---
title: Looking North
permalink: https://sixtwothree.org/photos/227
published: 2017-10-29T01:27:27-04:00
updated: 2018-05-19T16:36:50-04:00
tags:
- Daeseong-dong
- DMZ
- Kijŏng-dong
- Korean Demilitarized Zone
syndications:
- name: Facebook
url: https://www.facebook.com/jgarber623/posts/10155340062027343
- name: Flickr
url: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgarber/42170985572/
- name: Instagram
url: https://instagram.com/p/BjN0BQXl4JF/
- name: Twitter
url: https://twitter.com/jgarber/status/997941521155547137
photos:
- type: image/jpeg
url: /uploads/photos/227/BAD0981E-6330-4736-A39A-D3940704660C_small.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
url: /uploads/photos/227/BAD0981E-6330-4736-A39A-D3940704660C_medium.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
url: /uploads/photos/227/BAD0981E-6330-4736-A39A-D3940704660C_large.jpg
location:
city: Paju-si
state: Gyeonggi-do
country: South Korea
longitude: 126.704575
latitude: 37.9086638888889
---
Looking North
In the distance, through the haze, is [North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea). The DPRK.
In the middle distance to the left is the North Korean village of [Kijŏng-dong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Village_(North_Korea)), dubbed "Peace Village" by the North in a bit of grim humor. In the middle distance to the right is the South Korean village of [Daeseong-dong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeseong-dong), the only village permitted within the southern portion of the DMZ. It's unclear if Kijŏng-dong is inhabited as most of the structures appear to be quickly-assembled and incomplete. The two villages each contain giant flagpoles topped with their nation's flag.
Visiting this place was a surreal experience. How are you supposed to feel knowing you're looking across what _should_ be a pastoral countryside but is instead a landmine-riddled monument to humanity at its worst? This place represents the countless failures of so many people across so many years. We must be better than this.