r\r10.\t On the other side of the bridge there were a few more North Korean soldiers.  They looked back from behind the barbed wire.  Behind them was a farmer herding goats in the field.  You can see him to the right of the soldier.", "Image Artist": "KJ Kwon, Brad Olson", "Image ExifOffset": "2072", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1398", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1077"}